A Florida father and son were filmed enjoying a ride on a jet ski just before they died in a horrific accident.
José Dominguez, 47, and his nine-year-old son Daniel died on August 13 in the Florida Keys, shortly after moving to the region from Miami.
The father and son from Miami were riding a 2018 Yamaha watercraft when they crashed into a seawall in the Middle Keys near Marathon just before 7 p.m., the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said.
José, who was driving at full speed in a no-boating zone, struck the seawall head-on, Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay told the Miami HeraldHe said there was “no question of slowing down.”
The jet ski hit the wall with enough force that the father was thrown about 20 feet onto land, while the boy ended up in the water, Ramsay said.
José Dominguez, 47, and his nine-year-old son Daniel (pictured together) died on August 13 in the Florida Keys after their jet ski crashed into a sea wall at full force
Moments before the fatal crash, the father and son were seen on the jet ski wearing life jackets
Surveillance footage captured the father and son on the jet ski wearing life jackets. One image showed the front of the craft torn off and a sandal on the side.
Immediately after the horrific crash, witnesses from a nearby mobile home park dived into the water to care for the child.
Several people called 911 in panic to report the crash. A witness said: ‘There has been a jet ski accident across the canal.’
A frightened child also called the police and began speaking Spanish while breathing heavily.
“Send the ambulance, quick! They’re outside because they came to the bridge and I think my uncle hit the gas… and they crashed into the bridge,” they said.
“I don’t know how many people were on the jet ski, but they hit the wall… I think they ended up on the ground. I don’t think anyone is in the water.”
Another panicked caller said the father was thrown to the ground “because he hit the ground at 50 miles an hour.”
The jet ski hit the wall with such force that the father was thrown about 20 feet onto land, while the boy ended up in the water, Ramsay said. (Photo: Father and son with family)
A photo showed the front of the vessel torn off and a sandal left on the side
“There was an explosion from a jet ski… I didn’t actually see it, I just heard it, but I think it went straight into the sea wall and landed on land,” another caller said.
“We watched it from the windows of the restaurant here,” another person said in his 911 call, obtained by NBC Miami.
A woman, Jennifer, who was with her family at the nearby Castaways Waterfront Restaurant and Sushi Bar, told the Miami Herald that Jose wasn’t moving, but Daniel was “making noise.”
Jennifer remembers that after the crash, another young boy was lying next to Daniel, crying and screaming.
‘A man tore down the wooden fence to get to Daniel, who was standing about ten feet from the wall, across from a camper.
“Everyone was crying. I and others started praying,” she added.
The father was pronounced dead at the scene while his son was airlifted to Nicklaus Children’s Hospital. He went into cardiac arrest on the way there and died, Ramsay said.
Morgan Coleman, who works at the nearby restaurant, created a GoFundMe page to support José’s wife and Daniel’s mother, Griselda Pérez.
Immediately after the horrific crash, witnesses from a nearby mobile home park (pictured) dove into the water to care for the child
Relatives said the family had just moved from Miami to the Florida Keys after falling in love with the area. Daniel (right) was supposed to go to school the day after the accident
“Griselda Pérez, a loving wife and mother, must now cope with the grief of losing her husband and son, while also raising her two surviving children alone,” Coleman wrote.
‘Griselda now faces the overwhelming burden of grief, while also having to provide for her children’s future without the support of her husband. No one should have to endure such a loss alone.’
As of Wednesday morning, the donation page had raised more than $8,600 for the widow and her surviving children.
Relatives said the family recently moved to the Florida Keys from Miami because they fell in love with the area.
Daniel was scheduled to attend Stanley Switlik Elementary School the day after the accident.
According to the report, alcohol was not a factor in the fatal accident.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is investigating the crash. DailyMail.com contacted the agency for comment.