A witness eating lunch at a Florida Keys restaurant said the impact of the personal watercraft that killed a 9-year-old boy and his father early Tuesday night made “a sound like a bomb exploding.”
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission identified the boy Thursday as Daniel Dominguez and his father, who police say was operating the 2018 Yamaha, as 47-year-old Jose Dominguez.
According to the FWC’s initial report, the Yamaha was traveling “at a high rate of speed” through a residential canal near 14th Street in the Middle Keys city of Marathon shortly before 7 p.m. — which is an idle-speed only zone — when it smashed into a concrete seawall.
Both father and son were ejected from the vessel, according to police. Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay, whose deputies were the first rescuers to arrive, said Jose Dominguez was thrown about 20 feet onto land after impact.
A witness, who only wanted to give her first name of Jennifer, said she and her family had just sat down at the popular Castaways Waterfront Restaurant and Sushi Bar, which is on the canal. That’s when she heard the noise of the crash.
“We all jumped up, shocked and yelling, ‘Oh no,’” Jennifer, who is visiting the Keys from North Carolina, told the Miami Herald. “There was blood-curdling screams.”
Jennifer said residents of a mobile home park across the canal from the restaurant ran to the victims’ aid. Police initially said Daniel was thrown into the water, but Jennifer said he too was on land.
“Another little boy was by Daniel, crying and yelling,” she said. “A man tore down the wood privacy fence to get across to Daniel, who was about 10 feet in from the wall, against a motor home.”
Jennifer said a Castaways server was on 911 as staff and customers reacted in horror to what they saw.
“Everyone was crying,” she added. “I, and others, began praying.”
She noted Jose wasn’t moving, but Daniel was “making noise.”
Monroe Fire Rescue paramedics declared Jose Dominguez dead at the scene.
Paramedics loaded Daniel onto their Trauma Star helicopter ambulance to fly him to Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, but he went into cardiac arrest on the way and was pronounced dead at Mariners Hospital in Tavernier in the Upper Keys, Ramsay told the Herald.
Jennifer said a Castaways bartender told her he saw Jose Dominguez going in and out of the canal throughout the day. A waitress added he was giving children rides on his Yamaha that afternoon.
The FWC is still investigating the crash, including why Jose Dominguez was driving the personal watercraft so fast through a residential canal that has a sharp turn before the seawall.
“It was a horrific accident, and we pray for the siblings, family, and friends of Jose and Daniel,” Jennifer said. “The staff at the restaurant handled everything courteously and professionally.”
