Executive Summary
- Three people died and one remains in critical condition following a boat crash on the Caloosahatchee River on November 29.
- The vessel involved was identified as a 2022 39-foot MTI registered to victim Craig A. Millett.
- The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has withheld bodycam footage, citing an exemption for cases with “pending prosecution.”
Authorities in Fort Myers are actively working to determine who was operating a high-performance powerboat involved in a crash on the Caloosahatchee River that left three people dead and a fourth critically injured. The investigation into the November 29 incident has intensified as law enforcement officials withhold public records due to an active legal inquiry.
According to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the sole survivor of the crash remains hospitalized in critical but stable condition as of December 1. Officer Bradley Johnson, a spokesperson for the department, confirmed that the vessel involved is a 2022 39-foot MTI. The boat is registered to Craig A. Millett, 56, who was identified as one of the three deceased victims.
In response to formal requests for bodycam footage from the scene, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office denied the release of the video evidence. The agency explicitly stated, “The record you have requested is exempt at this time pursuant to pending prosecution,” signaling that the crash is being handled as a potential criminal matter rather than a purely accidental event.
Investigative Outlook
The classification of the case files as exempt due to “pending prosecution” indicates that investigators are analyzing factors such as speed, impairment, or recklessness to determine criminal liability. In maritime fatalities, identifying the operator is crucial, as it dictates potential charges ranging from boating under the influence to vessel homicide. As forensic experts reconstruct the crash and the survivor’s condition improves, their testimony will likely be a linchpin in establishing the sequence of events. It is important to note that all individuals associated with the investigation are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
