Multiple agencies were discharged to reports of a collision involving two boats in the waters of Tampa Bay a few miles east of the Skyway Bridge with people in the water.
The call for service was received at approximately 8:15 a.m. on Saturday, January 23. 2021.
A good Samaritan was able to recover the people from the water and transfer them to the Coast Guard boat crew.
A Coast Guard Station St. Petersburg 45-foot Response Boat — Medium boat crew transferred the boaters to awaiting EMS at Station St. Petersburg for transportation to Bayfront and St. Anthony’s Hospital.
A total of six boaters were transported to the hospital, three of which were declared trauma alerts with potential serious injuries.
Heavy fog was reported in the area at the time of the crash.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission is investigating the incident and commercial salvage is recovering the two vessels. Pinellas Fire and Rescue, Tampa Police, Hillsborough County Sheriff, and Eckerd College Search and Rescue also responded to the incident.