At least one person has died and 12 others have been injured after a private boat collided with a ferry in Florida.
The incident occurred on Sunday night when the Clearwater Ferry, carrying 43 passengers and two crew members, was struck by a private vessel.
The US Coast Guard and police declared the collision a "mass casualty event" as emergency services worked through the night.
The ferry was forced to come to rest on a sandbar near the Memorial Causeway bridge following the impact - and had been shuttling festivalgoers to and from the final night of the 17-day Sugar Sand Festival when the collision occurred.
But the private boat, which was carrying six people, immediately fled the scene after striking the ferry.
Images from the scene reveal extensive damage to the small ferry, with parts of the roof completely torn away and plastic chairs collapsed from the impact.
The US Coast Guard and police declared the collision a 'mass casualty event'
REUTERS
Police later located the private vessel with all six passengers uninjured.
"We believe that the boat responsible for hitting the ferry left the scene immediately, and we believe that our law enforcement partners may have that boat," said Clearwater Police spokesman Rob Shaw.
One of the ferry passengers, Marco Vacheco, told local media they were "hit from behind."
"It was like a big yacht, it hit from behind, like it came through where the captain sits, like he was pinned down," he said.
His pregnant wife Brenda Alvarez added: "I'm a little worried... I haven't felt the baby move [since the crash]. It's very scary."
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The ferry was forced to come to rest on a sandbar near the Memorial Causeway bridge following the impact
REUTERS
Alvarez, who fell between two seats during the collision, said the impact caused her "whole body to hurt."
"We just wanted to get to our cars and get home. We never, you never expect anything to happen," she added.
She described the collision as "horrible", saying it "shattered the whole back of the boat, left a huge dent."
Six passengers were described as "trauma patients" and rushed to various hospitals, while two required airlifting by medical helicopters.
As many as 10 ambulance and emergency service vehicles were seen at the scene after the incident.
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The US Coast Guard and Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will lead the investigation into the circumstances of the crash (file photo)
FACEBOOK/CLEARWATER FERRY
Alvarez praised first responders who assisted her children off the ferry.
"Where we were, it was really shallow, so there was actually some paramedics that went out there and helped my children and I get off the boat," she said.
Emergency crews had removed all passengers from the ferry by approximately 10.30pm.
Police confirmed everyone had been accounted for.
The US Coast Guard and Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will lead the investigation into the circumstances of the crash.
