A 42-year-old Lutz mother of two has been identified as the passenger who died after Sunday's SunCruz Casino shuttle boat fire.

Carrie Dempsey died while being treated at Bayonet Point Regional Medical Center.

She was a passenger aboard the Island Lady, the SunCruz Port Richey Casino shuttle boat that erupted in flames.

Her cause of death has not been released yet.

About 50 people were aboard the shuttle boat in the Port Richey canal Sunday afternoon when the captain reported engine trouble and decided to turn around. A fire erupted as the boat approached Harborpointe Drive. Some passengers jumped overboard to escape the smoke and flames.

More than a dozen were hospitalized.

The U.S. Coast Guard is the lead investigating agency on the boat fire.


Sent to us via the Spectrum Bay News 9 app: Passengers were forced to jump from a SunCruz Casino shuttle boat Sunday afternoon in Port Richey after the boat erupted into flames. There were about 50 people aboard. A woman died at a hospital. (Qaadia Culbreath, viewer)