An Oakland Park man has been arrested in connection with a fatal boating crash that occurred in the Florida Keys late last year.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) announced that 61-year-old Guy Erdman was taken into custody on Wednesday and charged with BUI manslaughter, a felony offense, along with six misdemeanors related to the crash that killed a 24-year-old woman.
The incident took place on December 27 off Key Largo in Buttonwood Sound, where authorities say Erdman was operating a 21-foot Century Bay motorboat while intoxicated. Investigators reported that his blood alcohol content was nearly twice the legal limit when he collided with an anchored sailboat, causing all four passengers aboard his vessel to be ejected into the water.
One of the victims was Sydney Cole, 24, of Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina, who was later found deceased following an extensive multi-agency search. Cole had been dating Erdman’s son, Christopher Erdman, 31, of Carthage, North Carolina, who was also aboard the boat at the time.
Following the crash, Christopher Erdman was accused of assaulting a passenger from the sailboat. Court records indicate he was admitted into a pre-trial diversion program, meaning charges could be dropped upon successful completion. His attorneys have argued he was acting out of panic and desperation as he tried to save his girlfriend during the chaos.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Guy Erdman remained in custody at the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office jail on Plantation Key with bond set at $240,000, according to online jail records.
“This devastating and avoidable loss of a young life underscores the dangers of boating under the influence,” said FWC Major Alberto Maza in a statement. “If you choose to boat impaired, we will hold you accountable.”
No arraignment date had been listed as of early Wednesday.
Reference: Oakland Park man jailed on BUI manslaughter charge in deadly Keys boat crash