Ed. Note: This story was updated with more information from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Updated 6:30 p.m.
PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB) — Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers are still investigating a boating accident that killed two people.
A line of high wind swept in from the south a little after 10 Friday morning. It hit just as several boats were navigating the inland waters. Local wildlife officials started receiving distress calls at 10:30 a.m.
“Accident that occurred in Bay County on Grand Lagoon, near Deepwater Point, the United States Coast Guard and FWC both responded to the scene and it was determined that a 26-foot pontoon vessel had overturned,” FWC public information officer Travis Basford said.
The double-decker rental pontoon boat flipped over, throwing all nine people into the water. All were tourists who got the boat from a rental company.
“The United States Coast Guard was able to recover all nine occupants that were on board,” Basford said.
Rescue teams began ferrying the passengers to the Panama City Marina and St. Andrews State Park. Unfortunately, officials said two of the victims did not survive. The adult female and juvenile female were transported to Ascension Sacred Heart Bay, where they both died.
“It’s still an active investigation so Florida Fish and Wildlife, the United States Coast Guard are still on the scene and their boat is still in the water, and they’re working on trying to get the vessel recovered, also working with the owner, the best way to get it recovered,” Basford said.
Authorities haven’t released the name of the boat’s owner or the rental company. We don’t if the weather was solely responsible for the capsizing, or if something else played a role. FWC said they will continue investigating.
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PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB) — Stormy seas caused two boats to overturn near Panama City.
The incidents left two people dead and several others were rescued from the water. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said a 26-foot double-decker pontoon boat capsized at about 10:30 a.m. near Deepwater Point at the mouth of Grand Lagoon.
Officials said nine people were ejected from the boat. Everyone was recovered from the water.
Two people were rushed to the hospital and later died from their injuries. The victims were an adult woman and a girl. Their identities have not yet been released.
“With heavy hearts, we would like to offer our condolences to the family of the victims,” said Major Fred Rondeau, FWC Northwest Regional Commander. “We would like to ask our community to keep the family of the victim in their thoughts and prayers as they go through this terrible loss.”
FWC officials are also investigating a second overturned boat that happened during the stormy weather Friday morning. No one was injured in that incident.
