Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter
HOLLYWOOD (CBSMiami) – An investigation is underway after a body was found floating near a burning boat in the Intracoastal Waterway in Hollywood.
READ MORE: Celtics Rule Smart, Horford Out For Game 1 Against HeatSeveral people, like Karen Rochez, grabbed their cell phones and shot video when they noticed the burning boat drifting down the waterway just south of Sheridan Street around 2 a.m.
“There was a small triangle of flame in the back and within about a minute, I got up to grab my phone and call 911,” said Rochez. “Within a minute the whole boat was engulfed in flames.”
READ MORE: Man's Remains Found In Shallow Grave Behind Miami Gardens Home, Woman Arrested“It’s done, it’s burnt to a crisp,” said boat captain Gino Checchi. “Hopefully no body got hurt.”
Hollywood firefighters, with assistance from the Coast Guard, put out the flames on the 22-foot boat.
“Initially I thought if somebody is on there they are in trouble,” said Rochez. “But I never saw anyone go in the water. It was dark and there was a lot of very dark, black smoke.”
MORE NEWS: Surfside Condo Collapse: Former Miami-Dade Fire Chief Dave Downey Confident Everything Was Done By Rescuers To Save LivesAfter the fire was out the body a male, thought to be in his mid-40s, was pulled from the water near the boat. It was taken to the Broward County Medical Examiner’s Office where it will be identified and a cause of death determined.
