Captain who crashed barge into sailboat in Miami Beach not impaired: officials
Capt. Frank Florio, commander of U.S. Coast Guard Sector Miami, previously said the sobriety test included a blood draw and is part of his agency's investigation into the tragic collision. Florio said the operator provided a statement but didn't elaborate on what the captain told investigators.
Another person onboard the barge — as well as the 19-year-old camp counselor operating the sailboat — were also tested for alcohol and drugs. Those results, too, came back negative. Mila Yankelevich, 7, and Erin Ko Han, 13, were killed after the 60-foot barge collided with the 17-foot Hobie Gateway just after 11 a.m in Biscayne Bay. The boat, part of a sailing camp at the Miami Yacht Club on Watson Island, capsized after the barge ran over the sailboat between Hibiscus and Monument islands off Miami Beach.
READ MORE: Two girls dead, two others critical after barge hits sailboat in Biscayne Bay: Coast Guard
There were several sailboats in the water at the time and the counselor and girls on the Hobie were yelling and waving for the barge to stop. Three roofers working at a home on Hibicus Island who witnessed the collison and the moments leading up to it told the Herald they, too, were screaming to get the barge to stop.
READ MORE: We were screaming and screaming.' Witnesses watch as barge hits sailboat of campers
The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner's Officer said the two girls accidentally drowned.
READ MORE: The two young girls who died in sailboat crash drowned: Medical Examiner
Two other campers, ages 8 and 11, were critically injured and rushed to Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital, officials say. The camp counselor and a 12-year-old girl were treated at the scene. The U.S. Coast Guard, which is leading the investigation into the crash, has yet to publicly identify the victims nor indicate the girls' conditions at Jackson.
'The entire MYC family is devastated by this terrible tragedy,'' Emily Copeland, the Miami Yacht Club's commodore, said in an email to the Herald.
READ MORE: 'Not some boujee yacht club.' Miami Yacht Club has mission of teaching kids to sail
The Coast Guard is also urging witnesses to contact investigators at MiamiIo@uscg.mil and provide any images, video and information they may have about the crash.
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CBS News
10 hours ago
- CBS News
Family of girl who survived deadly sailboat crash near Miami Beach asks for privacy
The family of a 7-year-old girl who was injured in, but survived, a deadly sailboat crash near Miami Beach is asking for privacy at this time. In a statement, Karina Gruber Moreno and Enrique Areyan Viqueira, the parents of Calena Areyan Gruber, said in a statement that their daughter is at home recovering from her injuries, surrounded by the love and support of her family, following her release from Jackson Memorial Hospital last week. They said their hearts go out to the families of the three girls who died. "Our hearts are broken for the families who suffered the most unthinkable tragedy in last week's collision. This is a deeply harrowing reminder of how suddenly and senselessly life can change. In an instant, what should have been a day of joy and connection on the water turned into a source of unimaginable grief. Our hearts will forever remain with the families involved in this most tragic incident," they said in a statement. An attorney for the family said Calena, who was visiting from Seattle, was part of a summer sailing camp operated by the Miami Yacht Club and affiliated with the Miami Youth Sailing Foundation. He said the family isn't taking legal action at this time as they are waiting for the results of the U.S. Coast Guard investigation. On Monday, July 28, Gruber was one of five girls and a 19-year-old camp counselor who were in a sailboat on Biscayne Bay, just north of Hibiscus Island. Around 11:15 a.m., their boat was struck by a barge being piloted by a tug boat. The sailboat was dragged under the barge which had a crane on top and what appeared to be construction materials for a dock. Miami Beach Fire Rescue crews were first on scene, they were later joined by rescue crews from Miami, Miami-Dade, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Coast Guard. Working together they recovered all six people. A 12-year-old girl and the counselor were treated after being taken to the Miami Yacht Club and did not require hospitalization. The other four girls were rushed to Jackson Memorial Hospital. Mila Yankelevich, 7, the granddaughter of prominent Argentine media producers Cris Morena and Gustavo Yankelevich, died soon after, investigators said. Thirteen-year-old Erin Ko Han also died. The medical examiner's report said they both died from accidental drowning. Ari Buchman, 10, spent several days at the hospital fighting for her life before succumbing to her injuries. Buchman's family's place of worship, Temple Menorah in Miami Beach, made the announcement of the girl's passing Sunday morning. At her funeral service, she was remembered as someone who had a deep love for protecting the waterways and helping others. Additionally, the Miami Yacht Club also released a statement on Buchman's passing. "The Miami Yacht Club (MYC) and the Miami Youth Sailing Foundation (YSF) are deeply heartbroken to share that a third young sailor has tragically passed away as a result of the incident that occurred on the water earlier this week," said Lisa Mozloom, spokesperson for the MYC. "This devastating news comes after two young sailors lost their lives in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy. Now, with the passing of a third sailor, the entire sailing community is shattered by grief," she added. The Coast Guard is leading the investigation into the crash. "Our hearts continue to mourn with all those impacted by Monday's tragic incident, especially with the passing of another one of Miami's children today," Capt. Frank Florio, commanding officer of Coast Guard Sector Miami, said in a statement. "The Coast Guard remains committed to conducting a thorough investigation to ensure all facts are uncovered. We routinely seek the expertise of our federal, state, and local partner law enforcement agencies, and this case is no different. Our investigative team will be joined by investigators from Argentina, the home nation of one of the victims." The Coast Guard has also extended an invitation to the Chilean National Maritime Authority (DIRECTEMAR) to also participate in the marine investigation. Ko was from Chile and had moved to South Florida with her family last year. Toxicology tests for all individuals involved in the deadly sailboat crash have come back negative, the U.S. Coast Guard confirmed last Friday. However, the Coast Guard has not identified the barge owner or named the two people on board when it crashed. Nadirah Z. Sabir, Mauricio Maldonado and Larry Seward contributed to this report.
