Man hospitalized after being struck by boat in Keys during lobster miniseason, fire rescue says
A man was seriously injured after being struck by a boat in the Florida Keys Wednesday morning on the first day of the lobster miniseason, according to Monroe County Fire Rescue.
The incident occurred around 8 a.m. off Big Coppitt Key in the Lower Keys, said Kristen Livengood, Fire Rescue spokeswoman.
Paramedics flew the man, whom authorities have not publicly identified, to a Miami-Dade hospital to be treated for life-threatening injuries, Livengood said.
The helicopter had to land on Shark Key Bridge to pick the man up, temporarily blocking U.S. 1 traffic, said Adam Linhardt, spokesman for the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.
Wednesday is the first of the two-day lobster miniseason that sees divers, snorkelers and boaters head to the Keys to catch spiny lobster ahead of the regular recreational and commercial season that runs from Aug. 6 through March 31.
In Miami-Dade County, a diver went temporarily missing after his boat was found capsized near Government Cut Wednesday morning, according to Miami-Dade County Fire Rescue.
That diver was found safe aboard another boat, the department said.
READ MORE: Boat ramps full as anglers take advantage of extra day of lobster miniseason
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
