Two children were killed after a large barge hit their sailboat near Hibiscus Island off Miami Beach on Monday morning. Hibiscus Island is a Miami Beach island in Biscayne Bay, across from the Port of Miami.
According to U.S. Coast Guard spokesperson Petty Officer 3rd Class Nicholas Strasburg, a third child on the boat was taken to Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital and was unresponsive as of Monday afternoon, with a fourth child transported and listed in stable condition.
Lt. Pete Sanchez of Miami Fire Rescue said that a large barge hit the sailboat – part of a sailing camp at the Miami Yacht Club on Watson Island — and capsized around 11:15 a.m. between Monument and Hibiscus islands. Five children and a camp counselor were on board as passengers, with the impact causing the barge to go over the top of the sailboat, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the state police agency investigating the crash.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission issued the following statement: “On July 28, (FWC) officers responded to a two-vessel boating accident in Miami-Dade County, along with multiple law enforcement partners. Preliminary information indicates that a barge struck a sailing vessel carrying six people near Star Island in Miami Beach. All six victims, an adult female and five juveniles, were recovered from the water and transported to a local hospital for treatment.”
Authorities did not identify the children, but noted that are between the ages of 8 and 12. Paramedics took three of the children to Ryder Trauma Center Jackson Memorial Hospital in critical condition — two have since died, and the third is not responsive. A fifth was evaluated by paramedics at the Miami Yacht Club on Watson Island, where paramedics determined he did not need further care.
The Miami Yacht Club confirmed the crash on its Instagram account, writing: “The Miami Yacht Club can confirm that an incident occurred earlier today on the water involving participants of the Miami Youth Sailing Foundation. At this time, details are still emerging, and we are actively gathering all available facts.”
Editorial credit: richard pross / Shutterstock.com
