Father and 9-Year-Old Son Killed After Watercraft Slams into Concrete Seawall at 'High' Speed in Florida

The pair were riding at "a high rate of speed" in the city of Marathon on Tuesday, Aug. 13

Authorities say a father and son were killed this week when their watercraft hit a concrete seawall in a Florida Keys canal.

On Tuesday, Aug. 13, a 47-year-old Miami man and his 9-year-old son were riding a Yamaha personal watercraft when they crashed into a seawall in the Middle Keys city of Marathon shortly before 7 p.m. local time, a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokesperson told PEOPLE.

Sheriff Rick Ramsay of Monroe County told the Miami Herald that the father hit the seawall "head on" and that there was "no slowing down," as the pair traveled full speed in a residential canal's no-wake zone — a section where watercraft must travel at slow speeds.

An initial Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission report identified the pair as Jose Dominguez and his son, Daniel Dominguez, who were riding a 2018 Yamaha watercraft at "a high rate of speed" before the fatal crash.

The crash itself occurred near the Castaways Waterfront Restaurant and Sushi Bar, a popular waterside dining location in Marathon, per the FWC report.

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When reached for more information, a spokesperson for the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office referred PEOPLE to the FWC. In a statement, FWC Public Information Coordinator Arielle Callender noted that the investigation was "active" and that "no further information is currently available."

The father was ejected about 20 feet into the air when the watercraft crashed into the seawall, Sheriff Ramsay told the Miami Herald, and the child traveling with him was thrown into the water as witnesses attempted to jump in and help.

“He hit head on. There was no slowing down,” Ramsay told the outlet, adding that the incident was "sad."

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The father was declared dead at the scene by Monroe County Fire Rescue paramedics, while his son went into cardiac arrest while traveling in a helicopter ambulance, per the Herald. The child then reportedly died at the local Baptist Health Mariners Hospital.

A photo of the scene, which the MCSO shared with the Herald, shows the blue-and-white watercraft damaged and resting against the seawall, with a dingle shoe sitting on its footrest.

"Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the victims during this difficult time," the FWC statement read.

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