Late Saturday evening on April 26, 2025, a small pleasure craft lost control and plowed into a docked boat in the Eastern Shores canal of North Miami Beach, ejecting its occupants into the water and sending five people—including three children—to area hospitals. Surveillance and cell-phone video captured the vessel flipping end over end after the collision, prompting nearby residents to dive in and pull survivors to safety.
Miami boat Crash Incident Details
Authorities with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reported they were alerted to the crash at approximately 8:00 p.m. Saturday and arrived to find a capsized boat and numerous people floating in the canal. The collision took place near Northeast 17th Street and 35th Avenue in the gated Eastern Shores community of North Miami Beach. Video shows the operator’s vessel veering sharply, striking the stationary craft, then launching nose-first and overturning.
Eyewitness Accounts
Residents say the scene was surreal. “It was pretty crazy, but to be honest with you the adrenaline was pumping,” recalled Bram Fiebelkorn, who witnessed the crash from his hot tub. In another clip, Fiebelkorn described seeing the boat “zig-zagging real fast” moments before it flipped, leaving him mere feet away from the chaos. NBC 6 South Florida
Rescue Operations
Good Samaritans were first on the scene, pulling children and adults from the murky canal waters. One neighbor, Damian, donned a scuba mask and dove under the overturned hull to free a trapped father and son, while others threw flotation devices and guided survivors to shore. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue later deployed divers to confirm all passengers were accounted for before handing them over to emergency medical crews. CBS News
Victims and Injuries
Preliminary reports indicate the boat carried one operator and seven passengers, including at least three minors. Five individuals were transported to local hospitals for evaluation: Gabriel Salaues, 53, the identified operator; one adult female; and three juveniles. While most sustained only minor scrapes and bruises, officials have not released details on the adults’ conditions.
Investigation and Next Steps
Local law enforcement and FWC officials have opened an active investigation into the cause of the crash, with sobriety tests and vessel-maintenance records among the items of evidence being reviewed. As of today, authorities have not released findings on speed, operator error, or mechanical failure.
Boating-Safety Reminder
Florida Fish and Wildlife and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue urge all boaters to maintain safe speeds, wear personal flotation devices, and remain vigilant in narrow waterways—especially after dusk, when visibility and reaction times are reduced.
