Florida Injury Lawyer Blawg
Authorities have identified a person who disappeared while on a charter boat trip over the weekend in Miami, according to reporting from local media.
The man, identified Tuesday as 23-year-old Akin Liverpool, was reportedly on a 39-foot charter boat on Friday for a planned trip from Hobie Beach to the Miami River through Biscayne Bay. During the trip, another passenger noticed that Liverpool was missing from the boat.
Officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission told reporters that the captain notified authorities of Liverpool’s disappearance. On Sunday, around 11 a.m. passing boaters found a body, later identified by police as Liverpool, in the water south of Brickell Key, the U.S. Coast Guard said in a statement.
FWC officials are investigating this incident, authorities said.
Additional information was not immediately available.
Liverpool was a graduate student at Barry University’s Andreas School of Business and Public Administration. At the time of his death, he was working toward a dual degree in Business Administration and Sports Management and served in the Student and Family Engagement Department, the school said in a memorial post.
Community members flocked to the post’s comment section to share stories and speak about their loss with one user saying, “I had the pleasure of meeting this young man and he was always on point and a light in the world.”
Leesfield & Partners
Leesfield & Partners has operated in Florida’s most famous coastal cities for decades, making our attorneys uniquely familiar with the significance that the water has on the lives of Floridians. From fun-filled days boating or tubing to annual lobster dives, the water is certainly the backdrop of the core memories for those who live and vacation in the Sunshine State.
In five decades of practice, our attorneys have secured record verdicts and settlements on behalf of the victims and families who have bene impacted by maritime accidents. In that time, the absence of meaningful safety reform has become glaringly apparent.
“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,” said Ira Leesfield, the firm’s Founder and Managing Partner. “Important safety standards must be enforced on all watercrafts.”
In 2024, 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, Leesfield & Partners has long-been committed to drawing attention to this persistent and often preventable safety issue. When Lucy’s Law — named in honor of Luciana “Lucy” Fernandez, a teenager who tragically died in a 2022 Boca Chita boat crash — was enacted last year, the firm’s attorneys praised the measure as a meaningful step toward improving boating safety throughout the state. The legislation strengthens penalties for boaters who flee the scene of a crash and enhances Florida’s boater education requirements.
Discussing the changes, Partner Justin B. Shapiro said that they were “long overdue” and much needed to protect people on Florida’s waters.
“Florida is the boating capital of the world, but sadly, it is also the boating fatality capital of the world,” Mr. Shapiro said. “There are no formal education or certification requirements for most boaters in Florida, leaving many grossly unqualified to navigate Florida’s unique and congested waterways.”
Ongoing Boating Cases
Mr. Shapiro and Evan Robinson, a Trial Attorney at the firm, are representing a teen who suffered a traumatic brain injury as the result of a water tubing accident.
Mr. Shapiro and Trial Attorney Eric Shane are representing a young girl who was enrolled in a South Florida summer camp when her leg was sliced by a boat propeller.
Leesfield & Partners is also representing those affected by the tragic sailboat-barge crash in Miami on July 28, including 13-year-old Erin Ko, who tragically died, and 7-year-old Calena Areyan Gruber, who survived.
That case is being handled by Mr. Shapiro and Trial Attorney Bernardo Pimentel II.
Previous Cases
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.
Mr. Pimentel 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.
