Chapter 4: The Legal Requirements of Boating
Boating Accidents & Casualties—What the Law Requires You to Do

An operator involved in a boating accident must:

Stop their vessel immediately at the scene of the accident unless the action would endanger your own vessel, crew, or passengers and ...
Give assistance to anyone injured in the accident and ...
Give their name, address, and identifying number of their vessel to the other vessel's operator and/or owner of damaged property.

Vessel operators involved in an accident must report the accident by the quickest means possible if the accident has resulted in:

A death or disappearance of a person or ...
An injury causing a person to require medical attention beyond first aid or ...
Damage to the vessel and other property of $2,000 or more.

The report of the accident must be made to:

The Division of Law Enforcement, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (call 1-888-404-3922, or #FWC or *FWC from a mobile phone) or …
The sheriff of the county where the accident occurred or ...
The police department of the municipality in which the accident occurred.

Failure to report an accident and failure to render aid are both criminal offenses.

Sample boat accident report form