Fire engulfs casino shuttle boat off Florida coast, 15 injured
▻https://www.reuters.com/article/us-florida-boat-fire/fire-engulfs-casino-shuttle-boat-off-florida-coast-15-injured-idUSKBN1F400N
A shuttle headed to a casino boat in the Gulf of Mexico caught fire on Sunday off the coast of Pasco County, forcing the passengers to swim ashore in freezing waters. One of the passengers, a 42-year-old woman, died Sunday night of her injuries, according to the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office.
[Photo Courtesy Christine Hashim]
At least 15 people were injured when a fire engulfed a boat off the coast of Florida on Sunday, causing the 50 people aboard to jump into the Gulf of Mexico and swim to shore, local officials said.
A preliminary investigation showed the fire broke out at about 4:17 p.m. EST from an apparent engine issue, said Shawn Whited, division chief with Pasco Fire Rescue.
“The captain of the boat said there was an issue with the engine. He said he noticed smoke coming form the engine room and turned the boat around,” Whited said.
The 60-foot shuttle boat was on its way to the Sun Cruz Casino boat, a little more than three miles away in international waters. It had only made it about 100 yards from where it originated in Port Richey, about 30 miles north of downtown Tampa.
Casino hors des eaux territoriales,…