Recovery divers searching Miami River for man who went overboard from charter boat
MIAMI — The search continues for the body of a man who police say fell overboard a charter boat near the Miami River on Saturday afternoon.
Miami Fire Rescue told CBS News Miami's Nikiya Carrero that they received the call around 2:30 p.m. near the area of North River Drive and Northwest 3rd Avenue on the Miami River.
According to MFR, a 48-foot-long charter boat was coming back in when one of the male passengers went overboard when it stopped. The U.S. Coast Guard was then called in with a dive team and fire boat to find the man.
First responding divers searched the area for about an hour but couldn't find the man. The search efforts were then searched over to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission which upgraded the efforts from a rescue to recovery.
"I've never seen something like this," said stranded boater Cristian Amario. "Should've seen this earlier — these boats didn't know what to do."
As boats continued down the Miami River on Saturday night with music blasting and lights singling, police lights lit up North River Drive.
"We went on a charter, we came back in," Amario told Carrero. "We got stopped by the police that we can't pass more into the river because they're doing an investigation. We found out it's a missing body."
Going into the evening hours, multiple agencies continued their search for the man as the group he was with waited for answers and boaters sat on the riverside.
"We are waiting yet, but we don't know what time we're available to go inside," said Ariel Martinez, another stranded boater.
"As you can see, all these boats out here — they're all waiting out here," Amario added. "Unloading the customers here. And, wishing to bring these boats back home."