A woman went home after rescue, but was rushed to the hospital and died in the ER later.
A Florida casino cruise fire left one dead and over 14 other Gulf Coast gamblers injured on Sunday. The boat belonged to Tropical Breeze Casino Cruises.
While transporting passengers to a casino cruise liner located off Florida’s Gulf Coast on Sunday, a casino shuttle boat caught fire. The flames forced the boat crew and 50 passengers to abandon ship, diving into the Gulf’s chilly waters while still within proximity to the shore.
The fire broke out just after 4pm. The captain was able to turn the boat around and land it just outside of a residential neighborhood, Harborpointe Drive, in the Tampa area. The boat had left dock at Port Richey, about 35 miles northwest of Tampa.
Passengers were able to jump into the cold gulf waters and make it to safely to shore, but the boat was completely destroyed by the flames.
One Dead in Gulf Coast Boat Fire
Initially, authorities said there were no serious injuries, but late Sunday night, a 42-year-old woman died while being treated for her injuries at Bayonet Point Regional Medical Center.
The Pinellas-Pasco Medical Examiner’s Office woman was identified the deceased as Carrie Dempsey, a 42-year-old mother of two from Lutz. Dempsey was pronounced dead on Sunday night at 10:42 p.m. The hospital staff reported her death to the Sheriff’s Office around 1 a.m. Monday.
The Medical Examiner’s Office said they have not yet determined a cause of death. An autopsy is scheduled to be performed Tuesday, though it may take weeks before any results come, and a conclusion can be reached.
Carrie Dempsey: Victim of Boat Fire
Kurt Conover, a spokesman for the Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point, said Dempsey died shortly after 10pm on Sunday night. Conover said she had gone home after rescue from the boat fire, but became ill after she arrived back home.
The tragedy left Dempsey’s two young children as orphans, because she lost her husband, Joseph Dempsey II, in 2011 at the age of 33, according to records.
Burning Boat in Icy Waters
Fifteen other passengers complained of chest pain, smoke inhalation, and other minor injuries. The injured passengers were transported to a local hospital to be checked out.
Jason Zimmerman and two fellow officers, Detective Angel Russo and Officer Zane Zabetka of the Port Richey Police Department, said the scene they arrived at was pure chaos.
Zimmerman said, “The boat was fully engulfed in flames and everybody was off the boat. There were multiple people in the water. We rescued probably 12 to 15 people that were out in the water.”
The officer added that they had to rescue “a couple of seniors who were face down in the water.”
Captain’s Quick Thinking Helped
Authorities said that the ship captain’s quick thinking helped to avoid a much worse tragedy. He was able to turn the craft around and brought the burning boat within 100 yards of shore, leaving less time in the freezing waters for the passengers swimming to safety.
The exact cause of the fire still remains unclear, though it appears to have started in the engine room.
The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the rescue along with several local residents and agencies including the Coast Guard, Pasco Fire Rescue, Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission and Port Richey police.
Before Dempsey’s death, Russo had said, “At the end of the day, everyone’s cold, everyone’s wet, but everyone’s safe”.
The Neighborhood Steps In to Help
Bakr Jandali, 19, who lives in the neighborhood where the fiery shuttle was parked on Harborpointe Drive, said he heard shouting from the passengers, then noticed the smoke clouds rising from the burning boat.
Jandali, his family, and several neighbors looked on as the boat was quickly engulfed in flames. The onlookers said the fire started at the rear, while dozens of passengers crowded near the bow to jump to safety. The jump into the water below was about 12 feet and, though the water was freezing cold and somewhat shallow, the passengers had no other option.
The teenaged bystander said, “They didn’t have much time to decide whether or not to jump. The fire was moving fast. It was a hard jump. All of us, my family and the neighbors, brought them towels and water. They were so cold.”
Jandali mentioned that when one woman reached the shore she collapsed and vomited. His father, Imad Jandali, who is a pediatrician at All Pediatric Care in Spring Hill, said the woman might have been suffering from cold shock. Video of the incident showed people jumping from the boat in a panic, while screams could be heard.
“It was horrifying,” Bakr Jandali said.
A Nurse’s Viewpoint
For Christine Hashim, a nurse anastheseologist, emergency situations are normal territory. Hashim was shocked to find a situation outside her home, when a neighbor pointed out the smoke. Hashim, 50, quickly ran to aid the passengers and helped them to reach safety on the shore.
The nurse mentioned that some of the passengers seemed to have medical issues and worried some of them might suffer from hypothermia. Christine Hashim said she saw the boat explode, though the passengers a safe distance away at the time.
“Confused and Shaking”
Larry Santangelo, 57, was arriving to his home in the Harborpointe neighborhood as he began to see flames arising over the bay. Santangelo said he “Saw people walking around confused and shaking.”
The local homeowner was worried the passengers coming from the frigid waters might suffer hypothermia, so so he opened his doors to about 30 passengers.
Santangelo said, “It was so windy and they were soaking wet. I just started putting them anywhere I could fit them — my garage, my fishing room. I brought them socks and more towels.”
The concerned resident said that he sees the shuttle boat pass behind his home nearly every day. Larry Santangelo said Sunday night that he was still trying to clean up after the dozens of passengers, who took warm shelter in his home. He added, “I’m washing about 70 towels tonight.”
