Florida Injury Lawyer Blawg
Two children have died and two more are in the hospital after a barge hit a sailboat carrying several minors and a camp counselor, 19, from the Miami Youth Sailing Foundation, according to reporting from local media.
The incident happened around 11:15 a.m. between Monument Island and Hibiscus Island in Miami Beach. The collision, which caused the barge to go over the top of the sailboat and caused the sailboat to sink, sent an adult counselor and five children into the water. The children on board ranged in age from 7 to 13 years old, officials said.
Two children — a 7-year-old girl and 13-year-old girl — died at the hospital. Two other girls, 8 and 11 years old, were taken to the hospital and remained in critical condition as of Tuesday morning.
Katie Flood-Reiss, a woman who was a former Miami Yacht Club camp counselor and who attended the camp as a youngster, told reporters with The Miami Herald that the group aboard the Hobie Getaway sailboat “had no chance to evade the barge,” which was being pushed from behind by a tugboat.
“In those conditions, with hardly any wind, it would be impossible to turn that sailboat quickly,” she said.
The National Weather Service recorded the highest wind speed for Monday, July 28, to be 15 mph with gusts of 25 mph. The average windspeed, meteorologists said, was 5.6 mph.
The names of the companies or captains involved have been released by authorities as of Tuesday morning. The crash remains under investigation.
Leesfield & Partners
This tragic incident is unthinkable and the hearts of the attorneys and staff at Leesfield & Partners are with the children’s families at this time. This devastating incident, however, is not uncommon in Florida.
In 2024, the FWC reported there were about 685 reportable boating incidents throughout the state. Of these incidents, 81 people died and nearly 400 others were injured.
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.”
For nearly five decades, Mr. Leesfield and Leesfield & Partners have been strong advocates for sober boating, life jacket use, and other critical safety practices to help prevent these tragedies.
Alcohol and/or drug use was a factor in about 36% of boating fatalities in 2024, the FWC data showed. Approximately 65% of fatal boating incidents involved operators with no formal boater’s education. This shocking number shows the need for reform and awareness surrounding this overlooked safety issue.
On July 1, Lucy’s Law — named after high schooler Luciana ‘Lucy’ Fernandez, who died in the 2022 Boca Chita boat crash — went into effect, imposing stricter penalties for boaters who flee the scene of a crash and strengthening boater education requirements statewide. In an article with iHeart Radio’s Joel Malkin, Partner Justin B. Shapiro said the changes were much needed.
“I think these are long overdue changes. We have seen far too many fatalities and grievous injuries from boating crashes over the years.”
This week, both Mr. Leesfield and Mr. Shapiro spoke with the Tampa Bay Times and iHeart Radio respectively to provide legal commentary on separate fatal boating incidents across Florida.
Leesfield & Partners actively pursues the best possible outcome for every client. 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.
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.
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.
If you or a loved one was involved in a boating incident in Florida, don’t wait. Call a Leesfield & Partners attorney today at 305-854-4900 to see if you may be eligible for compensation.
