Skip to main content
Clear icon
11º

Driverless boat in Florida spins of control, smashing docks

This Saturday, Oct. 10, 2020, photo provided by the Martin County Sheriff's Office shows an unmanned boat going over a dock on the St. Lucie River in Florida. Three people conducting a photo shoot on the boat somehow fell overboard, leaving the 24-foot vessel unmanned and out of control. The boat circled the men numerous times, forcing them to dive underwater so it wouldn't run them over. The boat then straightened out, hit a concrete dock, went airborne and hit a second dock before coming to a stop. (Martin County Sheriff's Office via AP) (Uncredited)

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. – Three men conducting a photo shoot on a boat in a busy Florida river somehow went overboard, leaving the 24-foot vessel unmanned and out of control.

The three men told deputies that they accidentally fell into the St. Lucie River along Florida's Atlantic coast on Saturday, leaving the boat unmanned. It circled around the men numerous times, forcing them to dive underwater so it wouldn't run them over.

Recommended Videos



The boat then straightened out, hit a concrete dock, went airborne and hit a second dock before coming to a stop, the Martin County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post.

The men were able to swim to a nearby sailboat. One had a minor injury, the sheriff's office said.

An investigation into the cause has been turned over to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.