When a prudent skipper encounters dense fog, he or she keeps a keen watch, carefully monitors the chartplotter, radar and AIS, and listens for sound signals and other boat's motors – and doesn't cruise at 50 miles-per-hour!

How fast was this "well-known charter boat captain" throttling through the fog on Tampa Bay Monday afternoon? No one knows for sure, but it was fast enough to propel the 39-foot, four-engine speedster across an estimated 90 feet of beach and through an exterior wall of the Sunset Grill at Little Harbor, leaving half the boat in the dining room, according to reports.

With seven people on the boat, kids running around the beach, and patrons within inches of where the boat became lodged, witnesses were amazed that people were not killed in the incident. In fact, only one injury was reported – a passenger was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

Officials say that alcohol was not a factor, but dense fog was. Just my opinion here, but I don't think one can blame the fog when the boat was traveling at that high a speed. The captain has been cited for reckless operation according to the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission – a matter of inches and he might have been facing manslaughter charges.

Important message posted on the Sunset Grill at Little Harbor Facebook Page: "Just for future reference, we do not have a drive-through for boats, please use the pier and tie your boat up then walk to the tiki bar." The restaurant hopes the Tiki Bar and Lounge will be back in operation today or tomorrow, although the now-roofless dining room will need some reconstruction.

Here are some links to various reports, many with photos and/or video interviews with witnesses:

• WFLA: Boat comes out of dense fog, crashes into Ruskin restaurant
• WPTV: Speeding boat crashes into Tampa-area restaurant
• WFTS: Boat remains lodged halfway inside Ruskin restaurant
• Bay News 9: 1 injured when boat crashes into Ruskin restaurant
• Tampa Bay Times: Charter captain cited after crashing boat into Ruskin restaurant