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2 die, 10 injured after 2 boats collide in South Florida

By Bob D'Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Boat collision: Coast Guard Station Miami Beach crew members inspect one of the boats involved in a collision near Key Biscayne, Florida. (U.S. Coast Guard Station Miami Beach)

By Bob D'Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. — Two people died and 10 people were injured after two boats collided near Key Biscayne, Florida, on Friday, authorities said.

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The boats crashed into each other in an area west of the Nixon Beach Sandbar east of Miami, WPLG-TV reported.

Update 1:21 p.m. EDT June 18: Authorities recovered the bodies of two people after two boats collided Friday night, the U.S. Coast Guard said in a news release on Saturday afternoon.

A Coast Guard helicopter crew recovered one body from the water, WSVN-TV and WPLG-TV reported. A Miami-Dade Fire Rescue crew recovered the other body from the water, according to the television station.

“On behalf of the Coast Guard and our partner agencies, we’d like to offer our sincerest condolences to the families and friends who lost their loved ones,” said Lt. Cmdr. Benjamin Tuxhorn, Coast Guard Sector Miami search and rescue mission coordinator, said in a statement. “The Coast Guard and our local partner agencies quickly responded and exhaustively worked together on this search and rescue case.”

The incident is under investigation by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Original report: “Ten of those patients were transported to area hospitals, two in critical condition, one minor, one adult, and there was also another minor that was transported to the hospital,” Miami Fire Rescue Lt. Pete Sanchez told reporters. “At this time, we are currently still searching for a 12th victim. It’s an adult male that went missing at the impact point.”

The collision occurred at about 11 p.m. EDT, WSVN-TV reported.

Authorities said one of the vessels began to sink as first responders and the U.S. Coast Guard pulled people to safety. The victims were taken to Mercy Hospital and Jackson Trauma Center in Miami, according to the television station.

One of the injured boaters was flown by helicopter to the Ryder Trauma Center, WPLG reported. One survivor refused treatment, according to the television.

“At this time, we don’t know how the accident happened,” Sanchez told reporters.

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