Identities of 3 Dead in Florida Boat Crash Revealed as Married Couple with ‘a True Zest for Life’ and Their Friend

A married couple and their friend, who all split their time between Cape Coral and Maine, died after their boat flipped in a Florida river. 

On Nov. 29, Craig and Brenna Millett and their friends Rebecca Knight and Neal Kirby were on a 39-foot speedboat when it capsized in Caloosahatchee River in Fort Myers. But at around 4 p.m., according to ABC News, tragedy struck, leaving only one survivor.

“Sad day on the Caloosahatchee River,” the Lee County Marine Emergency Response Team (MERT) wrote on Facebook Nov. 30. “Yesterday evening, a catamaran boat flipped and ejected its four passengers. Three victims were removed from the water and only one survived in critical condition. After an extensive search and cooperative with Federal, State, and Local agencies, the fourth person was recovered today.”

According to WGME, a witness said the boat appeared to be racing another boat at a high speed at the time of the incident. While Brenna and Rebecca were found near the boat and later died at a nearby hospital, Craig’s body was recovered from the water the following day.

The lone survivor, Kirby, allegedly suffered serious injuries, including six broken ribs, a broken clavicle, a shattered pelvis and severe lung damage. According to his friend, Brad Barkis, he underwent surgery on the morning of Dec. 1 and has since been in recovery.

“They found Neal floating in the water, unresponsive and not breathing,” Barkis wrote on Facebook. “Thanks to their quick action and CPR, they were able to get a large amount of saltwater out of his lungs and get him breathing again. Their fast response truly saved his life.”

Days after the incident, Simon Tusha, who said he was a friend of the Millets, told Fox 4 that he was leading the group in his own boat when the tragedy occurred. 

“I was in front of them. I turned around and I saw the boat flipping,” Simon said. “We jumped in the water, but a lot of people, they just didn’t know what to do.”

“No one expected this,” he added. “Brenna and Craig were always givers, like everything. You know, their doors were always open to everybody.”

Family Initiative — a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening the families of children with needs like autism or those in the child welfare system — paid tribute to the trio after their deaths, emphasizing that they “meant the world to our organization.”

“Their service, generosity, and unwavering belief in our mission inspired us every single day,” the organization wrote on Facebook. “Rebecca’s infectious laugh and steadfast determination, Brenna’s warm smile and kind, encouraging words that lifted us through every event meeting, and Craig’s boundless generosity and immense heart, especially for our guy Kolby, touched us in ways words can barely capture.”

Bedard Reality, where Brenna worked, also remembered the impact the Milletts left on their community.

“Brenna and Craig lived with a true zest for life,” the company wrote on Facebook. “Their generosity, warmth, and admirable work ethic were evident in everything they did — whether they were in Florida with their boating community or here in Maine helping their friends, or launching into the next adventure together.”