Swimmer dies after being hit by boat near Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park

A swimmer hit by a boat near Vanderbilt Beach and the Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park area in North Naples on Thursday has died, according to North Collier Fire Rescue.

WINK News reached out to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission as well as Collier County Sheriff’s Office to get more answers but have not heard back as of Thursday night.

We do know that following the collision that investigators brought the boat into Wiggins Pass Marina to continue the investigation and searched the boat for possible evidence.

The driver of the boat told WINK News it was all an accident and that he did not see the swimmer in the water.

People on paddleboards quickly brought the swimmer to shore before medics transported him to the hospital in an ambulance.

In the end, the rescue effort wasn’t enough and the swimmer died.

WINK News spoke with other boaters who claim it is hard to see people in the water in the area where the swimmer was hit.

“You have to be ultra-aware because there is a park and the hotels there. People that go too far and get caught up…you really need to watch out,” said Amy Kurtz, who is a frequent boater near Wiggins Pass.

We are currently in spring break season so lots more people will be sharing our waterways.

We don’t know the specifics in this case but FWC says the best way to increase your ability to see swimmers and wildlife from a boat is to have polarized sunglasses.