Alex Arger
Houseboat with 25 family members aboard bursts into flames and sinks
A family had to flee their houseboat when it caught fire on Lake Powell in Utah with 25 of them aboard.
LEARN MOREPosted: 8:53 p.m. EST Nov 16, 2023
An American tourist died after a double-decker catamaran sank near Blue Lagoon Island in the Bahamas Tuesday, police said.
The 74-year-old Colorado woman was on a five-day family vacation when the tour boat sank, Chief Superintendent Chrislyn Skippings told The Associated Press. Her specific cause of death wasn't immediately clear.
Police said the woman was found unresponsive in the water and was given CPR. She was taken to a dock where she was declared dead.
Out of the more than 100 people aboard, two others were taken to a hospital after the boat went down. The rest of the passengers and crew, who were all wearing life vests, were rescued.
Video from a passenger aboard the ferry shows the chaos that ensued as it began to capsize and tilted on its side. Some passengers jumped out of the vessel into the open water to escape, while other footage shows passengers jumping to safety on another boat.
An American tourist told Maritime Executive the catamaran began taking on water after encountering choppy seas. The first floor began to fill, and passengers began moving to the higher side of the top deck level.
In a statement, Blue Lagoon Island said the Royal Bahamas Defense Force helped with the rescue along with nearby vessels. It said it would give more information to the public as it became available.
