Authorities warn public after string of Florida boating accidents NBC 6 South Florida [Video]

First responders say peak boating season in South Florida only recently got underway, and already they are concerned about the number of accidents, injuries and deaths on the water.

“Miami has become a different city,” said Miami-Dade firefighter Meric Tendrich. “I’m born and raised here, and I’ve never seen so many boats out on the water.”

Tendrich works on the department’s fireboats, which respond to dangerous calls on South Florida’s waterways.

“There’s many accidents that are happening,” he said. “Drownings… and we are just trying to do our best to prevent all these things from happening.”

Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is the agency that tracks boating accidents throughout the state.

According to the agency’s Florida Boating Accident Statistical Report for 2023, these were the numbers by county:

Miami-Dade: 61 accidents, 7 deaths and 21 accidents with injuries.

Monroe: 87 accidents, 3 deaths and 39 accidents with injuries.

Broward: 26 accidents, no deaths and 8 accidents with injuries.

NBC6 Investigators obtained preliminary data from the FWC …