Investigators with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) continue their investigation into a boating accident in St. Johns County that left five people dead and nine hospitalized Easter Sunday.
The deceased were from Florida and California and all died at the scene. Killed were Jacqueline R. Allen, Jacksonville; Olivia Rose Carretero, South Lake Tahoe, Calif.; Robert Trenton Craig, Jacksonville Beach; Elisabeth L. Rosenfeld, Ponte Vedra Beach; and Inmaculada Pierce, Orange Park.
Nine other people were transported to Shands Hospital and Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville.
The accident happened around 7:15 p.m., about a mile north of the Palm Valley Bridge (State Road 210) in Palm Valley, approximately 20 miles north of St. Augustine. The injured were taken to Jacksonville-area hospitals; five of the injured were trauma patients, three of whom were airlifted to Shands Jax from the scene by Trauma One LifeFlight and Shands Care; the other two trauma patients and the four additional injured were ground-transported by St. Johns County Fire Rescue, assisted by Jacksonville Fire Rescue because helicopters were not available.
According to FWC investigators, the vessel, a 22-foot 2000 Crownline, crashed head-on into the rear, starboard (right) side of a 25-foot tug boat which was tied to a dock. The tug is registered to F&A Enterprises, St. Augustine.
