Ratickle
Founding Member / Super Moderator
Heard about this while we were in Port Huron for the race. Too bad, condolences and may he rest in peace.......
UPDATE: Authorities have identified 40-year old Tommy Shelton as the man who was killed after being thrown from a speed boat in the water near Crab Island late Saturday afternoon.
According to witnesses, Shelton, his wife, and another couple from Alabama were all on board a 30-foot high performance speed boat.
They were all ejected after the boat operator lost control of the vessel, causing it go into a hard spin around 4:30pm.
Good samaritans and first responders were able to rescue and assist three of those people, but could not immediately find Shelton in the water.
With the help of the Coast Guard, Florida Fish and Wildlife, and the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office Dive Team, authorities did recover Shelton's body a couple of hours later, just before 7pm.
The Medical Examiner's Office will perform an autopsy to determine Shelton's exact cause of death. The boat operator has been identified as 33-year old Hilary Hall. The boat belongs to Hall's fiancé, 33-year old Jason Wellborn.
It's still unclear how fast the boat was going when Hall lost control. Hall and Shelton's wife Kendal both received medical treatment for their injuries.
The speedboat has been recovered and impounded by authorities as they continue to investigate.
UPDATE: Man Killed in Destin Powerboat Wreck Identified
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EARLIER VERSION: A man was killed in a boating accident in Okaloosa County Saturday afternoon.
It happened near Crab Island in Destin earlier while the annual Emerald Coast Poker Run was underway.
Four people onboard a 30-foot Sunsation racing boat were thrown from the vessel when it wrecked around 5pm. Three people were rescued from the water but a fourth man could not be immediately found. Rescue crews were out canvassing the area for several hours, before locating the the man's body just before 7pm.
The cause of that boating accident is still unclear, and the identities of those involved have not been released yet. A spokesman for the poker run has confirmed that the boat that wrecked was not one of more than 150-powerboats registered for Saturday's event.
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UPDATE: Authorities have identified 40-year old Tommy Shelton as the man who was killed after being thrown from a speed boat in the water near Crab Island late Saturday afternoon.
According to witnesses, Shelton, his wife, and another couple from Alabama were all on board a 30-foot high performance speed boat.
They were all ejected after the boat operator lost control of the vessel, causing it go into a hard spin around 4:30pm.
Good samaritans and first responders were able to rescue and assist three of those people, but could not immediately find Shelton in the water.
With the help of the Coast Guard, Florida Fish and Wildlife, and the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office Dive Team, authorities did recover Shelton's body a couple of hours later, just before 7pm.
The Medical Examiner's Office will perform an autopsy to determine Shelton's exact cause of death. The boat operator has been identified as 33-year old Hilary Hall. The boat belongs to Hall's fiancé, 33-year old Jason Wellborn.
It's still unclear how fast the boat was going when Hall lost control. Hall and Shelton's wife Kendal both received medical treatment for their injuries.
The speedboat has been recovered and impounded by authorities as they continue to investigate.
UPDATE: Man Killed in Destin Powerboat Wreck Identified
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EARLIER VERSION: A man was killed in a boating accident in Okaloosa County Saturday afternoon.
It happened near Crab Island in Destin earlier while the annual Emerald Coast Poker Run was underway.
Four people onboard a 30-foot Sunsation racing boat were thrown from the vessel when it wrecked around 5pm. Three people were rescued from the water but a fourth man could not be immediately found. Rescue crews were out canvassing the area for several hours, before locating the the man's body just before 7pm.
The cause of that boating accident is still unclear, and the identities of those involved have not been released yet. A spokesman for the poker run has confirmed that the boat that wrecked was not one of more than 150-powerboats registered for Saturday's event.
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