MIAMI — Tragedy struck on the water Monday morning after a sailboat with children aboard collided with a barge in the waters near Hibiscus Island in Biscayne Bay.
A 19-year-old instructor and a 12-year-old girl were pulled from the water, but two children lost their lives, and a 8-year-old girl and 11-year-old girl remain in the hospital with critical injuries.
They were part of the Miami Yacht Club Youth Sailing Foundation.
It’s an eight-week program with participating children generally between the ages of 7 and 12.
A woman who lives in the area but asked not to be identified said she has seen the children from the camp a number of times.
“Every day in the mornings and the afternoons practicing and always having fun and jumping in the water,” she said.
On the club’s website, it shows its 2025 summer camp for youth sailing began on June 9 and was in its final week when the horrific crash happened.
The club, located on Miami’s Watson Island, was founded in 1927 and has been operating for more than 80 years.
In a statement, the club said that facilities will be closed until further notice and that their “thoughts and prayers” were with the “families, sailors and dedicated instructors.”
Local 10 News reached out to the club to find out what the requirements are for an instructor, especially one responsible for the safety of multiple children on the water.
We have not heard back as of the time of this story’s publication.
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