1 dead, 1 injured after boat crashes into Fisher Island Ferry near Miami Beach

One person was killed and another was wounded on Sunday morning after a boat collided with the Fisher Island Ferry near Miami, the U.S. Coast Guard reported. 

A 30-foot-long boat crashed into the Fisher Island Ferry, which transports residents back and forth to Fisher Island, just east of Pilot House Station at Dodge Island before 3:40 a.m., according to a City of Miami Fire-Rescue spokesperson. 

The two men on board the 30-foot vessel were thrown into the water by the crash and the boat began to sink. One person was retrieved from the water by ferry personnel. 

"When we arrived on the scene, we found one patient that the Coast Guard had recovered from the water," Lieutenant Pete Sanchez said. 

"He was transported to the Ryder Trauma Center in stable condition. En route to the hospital, the patient did mention to us that he was going—he began asking for his friend. So, at that point, we were notified that there was actually a second occupant in the boat," he continued. 

At that point, the Miami Dive Team was dispatched to perform a search and rescue operation to rescue the second man that was onboard the boat. A helicopter was also dispatched to assist in the search from the air. 

"We found the other victim underwater after about a five-minutes search," Lt. Sanchez said. "Unfortunately, that victim was deceased on the scene, and now, FWC will be handling the investigation."

After the crash, the Coast Guard set up a temporary security zone, limiting the flow of maritime traffic in the area, including the schedules for three different cruise ships, port officials said. The sunken ship was removed from the waters at around 2:30 p.m.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is investigating the cause of the crash.