Boating accident at Dinner Key
There was a major boating accident involving three boats in a colission on July 4 near Dinner Key at 10:45 pm. Four people were killed, nine people were transported to various hospitals. A lady and man died in one hospital and two others' bodies were found in the water.
Authorities are still trying to figure out what occurred but it involved one large boat and two smaller ones, apparently they were in a rush to leave the fireworks show and get back to the marina, all speeding in the same direction from different directions.
COMMENTS ARE CLOSED
Authorities are still trying to figure out what occurred but it involved one large boat and two smaller ones, apparently they were in a rush to leave the fireworks show and get back to the marina, all speeding in the same direction from different directions.
COMMENTS ARE CLOSED
posted by Tom Falco at 10:00 AM
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16 Comments:
All of this was taking place in the last several weeks at or close to Dinner Key: One boat with about 25 women, one male and no life preservers causing the USCG to have the boat towed. Numerous overloaded boats. Boats being repaired at the ramp. People taking 30 minutes to launch or load their vessels. Dozens and dozens of boaters milling about, drinking, partying about the ramp blocking others from enjoying the day, the homeless empting trash cans at the ramp just to have the plastic bags, kids fishing at the ramp as boaters were coming & going, etc., etc., and etc.. And I observed the so called [security guards] FEARFUL of doing their jobs and on occasion join the chaos and not a cop in sight. Here in the Grove dock area it's turned into a frenzied mob tumult that is attracting an element/character looking for tumult, acting out aggressively like some Clint Eastwood Western movie. Bring your camera and get some really good pictures of a mob mentality. Welcome to the wild, wild Coconut Grove boat ramp. Every Saturday & Sunday people gather and sit around the park by the ramp to watch this mayhem & ignorant stupidity.
Whose in charge of the ramp? What dept does it fall under? Parks and Rec?
DKF
Regarding the boat accident, we don't know if alcohol played a factor or not. This might be a good time to talk to our kids about drinking responsibly, or maybe even abstaining from alcohol. ... The scene at the boat ramp decribed above is accurate. The Miami Police will usually respond in a timely manner when called. I suggest keeping the non-emergency # in your phone: 305 579-6111.
There's more. I own a small boat, capable & strong @ about 50MPH, which I use professionally 3 times weekly, Monday, Wednesday & Fridays because I would never try to launch Saturday or Sunday due to the utter chaos, ignorance and stupidity taking place at the Dinner Key Ramp in the Grove. All boats to your right have the right of way. A favorite maneuver of these middle aged and youthful punks is to get behind a small boat, to the right and pass em as close as possible to create waves that cannot be avoided that easily can cause damage, injury & on occasion deaths. And I'm not referring to other parts of Biscayne Bay where thugs loaded with booze & drugs invade the sand bars, where decent families once gathered for a day in the sun. Plus one of the Grove ramps has been closed for about 2 weeks to repair several planks [How long does it take to replace several planks?]. And dozens of bricks (about a foot square by about 8" thick] are missing below the water line causing tire damage, vessels to become stuck, frustration & stress. Over a period of about 5 years I haven't observed a security guard do anything but sit in their chair, literally, looking the other way. Any person who uses the Grove ramp and the adjacent area needs to adjust their thinking and go elsewhere otherwise they are endangering themselves, friends and family members.
"One boat with about 25 women, one male and no life preservers.."
Well, all I can say is.. lucky dude!!
The closure of the Seminole boat ramp is one aspect of the waterfront master plan that I wholeheartedly look forward to seeing implimented.
I agree with swlip, and I also think the Coast Guard and state parks officials should aggressively patrol Biscayne Bay and Elliot Key on holiday weekends. If anything to serve as a deterrent to reckless drinking and boating.
Close that Seminole boat ramp, and build some big concrete structure instead. That's the very last spot where people can see the water in what used to be 5 entire miles of Coconut Grove "Bayside", but who care$$$ anyway.
@sledge
I don't know anyone who walks to the boat ramp to see the bay. There are great views that aren't obstructed by spoil islands at Kennedy Park, and Scotty's.
Same old whining about the bay that has been developed before his lifetime. Guess what? Before houses were built, the whole shore was covered with mangroves
The Sasaki plan will actually make the views from that location more accessible. Next strawman.
Anon@3:57
Drive, run, walk, or ride a bike from Coral Gables Circle (Cartagena Plaza) to the toll plaza (Rickenbacker). That's 5 miles. Now tell me where you saw any water.
"Before houses were built, the whole shore was covered with mangroves"
Totally false.You could actually see the water way up from Mc Farlane back in the 70's/80's, and in many, many other places. Waterviews have been blocked slowly but surely through the years.
Anyway, the City promised to trim those "sacred" mangroves (a few in key places like the Parks) they spent money on studies, but never delivered the "Mangrove windows" they had promised. But that's another story.
Well there's Alice Wainwright park, there are a few streets that empty on the bay off of Main Highway like Royal Road. I believe Crystal View Ct. off of South Bayshore offers some access. The Barnacle offers nice views for a couple of dollars donation. The park that I mentioned as well as areas around the Marina.
Yes, they trimmed the Mangroves and local/state environmental agencies told them they couldn't do that. I asked a local politico if they could trim the mangroves at Kennedy dog park and I was told that they have tried but it was against county environmental policy.
Now about that lovely view from the boat ramp...
Look up the "historical aerials" site and check out the Grove in 1961. You will see that the water front has been almost entirely developed since then. Your utopian Grove with water views up and down Bayshore has not existed for over 50 years. Well, probably ever since, like I said, the natural shoreline consisted of trees.
State Park Officials should patrol the area? What do State Parks have to do with this situation? The only State Parks in Dade County are Cape Florida on Key Biscayne, The Barnacle, and Oleta River up on 163rd. The area you think they should be patrolling is NOT in their jurisdiction nor are State Parks in the business of Law Enforcement...there's another complete and separate Department for that. Next idea, please.
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