A third child has died days after a barge slammed into a sailboat carrying five girls attending summer sailing camp, and their counselor.
The 60-foot barge, being pushed from behind by a tugboat, hit the 17-foot Hobie Getaway at about 11:15 a.m. on Monday July 28, throwing all six occupants into Biscayne Bay and sinking the sailboat, the U.S. Coast Guard Miami sector said. They were on the last week of the camp, which is for children aged 7 to 15, run by the Miami Yacht Club and affiliated with the Miami Youth Sailing Foundation.
Two of the girls, 7-year-old Mila Yankelevich and 13-year-old Erin Victoria Ko Han, were declared dead that day at Jackson Memorial Hospital, the U.S. Coast Guard said in a statement last week. A medical examiner determined that they had drowned.
A 12-year-old girl and the 19-year-old counselor were rescued and evaluated at the Miami Yacht Club without being hospitalized, while Arielle Buchman, 10, and an 8-year-old girl were taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital in critical condition.
The 8-year-old, Calena Areyan, was released from the hospital on Thursday, WFOR-TV reported. Arielle clung to life all week before dying surrounded by family, the coast guard said Sunday.
“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, in a statement. “The Coast Guard remains committed to conducting a thorough investigation to ensure all facts are uncovered.”
WSVN-TV via AP
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue and police respond to a boat crash in Miami on Monday. (WSVN-TV via AP)
Mila Yankelevich was the daughter of Miami-based television director Tomas Yankelevich and actress Sofia Reca, and her grandparents were prominent Argentine television producers Gustavo Yankelevich and Cris Morena, WTVJ-TV reported. She was a cousin of Gabriel Groisman, the former mayor of Bal Harbor.
“The entire sailing community is shattered by grief,” the Miami Yacht Club said in a statement. “Our hearts are broken for these families. There are no words that can ease this pain, but we stand in full solidarity with the families, counselors, and every member of the YSF during this unthinkable nightmare.”
The sailboat’s occupants were believed to be wearing lifejackets, Florio told WPLG-TV. But the force of the crash dragged the sailboat under the barge, which had a crane on top and was carrying construction materials. This reportedly trapped some of the girls under the barge, WFOR-TV reported.
Numerous people witnessed the collision, including children.
“There was a massive boat and it hit one of the small sailboats,” 9-year-old Enzo Pifer Eddy, who was part of the sailing camp on another boat, told WFOR. “All of the kids went flying off.”
An 8-year-old girl who opted to remain anonymous witnessed the tragedy from another nearby sailing boat.
“The crane just completely destroyed the boat,” she told WFOR. “The boat just went under. I heard one girl yell, ‘Help,’ from under the crane, and two girls jumped off the wave, and the crane barely missed them. It was super sad and super scary.”
On Sunday the sailboat was still submerged beneath the barge. The Coast Guard is leading the investigation and has asked for “all available imagery and information” from the public that might relate to the crash, which occurred near Hibiscus Island in Biscayne Bay, which separates Miami from Miami Beach.
With News Wire Services
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