A 45-foot boat hired by a group of friends began to take on water then capsize in Biscayne Bay just off the Miami Seaquarium Sunday afternoon. Reports reveal the group was coming back from a party spot when the boat started sink. According to the Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission spokesman Jorge Pino the boat may have been an illegal charter that transported people to and from a sandbar for $20 per person. There may not have been a Coast Guard licensed captain either. The sinking boat was observed by other boaters who rendered assistance helping to tow the vessel to the beach.

This mishap is yet another in a long string of boating accidents surrounding Columbus Day Weekend in Biscayne Bay. BBR has written extensively on boat accident liability surrounding the alcohol fueled Columbus Day festivities in Miami. See our article entitled Liabilities for Boating Under the Influence While Partying in Biscayne Bay on Columbus Day Weekend to learn more.