MIAMI (AP) — Thirty-two people were safely rescued when a Lamborghini yacht began sinking off Miami Beach over the weekend, the U.S. Coast Guard said.
The 63-foot (19-meter) boat began taking on water off Monument Island late Saturday afternoon. Crews from the Coast Guard, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and marine patrol units from local police agencies responded to calls for help.
The people were taken to the Miami Beach Marina and checked out by Miami Beach Fire Rescue.
"We saw, like, a bunch of cop boats, like police boats, and there was another yacht that was flipped over, completely vertical in the water,” Rachel Miller, who witnessed the incident, told Miami television station WSVN.
Authorities said they don't yet know why the yacht began taking on water. It was later pushed out of the channel and did not pose a threat to boaters, the Coast Guard said.
The fish and wildlife agency will lead an investigation.
Monument Island is near Star Island, home to many celebrities.
It was a busy weekend in South Florida, with an air and sea show drawing large crowds to the beach in Fort Lauderdale and the Miami Grand Prix in nearby Miami Gardens.
“You know, it might just be time we take a look if HOAs are really even necessary.
Maybe we should just do away with homeowner associations as a whole.”
South Florida lawmaker Rep. Juan Carlos Porras (R-Miami) says it may be time to do away with homeowners associations altogether, as more Floridians speak out about rising fees, costly lawsuits, and even arrests tied to HOA disputes. He said this week that he is considering filing legislation in the next session that would abolish HOAs statewide.
