UPDATE 8AM:
FWC confirms this Sunday crash involved a 36-foot boat, with seven people on board. They said it was traveling just outside of Bowditch Point when it struck the barge. FWC said two people have minor injuries, while the other five had more serious injuries.
ORIGINAL 7AM:
Seven people were hospitalized with traumatic injuries after their boat struck a stationary barge off the north end of Fort Myers Beach on Sunday, according to the Fort Myers Beach Fire Department.
Crews said units from multiple agencies responded to the boating accident, including the U.S. Coast Guard, Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission and Lee County EMS.
"A boat underway struck a stationary barge causing multiple injuries to the occupants on board," the fire department said.
All patients were rescued from the boat and sent to Coast Guard Station Fort Myers Beach, where they received treatment before being transported to the hospital by Fort Myers Beach Fire and Lee County EMS units, crews said.
The U.S. Coast Guard and FWC have taken over the investigation into the crash.
