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A 44-foot yacht was destroyed in a blaze that broke out at a Key Largo marina ahead of the July Fourth weekend, according to officials with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.

The fire broke out Thursday at the Anchorage Resort & Yacht Club in Key Largo. Thankfully, MCSO officials reported, no one was on board the boat at the time of the fire and no injuries were reported. The blaze appeared to have been contained to the singular vessel and no further damage was reported.

No cause of the fire has been publicly released. Photos posted online by the MCSO show firefighters battling the blaze and the singed vessel immediately following the fire.

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At least one woman was taken to the hospital, and another person was injured after a boat crashed into a Florida Keys channel over the Fourth of July holiday weekend, according to local media.

The crash happened Sunday, July 5, around 3:20 p.m., reporters with The Miami Herald said. The vessel that the two were on crashed into the Harris Gap Channel Bridge on Sugarloaf Key. At least one other person was aboard the vessel at the time of the crash and was injured, according to Local 10 News.

The woman, whose name has not been released as of Monday, July 6, was taken to a hospital on the mainland for treatment. A spokesperson for the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) told reporters that she had non-life-threatening injuries. It is unclear whether the second person required transport to a local hospital.

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Police in Sarasota flagged down a young boy who was operating a jet ski by himself in June, resulting in legal trouble for his parents and a hot debate online.

“That’s right, you have to be 14 in the state of Florida,” Ron Dixon, the officer with the Sarasota Police Marine Patrol Unit who was involved, later told a reporter with Fox 13 Tampa Bay News.

The incident occurred on Sunday, June 14, in the waters of Big Pass when the officer, who was out on the water on his own vessel, flagged down the 8-year-old operator. In bodycam footage of the event, the minor can be seen approaching the officer’s boat wearing a life jacket.

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“Florida is the boating capital of the world, but sadly, it is also the boating fatality capital of the world.”

These are the words of Partner Justin B. Shapiro of Leesfield & Partners. With decades of practice representing the injured individuals and grieving families of those involved in some of Florida’s most horrific boating and water-related incidents, our attorneys understand the magnitude of this pressing safety issue. From a young diver and father-to-be whose life was prematurely snuffed out by a negligent boater to the loss of a child’s leg while aboard a vessel, our skilled trial attorneys have seen just about every injury that can occur on the water. With this experience comes an increased vigilance toward the dangers, and the urgency to create positive change.

Last July, when Lucy’s Law—legislation named in honor of 17-year-old Luciana ‘Lucy’ Fernandez, who died in the 2022 Boca Chita boat crash—went into effect, our attorneys applauded the move and saw it as a sign for increased vigilance and safety on the water.

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A major heat risk is in effect for South Florida Monday, forcing forecasters to warn against outdoor activities; here’s what the rest of the week looks like, according to data from the National Weather Service.

A map of South Florida swathed in hues of orange, yellow, and red, is displayed on the NWS website this week. The colors stand for risky temperatures that range from minor to major. For

Forecasters are urging people to hydrate, use their air conditioning systems, and to stay in cool places. The heat is expected to get especially bad starting in the afternoons. All outdoor activities should be limited from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. due to the risk, NWS officials said.

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At least two people were injured following a small plane crash at the Key West International Airport.

The incident happened early Sunday afternoon after the aircraft lost power, according to officials with Monroe County Fire Rescue. The issue occurred after takeoff when the airplane was at about 200 feet in the air.

The aircraft “landed in the mangroves on the east side of the runway about 100 feet or more from the airport,” MCFR said in a statement on its official Facebook page.

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The Florida Keys is canonically associated with margaritas and lounge chairs, but the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is only warning users about the latter.

At least 1500 Giantex outdoor lounge chairs were recalled due to amputation concerns, according to the USCPSC. Those with the blue model number NP10025NY measuring 76-inches long, by 23-inches wide, by 13-inches high are instructed to contact Giantex for a full refund. Consumers may request a prepaid return package or will be asked by the company to destroy the recalled chair and provide photographic evidence of destruction, according to USCPSC officials.

Consumers may destroy their product by detaching the headrest pillow and cutting the fabric. The recall comes after at least one report of a consumer’s finger being amputated while they adjusted the lounge chair.

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Community members throughout the Florida Keys are rallying together to support a house fire relief fund after a tragic fire displaced two law enforcement officers this week, according to a Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Facebook re-post.

The incident occurred Thursday, May 7 and involved the home of Mike Pettee and Tiffany Rodda. Pettee is an officer for the Key West Police Department and Rodda is a deputy with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.

“In a matter of moments, everything they worked so hard to build was gone,” community members wrote in an update to the couple’s GoFundMe, an online fundraising platform.

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During a busy 48 hours, Leesfield & Partners’ Ira H. Leesfield and Justin B. Shapiro were warmly welcomed by Key West High School to honor the life and legacy of the late Dexter Butler at the school’s Class Night.

Joined by Anita Butler and her family, Mr. Leesfield presented the second annual college scholarship award to senior James Osborne. The Dexter Butler College Scholarship was created by The Leesfield Family Foundation and Leesfield & Partners to preserve the legacy of community, kindness, and mentorship exemplified by Mr. Butler throughout his life. In his application, James wrote movingly about the loss of a mentor and how that experience inspired him to embody the values Mr. Butler instilled in him by serving and uplifting others in his community.

“He saw something in me long before I ever saw it in myself,” James wrote. “He pushed me, protected me, challenged me, and—most importantly—he believed in me with a sincerity that changed my life.”

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A 56-year-old man snorkeling near Key West Sunday afternoon died after being found unconscious in the water on Sunday, May 10, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.

Benjamin Lee Millspaw, of Belmont, North Carolina, was swimming off Cottrell Key around noon when he was pulled from the water. Millspaw was with a commercial snorkeling company, officials said.

He was taken to the Lower Keys Medical Center and was pronounced dead.

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