MIAMI — Grief continues to grow across South Florida following last week’s summer sailing camp tragedy in Biscayne Bay.
Over the weekend, officials announced the passing of a third victim as we learn more about one of the surviving children.
For 7-year-old Calena Gruber, her long road to recovery is just beginning.
“She is already talking about (how) she knows that she could have died in this,” said family attorney Justin Shapiro. “She knows that she escaped death at just 7 years old.”
Gruber was one of five young girls aboard a sailboat last Monday when a massive barge slammed into their vessel. The impact forced the children and their 19-year-old counselor into the water.
It was their very first day of a youth sailing camp through the Miami Yacht Club.
“Calena was trapped under this barge, she was lacerated all over body from head to toe, open lacerations,” said Shapiro. “She nearly drowned to death. It is a miracle she’s alive, and her parents are acutely aware of how lucky they are.”
Hearing from the survivors, we are getting a clearer picture of what happened in the moments leading up to the collision.
“The barge was coming toward them and at the very last moment, I believe they all knew they were going to be struck, and that’s exactly what happened,” said Shapiro. “They were struck by the barge. The barge ended up on top of the sailboat.”
Her parents, Karina Gruber Moreno and Enrique Viqueira, brought their daughter home from the hospital late last week.
Their attorney says their hearts are still with the families of the other victims, including 10-year-old Arielle Buchman, who died over the weekend from her injuries, 13-year-old Erin Ko and 7-year-old Mila Yankelvich, who both died on the day of the horrific incident.
The U.S. Coast Guard says it’s continuing to investigate the crash.
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