Two boats crashed on Sunday off the coast of Elliot Key in Biscayne National Park, sending 10 of 18 passengers to the hospital, according to The Miami Herald.
It happened around 6:30 p.m. on Sunday when a 36-foot Carrera powerboat carrying 16 hit another boat just carrying two.
"It was a violent collision," Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokesman Jorge Pino told reporters. "We're fortunate no one was killed."
According to officials, the smaller, second boat involved in the crash sunk while the powerboat was towed back to Black Point Marina in Cutler Bay.
Investigations are currently underway to determine the cause of the collision.
Ten of the victims were taken to Kendall Regional Medical Center, one even having to be airlifted and transported to the hospital that way. Three people suffered critical injuries. All the victims are believed to be adults.
According to ABC News, there is presently no evidence that there was alcohol involved in the incident, but charges could be coming if authorities determine that either captain or persons in charge was violating Florida's waterways rules.
"Whenever there is an accident on Florida's waterways it's incumbent upon both captains of the respective vessels to maintain a proper lookout," Pino said. "We start to see that the warmer it gets, the more active our waters get. We have thousands and thousands of boaters on the waterways on any given weekend. We want them to enjoy themselves.
"But it's also somewhat concerning because we brace ourselves for something like what happened this Sunday," he said.
According to a report published by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Division of Law Enforcement regarding boating accidents for 2011, there were a total of 668 accidents in Florida, compared to 412 in California, 211 in New York, and 196 in Maryland.
Ohio was the state with the least number of boating accidents reporting only 127 for the year.
