CLEARWATER, Fla. (WFLA) — A man who was onboard the Clearwater ferry Sunday night recalled the terrifying moment another boat struck the vessel and the adrenaline that kicked in as passengers rushed to help each other.

Steven Whitehurst was one of 45 people who were on the ferry at the time. Clearwater police said a man died in the crash and 10 other adults were injured.

Video from a nearby City of Clearwater streaming webcam showed the boat colliding with the ferry near the Memorial Causeway Bridge just after 8:30 p.m. But what Whitehurst saw from onboard the ferry was far more terrifying.

“You could see a bunch of like broken limbs. That’s what got me,” Whitehurst said. “Because he literally wiped out everything in the center of the [ferry].”

Whitehurst recalled seeing at least one woman trapped under the boat as it came up onto the ferry but said it all unfolded very fast.

“As he ripped his boat out of there, he was dragging people, too,” Whitehurst said. “You could see people like under the boat a little bit. I caught it out of the corner of my eye.”

He said the suspect was gone within a matter of seconds.

“It was like a flash,” Whitehurst said. “He was there one minute, and the boat was gone the next.”

Immediately, his adrenaline began rushing. Whitehurst said he went to help a man and was impressed as he noticed passengers all around him jumping into action.

“I was surprised how people came together so quickly. It was like we were a team,” he said. “You didn’t have to say anything. You just looked at the person, and they were doing it.”

Authorities said Monday the boat involved in the crash was found around 3.5 miles away at the Belleair boat ramp.

There was no word yet on if anyone had been charged in the crash, but Whitehurst said he felt “really angry” knowing the driver of the boat may still be out there.

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