Florida Casino Boat Reopens 4 Days After Deadly Fire

On Sunday, January 14th, a fire broke out on the “Island Lady” shuttle boat which was on its way to transporting 50 passengers to the Tropical Breeze Casino, a cruise ship with 325 slot machines and 12 gaming tables. The horrific incident which started in the engine room resulted in the death of one female passenger, 42, as well as more than a dozen injuries.
According to reports, the boat’s captain helped reduce the possibility of a further escalation in injuries after he noticed flames and turned the boat around before heading to shore. This then helped first responders reach people a lot quicker as they tried to stay afloat in the frigid Gulf of Mexico waters.
While the US Coast Guard is currently undertaking an investigation of the fire, it appears to be business as usual for the Tropical Breeze Casino, which has opened just four days after its shuttle was damaged beyond repair. Instead, it is the cruise casino itself which is now picking up passengers from Port Richey, with its slots and table game options open to gambles after it reaches at least 12 miles offshore, and outside the jurisdiction of Florida law.
Furthermore, the Florida casino firm has now started advertising various incentives on Facebook to entice people back on board its ship, including free boarding, three free drinks, $10 in free play, as well as a low table minimum stake of $3. Its Facebook page, however, makes no mention of the tragic accident that occurred a few days earlier.
Meanwhile, Tropical Breeze Casino has said that it would be covering the medial expenses of those passengers injured in the fire onboard the “Island Lady”, with those affected asked to contact the firm for further instructions on how to make a claim.
This is not the first time a problem has occurred with the “Island Lady”, though, and last October it crashed into a dock after a cable broke, thus making it impossible for the captain to stop the shuttle. A Coast Guard investigation later said that the incident was caused by a “lack of maintenance”.