George Pino deadly boat crash case prompts FWC policy change after bodycam videos deleted
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is revising its body camera policy following scrutiny over how its officers handled footage from the 2022 Biscayne Bay boat crash involving Miami real estate broker George Pino — a crash that killed 17-year-old Lucy Fernandez and left another teen with a traumatic brain injury.
FWC: Policy, not officer misconduct, behind body camera issue
In a newly released statement, the FWC Division of Law Enforcement said its review found no wrongdoing by the officers who responded to the crash. Instead, the agency cited a gap in its current policy, which failed to clearly instruct officers in support roles—those who were not lead investigators or directly addressing violations—on how to categorize their body-worn camera (BWC) videos.
"In this case, the officers categorized their videos as incidental, which, under the existing policy, was an appropriate classification," the FWC said. "They were not the lead officers on the case, nor were they addressing any violations directly."
The agency also emphasized that officers did not delete their footage; rather, the system automatically removes videos after a set retention period based on how they were classified.
Revised policy underway to increase accountability
The FWC acknowledged that its current policy "did not align with our intent for our officers' documentation responsibilities," and said it is taking immediate steps to revise the guidance. The changes will clarify categorization procedures, especially for officers in non-primary roles, and add expectations for supervisory review.
"We are committed to transparency and accountability, and we appreciate the opportunity to address this matter directly," the agency said.
The clarification comes amid renewed attention on how the investigation into the 2022 crash was handled, particularly after it was revealed that some witnesses were not contacted and that no sobriety test was administered to Pino at the scene.
George Pino surrenders, faces felony charge
Pino surrendered to authorities in November 2024 and appeared in court for a hearing related to a felony charge of vessel homicide. Prosecutors say he was piloting a 29-foot boat carrying his daughter and several friends near Boca Chita Key during Labor Day weekend in 2022 when the vessel struck a channel marker, ejecting all passengers and tearing a hole in the hull.
Fernandez died from her injuries, and another girl, Katy Puig, was left with a traumatic brain injury. Eleven of the 14 people on board were hurt.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said Pino claimed another boat caused a large wake and that he crashed while turning to check on the girls. Investigators later recovered 61 empty alcohol containers—including a champagne bottle—from the boat. Though Pino admitted to having "two beers," no field sobriety test was conducted.
Legal and family reactions
In 2023, the state filed three misdemeanor charges against Pino, which were dropped in favor of the more serious felony count. The felony charge carries a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison.
Pino's daughter, Sofia Castellanos, released a statement on behalf of the family in November 2024, expressing remorse and a commitment to supporting the Fernandez and Puig families.
"If we could give up our lives to bring Lucy back… we would do so in an instant," she said.
Pino's attorney, Howard Srebnick, criticized the timing of the upgraded charge and argued the incident was a tragic accident, not a criminal act. He said Pino was cooperative, followed boating regulations, and made "heroic efforts" to rescue passengers despite his own injuries.
Investigation questions remain
The Miami Herald previously reported that three eyewitnesses said they were never contacted by either the FWC or the State Attorney's Office. The Fernandez family's attorney, Joel Denaro, said new witness statements and the presence of alcohol led prosecutors to file the more serious charge.
"There's no question that alcohol was a factor," Denaro said. "And with the discovery of the new witness, it became clear that this was a factor that contributed to the accident."
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