Man dies, son injured, after falling from motorized canoe into Chassahowitzka Bay
Unmanned canoe photo courtesy of HCSO.
Hernando County, Florida - The body of a man, missing after falling out of a motorized canoe, was located a short time after the incident that occurred shortly before 4:00 pm on Saturday afternoon, July 1, 2023, in the Chassahowitzka Bay near the Hernando/Citrus county line. The man's name was not initially released.
A 17 year-old male, who also fell from the canoe, was transported to a local hospital where he is recovering from unspecified injuries.
Boaters noticed an unmanned motorized canoe circling in the bay and quickly located the 17 year-old male, clinging to a floating marker. The teen explained to the boaters that he and his father had fallen from the canoe. However, the boaters were unable to locate the teen’s father.
Detectives with the Hernando County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) Major Case Unit responded to the scene. The agency was assisted by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), with sonar and a dive team, and the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office. Boats and helicopters were utilized in the search for the missing man.