Officials look into whether boater broke law in crash
The CEO of a multibillion-dollar company who crashed his 42-foot powerboat onto the south jetty of Port Everglades inlet is under investigation by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
According to a search warrant filed by the wildlife investigators in Broward County county court, officials are looking into whether Daniel Towriss acted recklessly while operating the vessel.
Towriss, 47, is the CEO of Group 1001, a $36 billion conglomerate.
To establish probable cause for searching the boat, state investigators listed five state laws that may have been violated that evening, including “reckless operation of a vessel” and the violation of several navigational rules. The warrant shows investigators were attempting to collect physical evidence.
No charges have been filed in the case.
His lawyer says it was just an accident, and that’s what investigators will find. “The jetty’s not well lit,” said Eric Swartzreich, a Broward criminal defense attorney retained by Towriss. “This was not negligent behavior, this was not alcohol-related. It’s not a crime.”
The crash, which happened minutes after midnight, injured all four of the vessel’s occupants. But where Towriss and Cassidy Rudman, 26, escaped with minor injuries, the two other passengers in the boat, Jarret and Lauren Silagy, required more intense medical intervention.
Jarret Silagy, 39, required stitches to his face after the crash. Lauren Silagy, 33, suffered a “serious brain and head injury,” according to the affidavit, and had to have brain surgery.
She is expected to require a second brain surgery, the affidavit goes on to state.
The Silagys could not be reached for comment.
According to the affidavit, investigators believe the vessel may have been “operated ... in willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons, at a speed to endanger ... life and limb.”
They are seeking to collect and analyze data from the 42-foot Hydrasport Custom’s navigational and engine systems.
Investigators have also collected paint and material samples from the vessel, which is currently located at a Fort Lauderdale boatyard.
The 911 audio from the dramatic crash and subsequent rescue shows the chaotic and harrowing moments after the crash. Rudman and Towriss can be heard attempting to secure medical attention for the stricken Lauren Silagy, who along with her husband was thrown from the boat after impact.
According to the affidavit, Towriss gave a statement to investigators after the crash. He told them he was piloting the boat southward and missed the entrance to the Port Everglades inlet in the dark.
He struck the jetty after turning northward, in a “high-speed impact.”
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has yet to issue its final report into the accident.
Representatives for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission could not be reached for comment.
“Sometimes an accident is just an accident,” said Schwartzreich, “no matter how bad it is.”