A vessel strike occurred on a FWC research platform in Old Tampa Bay by an unknown vessel at an unknown time prior to 4/12/13. No injuries were reported or known of. The platform is unmanned and was at anchor when struck.

On 4/12/13 I, Officer was given a complaint of a vessel strike on an unmanned FWC research platform by dispatch. I contacted the complainant, FWC employee who works at FWRI in St. Petersburg. Ivey, who is responsible for the platform, informed me that sometime prior to the date 4/12/13 the anchored research platform had been struck and damaged by an unknown vessel at an unknown time. He also informed me that he had already visited the platform site and was planning on towing the platform back to FWRI sometime in the coming week. Two days later I patrolled out to the platform site and looked it over. The platform didn't show obvious signs of having been struck, but was missing a equipment box at the port rear of the platform. The conditions were rough at this time and from what I could see, the platform didn't appear to have been struck. I contacted subject and asked that he let me know when the platform was returned to FWRI so that I could inspect it more closely. On 4/24/13, subject  contacted me. I went to FWRI and upon close inspection I could then see that the vessel had in fact been struck. At this time I started a vessel accident report. No suspects have been identified or are known in the hit and run platform collision
SAFETY HARBOR