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13 people hurt after airboat crash in Central Florida animal park

U.S. Coast Guard officials reportedly said 30 people were involved in the crash, including 28 passengers and two captains.

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — Editor's note: The image used for this article is not the location of where the incident occurred. 

At least 13 people are hurt after an airboat crash occurred Monday afternoon at an animal park in Central Florida, multiple reports say. 

At around 12:30 p.m., two airboats collided with each other on Cypress Lake at Wild Florida in Osceola County, and the U.S. Coast Guard has accounted for 13 people being injured, WKMG-TV reports. 

Two of the 13 people were taken to a nearby hospital and the other passengers were transported to an area hospital for treatment, according to WOFL-TV. 

Coast Guard officials reportedly said 30 people were involved in the crash, including 28 passengers and two captains. 

The Florida and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Osceola Fire Department and Osceola County Sheriff's Office all responded to the collision but have not yet revealed the extent of the 13 people's injuries.

WOFL-TV says the Coast Guard will lead the investigation of the crash. 

Wild Florida is an airboat and gator park located about 40 miles south of Orlando, the organization explains on its website.

According to the FWC, there have been 55 airboat accidents involved in commercial activity from 2007-2017. During that span, two people were killed and 130 were injured. 

"These collisions occurred due to excessive speed and the operator not maintaining a proper look-out/inattention," the FWC explains online. "Excessive speed may be attributed to the vessel traveling at a speed too fast for the environmental conditions, location or the operator’s abilities to properly and safely traverse the area."

Wild Florida said all guests receive life jackets and ear protection before they onboard any airboats. 

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