Overview
- Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, which answered a 12:45 p.m. call Saturday, found burn and trauma victims in the water and on a vessel near the popular Haulover Sandbar.
- The response was elevated to a Level 2 mass-casualty incident as more than 25 units, the U.S. Coast Guard, and Florida wildlife officers converged on the scene.
- Officials said 11 patients were transported to hospitals, and Jackson Health reported treating multiple injured people, including several listed as critical but stable.
- The boat was identified in media reports as the 40-foot Nauti Nabors, and state wildlife officers said it was operating as a charter as the multi-agency investigation continues.
- Witnesses described people thrown overboard and suggested trapped gasoline vapors ignited during engine startup, a risk when blowers and hatches are not used to vent fumes, but authorities have not verified that account.