Miami Herald
12 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Girl seriously injured after Biscayne Bay barge-sailboat crash recovering: family
The family of the 7-year-old girl who was in critical condition after a barge slammed into a sailboat carrying summer campers is recovering surrounded by loved ones, her family said in a statement Monday. Calena Areyan Gruber was released from Jackson Memorial Hospital, her parents Karina Gruber Moreno and Enrique Areyan Viqueira said. The Coast Guard said the girl was rushed to Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson after last Monday's crash, which led to the death of three young girls. READ MORE: A third child in the Biscayne Bay barge-sailboat crash has died, yacht club says 'We are deeply moved and incredibly grateful for the outpouring of prayers and kindness we have received from the community,' the family said in the statement. 'We now respectfully ask for privacy as we focus on healing and processing this difficult situation.' Shortly after 11 a.m. July 28, a 60-foot barge pushed by a tugboat operator slammed into a 17-foot Hobie Getaway. Five summer campers and camp counselor from the Miami Yacht Club, a nearly 100-year-old club on Watson Island that teaches children how to sail, were onboard. Mila Yankelevich, 7, Erin Victoria Ko Han, 13, and Arielle 'Ari' Mazi Buchman, 10, were killed in the aftermath of the collision, which occurred around 11:15 a.m. between Hibiscus and Monument islands in Biscayne Bay off Miami Beach. A 12-year-old girl and the 19-year-old female camp counselor were treated at the scene. READ MORE: Coast Guard loopholes could be linked to barge crash, maritime experts say In the statement, Gruber Moreno and Areyan Viqueira said they were heartbroken for the families who lost their daughters in the unthinkable tragedy. 'This is a deeply harrowing reminder of how suddenly and senselessly life can change,' they said in the statement. 'In an instant, what should have been a day of joy and connection on the water turned into a source of unimaginable grief.'
Fox News
17 hours ago
- Fox News
Third girl dies nearly week after barge strikes Miami sailing camp boat
A third child has died, nearly a week after suffering critical injuries when a barge struck and sank a sailboat that was part of a sailing camp in Miami, the U.S. Coast Guard said Sunday. The Coast Guard confirmed the death of a 10-year-old girl, though they did not provide her identity. "Our hearts continue to mourn with all those impacted by Monday's tragic incident, especially with the passing of another one of Miami's children today," said Capt. Frank Florio, commanding officer of Coast Guard Sector Miami. The former mayor of Bal Harbour, Florida, Gabriel Groisman, later identified the 10-year-old as his cousin, Arielle Buchman, in a post on X. "On the saddest day of the Jewish calendar, my family mourns the loss of our 10-year-old cousin Arielle, who passed away as a result of a tragic sailboat accident that occurred early in the week," he posted Sunday, referencing Tisha B'Av, a Jewish day of mourning commemorating the anniversaries of the destruction of the first and second Temple's in Jerusalem. All six people on the sailboat were pulled from the water after the barge struck the sailboat at 11:30 a.m. on July 28 in Biscayne Bay, and four children were rushed to a hospital. A 7-year-old girl, identified as Mila Yankelevich, and 13-year-old Erin Ko Han were pronounced dead shortly after arriving at the hospital. Mila was the granddaughter of an award-winning Argentinian TV producer, Cris Morena, according to La Nacion. The Argentine Consulate in Miami confirmed her identity with Fox News Digital. An 8-year-old girl was in critical condition as of Tuesday. A 19-year-old woman and a 12-year-old girl were rescued but not hospitalized. Officials did not immediately reveal a cause of the crash. Salvage operations began Tuesday. "The Coast Guard remains committed to conducting a thorough investigation to ensure all facts are uncovered," Florio said. Florio said in a Tuesday evening press conference that the young girls were wearing life vests at the time of the collision. Florio said the tugboat captain's alcohol level was tested after the crash, which is standard procedure. He did not disclose the test results or details of the captain's statement to investigators. The popular sailing program, started in 1927, boasts of summer camps in a "very secure area at the Biscayne Bay," their website says. Biscayne Bay is a heavily trafficked waterway, serving commercial shipping, recreational boating, sailing camps and clubs, and fishing and diving.
