Leesfield & Partners recently filed a lawsuit following the gruesome and permanent injury of 11-year-old Catherine Viteri, a camper at the Coconut Grove Sailing Club’s summer camp.
The case is being handled by Partner Justin B. Shapiro and Trial Attorney Eric Shane.
On July 10, 2025, Catherine and children were separated into two groups for swimming and sailing activities that were monitored by three camp counselors. At around 2 p.m., Catherine was taking part in the swimming activity when a 21-year-old counselor was transporting a group of campers to the area, unaware of how many children were on board or already in the water. As a result of the inattentiveness of these counselors, Catherine was run over by the 13-foot Ribocraft motorboat and hit with the propeller. The propeller sliced through her right leg, causing a laceration so severe that it cut to the bone and nearly caused an amputation.
This tragic event has forever altered the course of our client’s life, causing permanent mutilation and dysfunction to her right leg.
“We’re starting to see this kind of carelessness creep into what should be the safest kind of boating activities, and that would be summer camps and children’s programs,” Mr. Shapiro told local media in a recent interview. “And it has to stop. To make sure this never happens to any other child.”
Leesfield & Partners is also representing families affected by the tragic sailboat-barge crash in Miami Beach on July 28. At least three girls were killed, including 7-year-old Mila Yankelevich, 13-year-old Erin Ko Han, and 10-year-old Arielle Mazi Buchman. The firm is representing the Ko family following this devastating loss and the family of 7-year-old Calena Areyan Gruber, who miraculously survived.
Leesfield & Partners
These tragedies are unthinkable and horrific and ones that no family should ever have to endure. The attorneys and staff at Leesfield & Partners extend their deepest sympathies to the families affected. While no statistic can capture the pain of such a loss, it is important to recognize that boating incidents remain a serious concern in Florida.
In 2024, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) reported approximately 685 reportable boating incidents statewide, resulting in 81 fatalities and nearly 400 injuries. About 65% of boaters involved in fatal accidents had not received formal boating education — underscoring the importance of safety awareness on the water.
As a personal injury law firm based in coastal cities like Key West and Miami, Leesfield & Partners has seen the toll that boating tragedies can have on families and individuals. The firm’s Founder and Managing Partner, Ira Leesfield, has remained outspoken on critical safety issues and the need for greater accountability across Florida’s tourism and hospitality industries.
“The dangers from boating incidents are entirely underestimated as South Florida becomes more congested, drinking on the water becomes more prevalent and distractions from cell phones and other devices increases,” he said. “Important safety standards must be enforced on all watercrafts.”
Previous Boating Tragedies Handled by Leesfield & Partners
Previously, the firm secured a substantial settlement in a case involving a minor who lost a leg while not being supervised on a vessel.
The firm previously handled the case of a family whose young son was snorkeling when he was hit and killed by a passing boater. The boater in that case was also a minor who should never have been given permission to operate the vessel without supervision. Not only did this minor not stop, but he attempted to cover up evidence and lied to police when questioned.
Neighbors later testified that this minor regularly operated the boat in a reckless manner.
The firm represented the family of a young woman, 20, who tragically died when the vessel she was on crashed into a concrete dock. The firm secured over $1.3 million for the family when it was revealed that the boat operator had been drinking and speeding the night of the crash.
In a jet ski and boat crash, Leesfield & Partners attorneys secured $935,750 for their client.
In a boat case involving a foreign resort, the firm secured an $800,000 recovery for the injured client.
Another boating accident involving a negligent operator resulted in a $500,000 recovery.
In addition to boating accident litigation, Leesfield & Partners have represented the victims of various water-related accidents, including drownings, jet ski crashes, parasailing, and other recreational activities.
The firm represented the widow of a man who drowned while on a boat tour at the Dry Tortugas National Park. The company’s tour guides instructed the man where he should go to snorkel and, within minutes, his body was found unresponsive.
The firm secured a six-figure recovery in that case.
Bernardo Pimentel II, a Leesfield & Partners Trial Attorney, represented the family of a young man and father-to-be who was lobster diving when he was killed by a law enforcement officer who negligently failed to adhere to divers-down flag laws.