2 Die In Separate Intracoastal Waterway Incidents

Posted

Flagler Beach, FL - The worst is confirmed for the family of a 20-year-old Palm Coast man who went missing near Gamble Rogers State Park late Sunday afternoon while boating with friends on the Intracoastal Waterway.

Matthew Otis' body was found around 3 p.m. Monday on the Halifax River just south of the park in Flagler Beach, not far from where one of the people on the boat Otis was on called 911 for help.

According to the 911 caller, Otis could not swim and didn't have any kind of life jacket on when he went into the water around 6:30 p.m., sparking a large search which involved marine units with the Volusia County Sheriff's Office and St. Johns Sheriff's Office.

An autopsy will be done to determine if any foul play was involved in Otis' death, according to Florida Fish & Wildlife officials.

All this took place the day before a 50-year-old Edgewater man was killed and a 48-year-old woman was hurt in a boat crash on the Intracoastal Waterway/Indian River at Potts Creek.

FWC officials say Brian C. Hooker died at a nearby hospital after two boats collided around 9 p.m. Saturday.

Investigators believe the boat operators tried to swerve around each other but were not able to.

The injured woman - Barbara Hooker - was on the same boat as Brian, per investigators. She was transported to Halifax Health Medical Center with a head injury.

Three people on board the other vessel were checked out on scene by paramedics.

Charges are pending as investigators look into that incident.