Florida airboat flips sending 9 passengers into gator-infested waters, operator arrested

quote:

---

An airboat tour in the Florida Everglades capsized sending passengers overboard on Friday, officials say. This happened when the airboat's driver took a sharp turn to try to see an alligator in the water, according to multiple reports.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said three units responded to a waterway near Coopertown The Original Airboat Tour in the Everglades Friday afternoon. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, nine people and the operator all fell into the water when the boat took a quick turn.

By time MDFR arrived, everyone had climbed out of the water, and only one patient was treated for injuries on the scene.

But the boat's operator was arrested after FWC said he did not have the proper documentation necessary to operate the boat. His employer, Coopertown, did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for comment Monday morning.

---