Tragedy has struck near Miami as the US Coast Guard reports that a third child has succumbed to injuries sustained in a boating accident. This incident occurred nearly a week ago when a barge collided with and sank a sailboat partaking in a youth sailing camp.
A 10-year-old girl, who was in critical condition, sadly passed away on Sunday, according to a statement from the Coast Guard. In addition, two other girls, aged seven and thirteen, died shortly after the accident. The Coast Guard has expressed their deep condolences for all those affected by this heartbreaking event, highlighting the particularly devastating loss of young lives. Coast Guard Captain Frank Florio stated, “Our hearts continue to mourn with all those impacted by Monday’s tragic incident,” further affirming their commitment to diligent investigation as salvage operations commenced.
Details surrounding the incident remain limited. While the victims have not yet been publicly identified, all were on the sailboat—comprising a teenage camp counsellor and five children—when the collision occurred on Biscayne Bay, situated between Miami and Miami Beach. Reports indicate that during the crash, all individuals on the sailboat ended up in the water. The sailing camp, hosted by the Miami Yacht Club, catered to children aged seven to fifteen and was in its final week.
Among the survivors, an eight-year-old girl remains in critical condition, while a 19-year-old woman and a 12-year-old girl were rescued but did not require hospitalisation.
Statistics from the Coast Guard reveal that in the previous year, the United States experienced over 550 deaths related to recreational boating. However, only 43 of these fatalities were the result of collisions between vessels, underscoring the rarity yet severity of such incidents.
As the Coast Guard continues to investigate the specifics of this tragic event, the community remains in mourning, grappling with the profound loss of young lives taken too soon.