Miami Yacht Club thanks Coast Guard, seeks healing after deadly sailboat crash
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Three girls dead after barge hits sailboat in Biscayne Bay
On July 28, five girls and a camp counselor aboard a 17-foot Hobie Getaway, part of a Miami Yacht Club summer camp program, were hit by a 60-foot barge being pushed by a tugboat. The impact of the crash capsized the boat, killing three children — Mila Yankelevich, Erin Ko and Ari Buchman.
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In its first significant public comments since three of its campers died when a barge slammed into their sailboat in Biscayne Bay last month, the Miami Yacht Club thanked the Coast Guard and the community for its support as they “grapple with grief” from the tragedy.
“On behalf of the members, staff, volunteers, and families who are part of the Club, we want to express our profound gratitude for this support as we grapple with grief and work to comfort those who are also grieving and living through this unimaginable loss,” said David Neblett, a Miami Yacht Club member of nearly 25 years and maritime attorney, in a video statement released Wednesday morning.
The 98-year-old club, located on Watson Island, also acknowledged the Coast Guard, which is leading the investigation into the crash. We’re “thankful to the U.S. Coast Guard for their diligence in investigating this matter,” said Neblett, whose son has sailed at the Youth Sailing Foundation this year.
On July 28, a 60-foot barge being pushed by a tugboat crashed into a 17-foot Hobie Getaway in Biscayne Bay between Hibiscus and Monument islands in Miami Beach.
Aboard the sailboat were five girls, ages 7 to 13, and a 19-year-old camp counselor. Three of the girls — Mila Yankelevich, 7, Erin Victoria Ko Han, 13, and Arielle “Ari” Mazi Buchman, 10 — died. A fourth camper - Calena Areyan Gruber, 7, swam out from under the barge to save her life. A fifth, 9-year-old E.Z., was treated for injuries at the scene along with the counselor.
READ MORE: Coast Guard loopholes could be linked to barge crash, maritime experts say
E.Z.’s family has since filed a lawsuit, telling the Miami Herald they are concerned about the scope of the U.S. Coast Guard’s investigation, which they believe has focused more on fact-finding than on potential criminal accountability.
READ MORE: Lawsuit IDs barge owner in fatal Miami Beach sailboat crash. ‘Preventable tragedy’
All three girls who were killed in the crash died of drowning, the Medical Examiner’s office ruled. Mila was the granddaughter of renowned Argentine media producers. Erin had recently moved to Miami with her family from Chile. Ari was the daughter of an attorney and filmmaker and was a rising fifth grader at Lehrman Day School in Miami Beach.
“The Miami Yacht Club and the Youth Sailing Foundation will continue to offer their space as a place where parents and children touched by this tragedy can journey together toward healing,” Neblett said.
“The Club and the Youth Sailing Foundation will continue to cooperate fully with their [U.S. Coast Guard] investigation while we await their final report,” he added.
The U.S. Coast Guard has remained tight lipped on the investigation previously telling the Herald: “U.S. Coast Guard Sector Miami is conducting a thorough marine casualty investigation of this tragic incident. Findings will be made available as soon as possible. The Coast Guard does not comment on pending litigation.”
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