The Great Smoky Mountain Journal

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Posted: Tuesday, January 01, 2019 02:21 PM

One Dead, 50 Jump To Safety In Casino Shuttle Boat Fire

At least one woman was killed after a casino shuttle boat went up in flames Sunday afternoon in the Gulf of Mexico off Florida — forcing more than 50 passengers to jump overboard into the shallow water.

The woman died late Sunday hours after the fire began, while 14 other people were injured, Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point spokesman Kurt Conover said on Monday. The woman had gone home after escaping the boat when it caught on fire, but she went to the hospital's emergency room after she became ill.

Other passengers experienced chest pain, smoke inhalation and other injuries. Conover said eight people treated at Bayonet Point have been released.