Collier Airboat Collision Lawsuits Reach Settlement

Three lawsuits stemming from a head-on airboat collision in Collier County have been settled. The crash occurred on December 13, 2024, resulting in injuries to 24 individuals, with 16 requiring hospital treatment. The involved parties included Wooten's Everglades Airboat Tours and Everglades Jack's, with operators Thomas Lee Brookbank and Steven Smith named as defendants.

Plaintiffs reported significant injuries such as broken tailbones, fractured ribs, fractured arm bones, radial nerve palsy, joint dislocations, and loss of consciousness. One lawsuit alleged that operator Steven Smith failed to warn passengers about the impending collision. Court records do not disclose the settlement amounts for the resolved cases.

Alssya Windom, one of the passengers, noted that her son's youth football team had been in Naples for national championships around the time of the crash. While her group was affiliated with the football program, passengers on the second airboat were not. Attorneys continue to work on resolving compensation for all affected passengers.