An accident that occurred last week north of Key Largo and resulted in the death of a woman from North Carolina and the injury of three other people has led to the filing of charges against a guy.
At approximately eight o’clock on Friday evening, a motorboat measuring 21 feet and carrying four individuals collided with a sailboat measuring 34 feet that was anchored in Button Sound, as reported by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. As a result of the impact of the collision, all four people on the motorboat went overboard.
The body of Sydney Cole, who was 24 years old and from Fuquay Varina, North Carolina, was discovered in the water. Another three people were recovered with injuries, one of which was Lillian Cairo, 58 years old, from Oakland Park. She was evacuated to a hospital in Miami-Dade County, where she is currently in critical condition.
As of Saturday night, the Monroe State Attorney’s Office said that the man who was operating the motorboat, Guy Erdman, who is also from Oakland Park and is 61 years old, had not been charged related to the incident.
Joseph Mansfield, who serves as the Chief Assistant State Attorney for Monroe County, referred to the collision as a tragic and avoidable tragedy.
As said on Facebook, “The motorboat’s operator appeared to be severely intoxicated,” Mansfield wrote. “Alcohol seems to have been a contributing factor in this devastating event.”
Christopher, Erdman’s son, who is 31 years old, was taken into custody following the collision. He allegedly assaulted one of the people who were on board the sailboat after it had been involved in an accident, as stated by Mansfield.
Mansfield stated in the Facebook post that the suspect assaulted a man on the sailboat, which resulted in charges of felony battery and aggravated assault being brought against the suspect.
This individual, who has been named as William Milner and is 71 years old, chose not to receive medical treatment for his injuries. It has been reported by the FWC that neither Milner nor his wife, Paula, sustained any injuries as a result of the accident itself.
“This tragedy underscores the dangers of boating under the influence,” Mansfield explained to reporters.
The authorities are continuing their investigation into the events that led up to the collision and are considering whether or not additional charges should be made.
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