Woman dies after fire engulfs boat off Florida coast

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tampa — A female passenger has died hours after a casino boat caught fire off Florida’s Gulf Coast, forcing her and about 50 other passengers and crew to jump into the chilly waters to escape.

Regional Medical Centre Bayonet Point spokesman Kurt Conover said on Monday that the woman died late on Sunday, shortly after she arrived at the hospital’s emergency room at 10pm.

He said she had apparently gone home after the fire but became ill. Her name has not been released and a cause of death has not been determined. He said eight other passengers were treated at the hospital and released. Port Richey Passengers and crew were forced to jump into the chilly waters police said 15 people were injured in the fire and it was originally believed that none of the injuries were life threatening.

The shuttle boat caught fire about 4pm on Sunday, quickly engulfing the boat close to shore near residential neighborhoods.

Port Richey Police Chief Gerard DeCanio said the shuttle boat experienced engine problems after leaving the dock at Port Richey, a suburban community about 55 kilometres northwest of Tampa. But as the vessel turned back, flames kicked up and people began jumping overboard into shallow water, according to witness accounts.

Larry Santangelo, 57, said he had just driven into his neighborhood when he saw smoke and fire and thought a house — possibly his own — was ablaze. But then he realized it was the boat just about 91metres offshore.

He told he saw people wandering about confused, wet and cold, after they reached land. —