July 28 (UPI) — Two children participating in a youth sailing program were killed Monday off Miami Beach after a barge struck their sailboat, according to police.
A total of five children, between the ages of 8 and 12, and a camp counselor were aboard the Miami Youth Sailing Foundation boat when it capsized in Biscayne Bay. Rescue divers pulled all six from the water, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
“Preliminary information indicates that a barge struck a sailing vessel carrying six people near Star Island in Miami Beach. All six individuals, an adult female and five juveniles, were recovered from the water and transported to a local hospital for treatment,” Florida’s Fish and Wildlife wrote Monday in a post on X. “Tragically, two of the victims have succumbed to their injuries.”
Two people remain in critical condition, while the other two did not require medical treatment, according to the U.S. Coast Guard in Miami.
The camp counselor did not go to the hospital, added Lt. Pete Sanchez, a spokesman for the Miami Department of Fire-Rescue. “She was obviously very shaken up about what happened.”
The Miami Yacht Club, which was established in 1927 and runs sailing summer camps, said it is still “gathering all available facts.”
“Our priority is the safety and well-being of everyone involved and we are working closely with the appropriate authorities and organizations to understand the situation fully,” the club said in a statement.
“We extend our deepest sympathies to the families affected by this heartbreaking loss,” Florida’s Fish and Wildlife added. “Our thoughts remain with them during this profoundly difficult time.”
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