June 1, 2015

A 24-year-old Hollywood man has been identified as the person killed along the Intracoastal Waterway when a boat he was on crashed into a concrete dock.

Dalton Joseph Shirley was ejected from the open motorboat and thrown into the water when the vessel struck the dock about 8 p.m. Saturday behind a house in the 3200 block of Northeast 38th Street, according to Liz Barraco, a spokeswoman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Two others aboard the vessel, Justina Coronez and Austin Lail, 23, were injured in the collision and taken to Broward Health Medical Center, Barraco said.
A fourth person aboard, a man, was not injured.
The boat that hit the dock was traveling side by side with another vessel, with six people aboard, and heading south on the Intracoastal at the time of the crash, Barraco said.
"The boat was going at a high rate of speed," said Barraco.
Shirley was pronounced dead at the scene, Barraco said.
Barraco said authorities would conduct a criminal investigation to determine who was driving the boat, and whether speed or alcohol were factors in the crash. She said there was some indication "there might have been two people operating the vessel."
After the crash, those aboard the second vessel helped pull Shirley from the water and began efforts to resuscitate him, Barraco said. She said those aboard the two vessels were friends.
"It was a very emotional scene," she said as the friends realized what had happened.
"Everyone was very cooperative," Barraco said. "Everyone was scared and upset, and good about helping us out."
In addition to officials from the Wildlife Commission, Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue and police also responded to the site of the crash, which is behind a private home at the end of a cul-de-sac.
Leonardo Rivas said he was in his house at when he heard dogs barking. He went outside to see a young man "covered in blood" attempting CPR on a man who had been placed on the dock behind his house at 3201 NE 38th St.
The injured man had a head wound caused by hitting the sea wall, Rivas said he was told, after the boat struck the concrete dock of the home next door. Rivas said he could see that a corner of his neighbor's dock was broken off.
Rivas said he called 911, and police and paramedics responded within minutes.
When Rivas asked friends of the victim what had happened, one told him the occupants of the boats had been "splashing" each other, said Rivas, 21.
Also at the scene were relatives of the boaters. One parent was overheard telling a police officer, "We're here to pick up our daughter." Parents stayed behind the police tape, waiting to be reunited with their children. One parent become visibly upset, crying and shaking.
The wildlife commission will be leading the investigation, "sifting through all the information so we can find out what led to this," Barraco said. "There are a lot of pieces, so this is going to be an open investigation for quite a while."

Pictures of Dalton in his younger days.

June 1, 2015

A 24-year-old Hollywood man has been identified as the person killed along the Intracoastal Waterway when a boat he was on crashed into a concrete dock.

Dalton Joseph Shirley was ejected from the open motorboat and thrown into the water when the vessel struck the dock about 8 p.m. Saturday behind a house in the 3200 block of Northeast 38th Street, according to Liz Barraco, a spokeswoman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Two others aboard the vessel, Justina Coronez and Austin Lail, 23, were injured in the collision and taken to Broward Health Medical Center, Barraco said.
A fourth person aboard, a man, was not injured.
The boat that hit the dock was traveling side by side with another vessel, with six people aboard, and heading south on the Intracoastal at the time of the crash, Barraco said.
"The boat was going at a high rate of speed," said Barraco.
Shirley was pronounced dead at the scene, Barraco said.
Barraco said authorities would conduct a criminal investigation to determine who was driving the boat, and whether speed or alcohol were factors in the crash. She said there was some indication "there might have been two people operating the vessel."
After the crash, those aboard the second vessel helped pull Shirley from the water and began efforts to resuscitate him, Barraco said. She said those aboard the two vessels were friends.
"It was a very emotional scene," she said as the friends realized what had happened.
"Everyone was very cooperative," Barraco said. "Everyone was scared and upset, and good about helping us out."
In addition to officials from the Wildlife Commission, Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue and police also responded to the site of the crash, which is behind a private home at the end of a cul-de-sac.
Leonardo Rivas said he was in his house at when he heard dogs barking. He went outside to see a young man "covered in blood" attempting CPR on a man who had been placed on the dock behind his house at 3201 NE 38th St.
The injured man had a head wound caused by hitting the sea wall, Rivas said he was told, after the boat struck the concrete dock of the home next door. Rivas said he could see that a corner of his neighbor's dock was broken off.
Rivas said he called 911, and police and paramedics responded within minutes.
When Rivas asked friends of the victim what had happened, one told him the occupants of the boats had been "splashing" each other, said Rivas, 21.
Also at the scene were relatives of the boaters. One parent was overheard telling a police officer, "We're here to pick up our daughter." Parents stayed behind the police tape, waiting to be reunited with their children. One parent become visibly upset, crying and shaking.
The wildlife commission will be leading the investigation, "sifting through all the information so we can find out what led to this," Barraco said. "There are a lot of pieces, so this is going to be an open investigation for quite a while."

Pictures of Dalton in his younger days.

June 1, 2015

A 24-year-old Hollywood man has been identified as the person killed along the Intracoastal Waterway when a boat he was on crashed into a concrete dock.

Dalton Joseph Shirley was ejected from the open motorboat and thrown into the water when the vessel struck the dock about 8 p.m. Saturday behind a house in the 3200 block of Northeast 38th Street, according to Liz Barraco, a spokeswoman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Two others aboard the vessel, Justina Coronez and Austin Lail, 23, were injured in the collision and taken to Broward Health Medical Center, Barraco said.
A fourth person aboard, a man, was not injured.
The boat that hit the dock was traveling side by side with another vessel, with six people aboard, and heading south on the Intracoastal at the time of the crash, Barraco said.
"The boat was going at a high rate of speed," said Barraco.
Shirley was pronounced dead at the scene, Barraco said.
Barraco said authorities would conduct a criminal investigation to determine who was driving the boat, and whether speed or alcohol were factors in the crash. She said there was some indication "there might have been two people operating the vessel."
After the crash, those aboard the second vessel helped pull Shirley from the water and began efforts to resuscitate him, Barraco said. She said those aboard the two vessels were friends.
"It was a very emotional scene," she said as the friends realized what had happened.
"Everyone was very cooperative," Barraco said. "Everyone was scared and upset, and good about helping us out."
In addition to officials from the Wildlife Commission, Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue and police also responded to the site of the crash, which is behind a private home at the end of a cul-de-sac.
Leonardo Rivas said he was in his house at when he heard dogs barking. He went outside to see a young man "covered in blood" attempting CPR on a man who had been placed on the dock behind his house at 3201 NE 38th St.
The injured man had a head wound caused by hitting the sea wall, Rivas said he was told, after the boat struck the concrete dock of the home next door. Rivas said he could see that a corner of his neighbor's dock was broken off.
Rivas said he called 911, and police and paramedics responded within minutes.
When Rivas asked friends of the victim what had happened, one told him the occupants of the boats had been "splashing" each other, said Rivas, 21.
Also at the scene were relatives of the boaters. One parent was overheard telling a police officer, "We're here to pick up our daughter." Parents stayed behind the police tape, waiting to be reunited with their children. One parent become visibly upset, crying and shaking.
The wildlife commission will be leading the investigation, "sifting through all the information so we can find out what led to this," Barraco said. "There are a lot of pieces, so this is going to be an open investigation for quite a while."