US: Boats collide in Florida, 2 dead & 10 rescued, says Coast Guard

MIAMI (AP) — Two people were killed and 10 others had to be rescued when their boats collided at night near Key Biscayne in South Florida, the U.S. Coast Guard and local authorities say.

The Coast Guard said a person involved in the collision notified the agency of the crash around 10:30 p.m. Friday night.

Two bodies were recovered in the ensuing rescue operation, one by the Coast Guard Station Miami Beach and another by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, officials said. The Coast Guard said in a statement that one of its air crews in an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter played a key role in the emergency response.

A rescue swimmer also was sent to assist two critically injured people, one of whom was transferred to Jackson Memorial Medical Center for care. Nine other survivors were sent to another hospital for treatment, authorities said. Their names were not released.

“On behalf of the Coast Guard and our partner agencies, we’d like to offer our sincerest condolences to the families and friends who lost their loved ones,” said Lt. Cmdr. Benjamin Tuxhorn, Coast Guard Sector Miami search-and-rescue mission coordinator.

He said the Coast Guard and local first responders worked exhaustively on the search and rescue.

The collission is under investigation by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.