KEY WEST, Fla. — Monroe County officials suspect they found the remains of the 51-year-old St. Petersburg woman whom they had declared dead after a boat fire early Wednesday morning in the Florida Keys.
It's believed the body of Linda Vella was recovered from the burnt remains of the 70-foot Viking yacht she had been on, deputies said on Facebook. However, identification and autopsy results of the woman's body are pending with the Monroe County Medical Examiner’s Office.
According to authorities, Vella had been on the yacht with her husband, 58-year-old Michael Robson, and her son, 21-year-old Anthony Vella, while they were at the Keys for the lobster mini-season.
The boat reportedly caught fire shortly after midnight on Wednesday while the yacht was docked outside the Perry Hotel and Marina. Crews spent three hours putting out the blaze. Investigators believed Vella couldn't escape the fire and was still on the yacht during the ensuing search, according to deputies.
Another family of four who was on the boat did manage to get off the boat uninjured. Michael and Anthony were flown to a hospital in Miami. Linda Vella was presumed dead as of Wednesday.
The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team worked with TowBoat U.S., Monroe County Fire Rescue, and marina officials to search for her remains. Deputies said the boat was completely destroyed and "structurally comprised due to the blaze", so the team carefully lifted the boat out of the water before searching it.
The Sheriff's Office said that they don't know what caused the fire, but the investigation is ongoing.
Lisamarie Vella, who identified herself as Vella's daughter, set up a GoFundMe to help raise money for her mother's funeral expenses.