CLEARWATER, Fla. — One of the first on the scene of Sunday’s fatal Clearwater Ferry crash was Captain Memo’s Pirate Cruise — the big, red ship that takes passengers sightseeing in the area. 

“You could definitely tell something very bad happened. We couldn’t tell how bad because of where they were,” said Andy Turriglio, a crew member who plays a pirate on the ship.

Turriglio said the ship came upon the wrecked ferry shortly after the collision.

“We noticed the ferry boat. They were yelling out to us. Couldn’t really hear them because our boat’s loud, but they were waving their hands, and if you saw the boat, you could tell it was messed up,” he said.

Captain Memo’s is a big ship, and Turriglio said the water around the ferry was too shallow for it to get close. He said their captain issued the Mayday call, and then the crew’s training kicked in — keeping their passengers calm and informed and helping those on the ferry as they could.

“We just stayed there, provided radio support, talked to the Coast Guard, the sheriffs, whoever our captain did, and we used the spotlight to at least give them light,” Turriglio said.

Captain Memo’s General Manager Tom Leogrande said it’s not the first time a crew encountered an emergency on the water. He praised the U.S. Coast Guard for the work they do to help commercial vessels prepare for anything.

“All that kudos should go to them because they inspect all these boats. They make sure we train all of our people. They make sure our boats are safe to go out year round,” said Leogrande.

Leogrande said crews are trained not only in how to operate a vessel, but also to get someone out of the water and handle a fire. He said the community at Clearwater Beach Marina also pulls together to promote safety, with an owner of one company organizing a CPR training suggested by the Coast Guard.

“We actually all did it as a group,” Leogrande said. “There were people from five different boats on that training, and that’s really cool to have that. That’s the kind of community we have here in little town Clearwater.”

Now, that community’s thoughts are with the ferry passenger who didn’t survive.

“I just said a prayer, of course. The worst thing that could’ve happened, so,” said Turriglio.