Jul 31, 2023 by Kevin Maher
A woman’s body was removed from a burnt 70-foot Viking after a yacht fire at a Florida Keys marina.
Linda Vella, 51, of St. Petersburg, Florida, was on board the Viking during the yacht fire at a Florida Keys marina and was subsequently declared dead by Monroe County Officials. Investigators believe Vella was unable to escape the fire and was still aboard the vessel during the search, according to a post by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.
Identification and autopsy results are still pending with the Monroe County Medical Examiner’s Office. Foul play is not believed to be a factor, according to the MCSO.
The fire occurred at approximately 12:10 a.m. on Wendesday, July 26, at a marina at 7101 Shrimp Road. Vella’s husband and son, Michael Kenneth Robson, 58, and Anthony Joseph Vella, 21, were both airlifted to a Miami hospital with critical injuries shortly after the fire.
The Viking required careful care to be lifted out of the water before it could be searched, as the blaze had structurally compromised the vessel. The Sheriff’s Office Dive Team, Towboat U.S., Monroe County Fire Rescue, and marina officials assisted with the case.
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