3 Dead and 1 in Critical Condition After Catamaran Flips Over and ‘Ejects’ Passengers on Florida River

Three people have died and another remains in critical condition after a catamaran accident on the Caloosahatchee River in Florida.

In a statement on Facebook, the Lee County Marine Emergency Response Team (MERT) shared details and photos from their search efforts and confirmed the fatalities.

“Sad day on the Caloosahatchee River. Yesterday evening, a catamaran boat flipped and ejected its four passengers,” officials wrote. “Three victims were removed from the water and only one survived in critical condition.”

The statement continued, “After an extensive search and cooperation with Federal, State, and Local agencies, the fourth person was recovered today. Please keep boating fun but safe.”

The incident occurred between Cape Coral and Fort Myers at around 4:00 p.m. local time on Saturday, Nov. 29, according to ABC News, citing information from the Lee County MERT.

Authorities said two of the victims were pronounced dead shortly after being pulled from the water. A third person remained hospitalized on Sunday in critical condition, officials told ABC News.

A 60-year-old individual, who had been missing after the accident, was later located and recovered from the water on Sunday, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), as reported by ABC News.

The FWC said the search effort involved multiple agencies and was supported at sea by the U.S. Coast Guard.

“LCSO is assisting our partners at FWC and the U.S. Coast Guard in the ongoing search for the missing boater. Our Marine Units and Aviation Division are on scene actively supporting search efforts,” the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said in an earlier update on Sunday.

Photos shared by the sheriff’s office showed law enforcement boats on the river, searching the area around the capsized catamaran.

The cause of the accident remains under investigation, according to the Coast Guard, per ABC News.