Florida

Published on: August 14, 2025

Sisters in Monday Fort Lauderdale Personal Watercraft Crash were on guided tour, FWC says.

The girls from a prominent family in the Queens, New York, Bukharian Jewish community who were involved in a deadly Fort Lauderdale personal watercraft crash were on a guided tour, according to authorities.

The two, 13-year-old Rachel Aliza Nisanov and her sister, 16-year-old Aviva Bracha Nisanov, were riding tandem on a personal watercraft — mostly known as a jet ski — in the Intracoastal Waterway Tuesday around 3:30 p.m. when they crashed into a concrete dock, according to The Miami Herald. The girls were near the 2800 block of Northeast 24^th Court.

After the crash, the two were rushed to Broward Health Medical Center where Rachel died from her injuries and Aviva remains in critical condition, the newspaper said. The parents of both girls — Rebbitzin Ora Nisanov and Rabbi Shlomo Nisanov — were on another personal watercraft in the area when the crash occurred. Their father leapt into the water in a desperate attempt to save them.

Published on: August 13, 2025

Child in Critical Condition Following Near-Drowning in Pembroke Pines, officials say

By Leesfield & Partners

A child remains in critical condition after being pulled from a pool Monday in Pembroke Pines, officials say.

The incident happened around 6 p.m. at a home near Southwest 69th Avenue and 12th Street. When emergency responders arrived, they found a 3-year-old had been pulled from the pool in cardiac arrest, according to local media reporting.

The child remains in critical condition and no names have been released.

Published on: August 13, 2025

Cops Bust ‘E-bike Street Takeover’ in Port St. Lucie. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

Officers from the Port St. Lucie Police Department say that approximately 50 people came to town for a planned “street takeover” in the area, with some even traveling from Palm Beach and Tampa.

When the “lawless” brigade arrived, however, officers were ready to greet them.

The incident happened over the weekend after police discovered chatter online about a planned meetup near SW Village Parkway and SW Crosstown Parkway. Those who showed up included both minors and adults.

Published on: August 13, 2025

One Dead, Another Injured in Fort Lauderdale Personal Watercraft Tragedy, officials say.

By Leesfield & Partners

Weeks after a devastating sailboat-barge collision in Miami Beach, another tragedy has struck South Florida — this time leaving one teenager dead and another seriously injured.

The incident happened Tuesday afternoon in Fort Lauderdale on the Intracoastal Waterway near the 2800 block of Northeast 24^th Court, according to reporting from local media. The girls were riding tandem on a personal watercraft around 3:30 p.m. when they allegedly crashed into a dock.

Both girls were taken to the Broward Medical Center where one of them died and another remains seriously injured.

Published on: August 8, 2025

Iconic Miami Beach Landmark to Open Water Park. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

The Fontainebleau in Miami Beach, which has largely been credited with altering the landscape of luxury hospitality in the area and was once the playground for elites including Elvis Presley, Judy Garland and Frank Sinatra, has recently announced plans to build a water park on the iconic property.

The home of LIV, one of the top nightclubs in the country that has been the stage for some of the most-famous performers in the industry, is seemingly using the planned construction of a water park to beckon to new clientele: families with children. The park will include 11 slides to the hotel’s pool area, according to reporting from The Miami Herald.

In a statement to the newspaper, hotel officials said the move will transform the property into ” … a destination for all-ages, with all-new pools and water features, family attractions and slides, food and beverage offerings, and elevated poolside entertainment.”

Published on: August 7, 2025

This University in South Miami is Banning E-Bikes. Here’s Why.

By Leesfield & Partners

Leesfield & Partners’ Founder and Managing Partner, Ira Leesfield, has been an outspoken advocate for regulating the use of E-bikes and E-scooters throughout communities and now, years later, officials are heeding his warning.

The University of Miami recently announced a plan to tighten restrictions on personal mobility devices on campus. E-bikes and E-scooters will be banned from sidewalks, breezeways, the Foote Green and other pedestrian areas starting Tuesday, Aug. 19. Undergraduate classes for the fall 2025 semester are scheduled to begin on Monday, Aug. 18, according to the university’s online calendar.

The move at the University of Miami was made to tighten these restrictions are a part of a safety campaign started by the school’s Parking and Transportation Department after a “growing number” of pedestrian collisions, blocked emergency routes and battery fires, according to reporting from The Miami Herald. The issues with student drivers flagged in the article — riders distracted by cellphones, blaring music and zooming through pedestrian areas — are all concerns raised by Mr. Leesfield when he first warned against their use in 2019.

Published on: August 5, 2025

Third Child Dies in Miami Beach Barge-Sailboat Crash. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

A 10-year-old girl has died at the hospital days after being involved in a barge-sailboat crash in Miami Beach that killed two other children.

Arielle Mazi Buchman died Thursday at Jackson Memorial Hospital, according to reporting from The Miami Herald.

Mila Tankelevich, 7, and 13-year-old Erin Victoria Ko Han died on July 28, the day that the 17-foot Hobie Getaway they were on as a part of a Miami Yacht Club summer camp program was hit by a 60-foot barge. The barge was being pulled by a tugboat.

Published on: August 4, 2025

Housekeeper Jumps to Save Toddler Drowning in Pool. Now, Father Faces Charges.

By Leesfield & Partners

A housekeeper at a Melbourne, Florida, hotel spotted a toddler drowning in the pool and raced to pull him out, but tragically, the child later died at the hospital despite her efforts.

The incident happened as the 3-year-old boy’s father allegedly dozed next to him, passed out on the pool steps, The Miami Herald reported Wednesday. As the woman was cleaning a room on the hotel’s third floor, she told police that she spotted the boy floating in the deep end of the pool. She screamed for the father to wake up, but he did not stir, according to local media reporting.

The woman ran downstairs and jumped into the pool. Not knowing CPR, she told police that she pounded on the child’s chest and tried calling for help.

Published on: August 4, 2025

If You Bought This Energy Drink, You May Be in for More of a Buzz Than You Bargained for Thanks to This Mistake. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

Celsius energy drinks are under recall after it was revealed that some of their products had been mislabeled and are actually High Noons, the canned vodka seltzers.

The Food and Drug Administration sent out a notice of recall, announcing that an unspecified number of High Noon’s Beach Variety packs were mislabeled as Celsius’ Astro Vibe energy drink, the Sparkling Blue Razz Edition with a silver top. These products were shipped to retailers in Florida, South Carolina, New York, Virginia, Wisconsin and Ohio from July 21 to July 23, FDA officials said.

As of July 30, no injuries or illnesses have been reported, according to reporting from NBC.

Published on: July 31, 2025

Leesfield & Partners Answers: When do I stop for a school bus in Florida? Other school-zone-traffic-related questions

By Leesfield & Partners

With the dreaded return of school bells this August comes the equally as detested return of morning traffic in Miami; here’s everything you need to know about school zone laws in Florida.

As a personal injury law firm with nearly five decades of experience handling pedestrian-involved accidents and other motor vehicle accidents, Leesfield & Partners attorneys know just how dangerous Florida roads can be. From distractions on the roads such as cellphones to driving under the influence, our skilled trial attorneys have handled just about every injury that can occur on the road.

In a previous and tragic Leesfield & Partners case, a child’s life was forever changed one morning when he was hit by a speeding driver while trying to board his school bus. The boy’s school bus driver instructed him to cross the street while stopped in the middle of the road instead of as far to the right as possible. The driver also instructed our client and other children to cross the street where there was no designated crosswalk.