Tugboat Captain Charged After Deadly Miami Biscayne Bay Collision Kills Three Girls

A tugboat captain has been charged in connection with a fatal collision in Biscayne Bay, Miami, that claimed the lives of three girls from a local sailing camp, federal prosecutors announced on Tuesday.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, Yusiel Lopez Insua, 46, of Miami, is accused of seaman’s manslaughter over the July incident. Prosecutors allege that as he navigated a tugboat pushing a barge loaded with construction debris, Insua lacked a clear view of the waterway and failed to assign a lookout, violating maritime safety regulations. The accident occurred as the tug-and-barge traversed the busy stretch between Miami and Miami Beach.

The barge struck a smaller sailboat that was carrying a 19-year-old counselor and five girls, ages 7 to 13. