Miami-Dade police boats to fly safety flag to honor Lourdes student killed in boat crash
The family of Luciana ‘Lucy’ Fernandez, who was killed almost two years ago to the day in a Biscayne Bay boating crash that also left her Our Lady of Lourdes Academy classmate with permanent disabilities, is hoping their tragedy might prevent others from experiencing the same pain.
In the wake of their tragedy, Lucy’s parents created the Lucy Fernandez Foundation, which provides scholarships to their daughter’s beloved alma mater and educates boaters on the importance of operating their vessels safely.
“We never thought we’d have the strength to do it, but this is how much we don’t want to let Lucy down,” her aunt and godmother Vanessa Davies-Perez told the Miami Herald Friday at Black Point Marina in Cutler Bay. “We know we can never bring her back. But, if we can save just one life, that’s as close as we can get.”
The family, including Lucy’s parents Andres and Melissa, were at the marina to deliver flags from the foundation to members of the Miami-Dade County Police Department’s Marine Patrol Unit, which they will fly from their vessels throughout Labor Day weekend.
“This initiative emphasizes boater safety awareness and responsible behavior on the water, a message that resonates strongly as the second anniversary of the tragic boating accident that claimed Lucy’s life approaches,” Melissa Fernandez said Friday.
The foundation calls the pennants “Fly High, Bird” flags. The brief message was a “love letter” Lucy’s younger brother Kevin, now 16, wrote to his big sister the week that she died, the family says.
“His prayer of hope, peace and protection has become our inspiration and the anthem for the Lucy Fernandez Foundation’s Boater and Watercraft Safety Initiative- FLY HIGH, BIRD (FHB). In the spirit of love for the water, fun, AND safety, to fly high means to boat responsibly,” the family wrote on the foundation’s website.
Lucy died as a result of a Sept. 4, 2022, boating accident, when a 29-foot Robalo driven by Doral real estate broker George Pino crashed into a fixed channel marker in Cutter Bank in Biscayne Bay. Pino was traveling at a speed of 47 mph when he crashed, which caused the boat to capsize. All 14 people on board — Pino, his wife Cecilia and 12 teenage girls they had invited to celebrate their daughter’s 18th birthday — were thrown overboard.
They were heading back to the Pino home at the gated Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo after an afternoon at Elliott Key.
Lucy, then 17, was found underneath the capsized vessel and died the next day in the hospital. Her friend, Katerina Puig — a standout soccer player at Lourdes — suffered a traumatic head injury and was left with permanent mental and physical disabilities.
After nearly a year-long investigation, George Pino was charged last August with three counts of careless boating resulting in a death, which is a second-degree misdemeanor that carries a sentence of 60 days in jail and a $500 fine, if the person were to be convicted. Pino has pleaded not guilty, and the case is pending in county court.
Both the Fernandez and Puig families were hoping for more serious charges, given that police found 61 empty alcohol bottles and cans on the boat. Pino told an officer he drank “two beers” and told investigators from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission that the wake from another boat traveling in the opposite direction in the channel caused him to lose control of his vessel.
Witnesses, including everyone on his boat and Good Samaritans who were on the scene moments after the crash, said they never saw that vessel, according to witnesses who spoke with the Herald. The FWC report on the crash reached the same conclusion.
GPS data studied by the FWC also shows no evidence Pino swerved to avoid an oncoming boat.
Despite the family’s frustration with the investigation, their main concern now is helping others avoid losing their loved ones in boating accidents, especially on a holiday weekend that sees even more vessels head out on the water.
“It is our hope that this collaboration with Miami-Dade County is part of our ongoing efforts to create meaningful change in Lucy’s memory. By flying this flag, we hope to remind boaters, operators and passengers of the importance of safety and accountability,” said Melissa Fernandez, 47. “While Labor Day weekend is a time for celebration, it’s also a time to honor those we’ve lost and work toward preventing future tragedies.”
The boating accident occurred around 6:30 p.m. Sunday of that 2022 Labor Day weekend.
The ceremony Friday was an emotional moment for the Dade Marine Patrol Unit, several of whom were among the first rescuers in Cutter Bank after the crash. Officers from the unit continuously performed CPR on Lucy as a boat raced to shore so she could be flown to the hospital.
“It’s a beautiful sentiment, thank you,” Lt. Michael Barrios, leader of the unit, told the Fernandezes as his men tethered the flags to their patrol boats.
Visibly moved, Andres Fernandez, 50, responded, “You guys are the true heroes.”
Since its inception, the Lucy Fernandez Foundation has held boater safety events throughout South Florida, most recently at Ocean Reef Club, a boating haven, this summer. The events stress responsible practices on the water and offer CPR classes.
“Fly High, Bird” flags are also given out. The pennants are a simultaneous reminder of Lucy’s love of the ocean and the importance of responsible boating.
“Our goal is to have these littered on every boat out there,” Andres Fernandez said.
For more information on the Lucy Fernandez Foundation and the “Fly High, Bird” flags, go to Lucyfernandezfoundation.org.
