MIAMI BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) – One of the two children who died after a sailboat collided with a barge in Biscayne Bay on Monday has been identified by Argentine media as 7-year-old Mila Yankelevich. She was the youngest daughter of a family well-known in Argentina’s entertainment industry.
In photos posted on social media for the young girl’s birthday in February, her grandparents, Gustavo Yankelevich and Cris Morena, wished her a happy birthday, calling her “special” and “brilliant” in the post.
The revelation comes a day after a barge and a sailboat crashed near Hibiscus Island, leaving two girls, including Yankelevich, dead and two others in critical condition. A camp counselor and another young child were not hospitalized.
An intense investigation is now underway following the deadly tragedy.
Onlookers who saw the incident unfold on Monday afternoon were left in shock.
“The crane just completely destroyed the boat. The boat just went under and I heard a girl shouting for help under the crane,” said a witness.
Officials said Yankelevich and three other girls were on board the sailboat along with their 19-year-old camp counselor as they were receiving lessons through the Miami Yacht Club when the incident occurred.
The Miami Yacht Club confirmed Monday night that the boat was part of its youth sailing program. The club said it is cooperating with investigators and prioritizing support for those affected.
As the four young victims were rushed to Jackson Memorial Hospital Ryder Trauma Center, Yankelevich and a 13-year-old girl were pronounced dead at the hospital. Two others, ages 8 and 11, remained in critical condition as of Tuesday afternoon.
On Tuesday, 7News cameras captured U.S. Coast Guard officials at the barge as questions remain over who is at fault.
Maritime attorney Brandon Volk said the situation is complex.
“It’s not so straightforward. Was the barge responsible? The tug responsible? What went wrong? How could this have been prevented?” he said.
Volk said both the barge and sailboat are required to follow the U.S. Coast Guard’s rules of inland navigation.
“A powered driven vessel must yield the right of way to a sailboat naturally because a sailboat doesn’t have any means of propulsion,” he said.
Additionally, the attorney said the barge bears the responsibility of identifying risks.
“If there’s a risk of imminent collision, they have to sound their horn five short blasts. Perhaps they did that. But if you have a sailboat that’s kind of adrift what are they supposed to do?” said Volk.
He also raised concerns over the logistics of one camp counselor watching over five sailing students.
“If you have one woman whose watching five minors, trying to teach them the ropes of sailing. She not only has to watch the kids, she also has to be in control of that vessel. How can one woman do all of that?” he said.
People with boats at the Yacht Club were heartbroken Tuesday and recounted to 7News about the happy children they normally saw at camp.
“They come and say hi to me. They’re always having fun and jumping in the water and saying, ‘Hi,’ it is sad,” said a boater.
The identity of the second child killed in the crash or the others involved has not yet been released.
The Miami Yacht Club shared a message on social media that read: “Out of respect for the families impacted and to allow for the necessary response efforts, the Miami Yacht Club campus, including all our partnering organizations’ facilities will be closed until further notice.”
In another statement they wrote: “The Miami Yacht Club is more than just a campus of organizations on the water – it’s a family – and today, we share in the deep grief of our extended sailing community family. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families, the sailors, and the dedicated instructors and volunteers who give so much to this program.”
The sailboat has since been moved out of the water and onto the USCG base in Miami Beach.
The U.S. Coast Guard is leading the investigation and working on a salvage plan to remove the vessel. Volk says an investigation of this magnitude could take several months to reach conclusions.
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