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2 Dead, 6 Injured In Key Bridge Boating Accident

BALTIMORE (WJZ) --A night out with friends turns deadly after a boating accident in the Patapsco River leaves two people dead, six others injured, on Sunday morning.

It happened around 3:30 a.m. when a boat carrying eight people struck a section of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

After searching for most of the morning, authorities recovered the bodies of two Baltimore women who were thrown from the boat at the time of the accident. The Maryland Natural Resources Police identified those women was  41-year-old Windy Lawson and 45-year-old  Kimberly Ervin, both of Baltimore.

BOATING ax
Photo/ Maryland Natural Resources Police

Six others also on board were thrown from  the 37-foot Sea Ray Sundancer, which was registered to Timothy Wilson, 55, of Baltimore. All six victims, including Wilson, were injured during the accident. Police say four were transported, two victims were treated at the scene.

A spokesperson for the Maryland Natural Resources Police said the boat hit what is called a "Dolphin"-- which is describes as a very large concrete structure--that marks the channel and prevents boats from slamming into the Key Bridge. Officials say there are four of them that surround the Key Bridge.

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1 of 4 "Dolphins" that surround Key Bridge

Authorities say all occupants were thrown from the boat on impact and then the boat continued on until it came to a stop at Ft. Carroll.

The bridge shows no signs of damage, but the impact of the crash can be seen on the bow of the vessel.

The exact cause of the crash is still unknown at this time. Authorities say the medical examiner 's officer will perform an autopsy, including  a toxicology report.

These are the 13th and 14th boating fatalities of this year.

The accident remains under investigation.

 

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