About 50 passengers jumped into the frigid waters of the Gulf of Mexico at Port Richey, Florida, 40 miles north of St. Petersburg, when the Tropical Breeze Casino Cruise shuttle boat caught fire Sunday, January 14. Carrie Dempsey, 42, died in the hospital from her injuries on Monday, the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office said. In addition, 14 people were treated at the hospital for chest pain, smoke inhalation and other minor injuries. The Coast Guard is investigating the fire which may have started in the engine room.
The 72-foot shuttle boat routinely carried people to and from the offshore casino. Beth Fifer, assistant chief executive for Tropical Breeze Casinos, said, “We are deeply saddened for the loss of our passenger, the 14 injured and anyone else who was affected by this tragedy.” She said there had been no indications of problems with the vessel.
The fire broke out just after 4 p.m. as the boat was taking passengers to an offshore casino ship where gambling is legal. The captain turned the boat around and grounded it within 100 yards of shore near a residential area where passengers jumped into 12 feet of cold, murky water. Authorities credited the ship’s captain for making it easier for passengers to return to land safely.
Passenger Robert Handzus said, “It was a real mess for the 70- and 80-year-olds. People were yelling out for life vests.”
Port Richey Police Officer Jason Zimmerman said when he and two other officers arrived, “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, including a couple of seniors who were face down in the water.”
Neighborhood resident Bakr Jandali said he heard people shouting and saw clouds of smoke coming off the boat. The blaze quickly spread from the rear of the vessel. “They didn’t have much time to decide whether or not to jump. The fire was moving fast. It was a hard jump,” he said. Residents brought the passengers towels and water. Jandali’s father, a pediatrician, said a woman appeared to be suffering from cold shock.
Another resident, Christine Hashim, a nurse anesthetist, said she went into the water herself to help struggling passengers. She said some seemed to be suffering from hypothermia. When the boat exploded, “People were scared,” she said.
Larry Santangelo thought his house was on fire as he drove home and saw the smoke and fire. “When I got closer, I saw people walking around confused and shaking. 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 Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, the Coast Guard, Pasco Fire Rescue, Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission and Port Richey police assisted in rescue operations.
