Four people were thrown from a boat after it struck a submerged piling off Tavernier during the late afternoon on Feb. 20, Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission said.
Officers responded to the single-vessel incident not far from MM 91. The boat was traveling north when it attempted to overtake another vessel. According to FWC, the vessel hit a submerged piling, a channel marker, which penetrated the center of the hull. Upon impact, four occupants on the Contender were thrown into the water.
According to Kristen Livengood, county public information officer, two people were transported by Trauma Star to Jackson South. Two people were transported by ambulance to Mariners Hospital, and two others refused treatment.
FWC said the investigation is ongoing. The incident comes as the U.S. Coast Guard currently works to replace old red/green channel markers with new ones in the Upper Keys.
