One person died and three others are missing, including two children, after a small boat capsized on a river near Jacksonville, Florida, on Friday night, according to authorities.
The U.S. Coast Guard received reports of an overturned vessel around 7 p.m. near Goat Island, located north of Jacksonville. It was noted that no one on board was wearing life jackets, as stated in a Coast Guard news release.
Officials reported that the individuals had set out to take photos of the sunset while on the St. Johns River, the longest river in Florida, which flows through and around Jacksonville.
The marine unit of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office rescued four boaters who were found atop the overturned vessel. According to the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department, none of the survivors required hospitalization.
Four others were believed to be trapped beneath the boat. However, divers from the sheriff’s office did not locate anyone underneath the vessel.
A rescue swimmer from Coast Guard Station Mayport attempted to contact the individuals reportedly trapped under the boat but received no response, as indicated in the news release.
A crew from the sheriff’s office later discovered a deceased individual in the water, as confirmed by Capt. Eric Prosswimmer, a spokesman for the fire department.
The cause of the boat's capsizing remains unclear, and additional details regarding those on board have not been disclosed.
“It’s an 18-foot watercraft boat — a pleasure craft so to speak,” Captain Prosswimmer stated during a press briefing on Friday night. “We have recovered the boat, and it was flipped. We flipped it back over, and it was towed back to the dock.”
Search efforts involved crews from the Coast Guard, Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department, the sheriff’s office, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, with two helicopters also deployed for assistance.
The weather in Jacksonville on Friday evening was calm, featuring a light breeze and passing clouds.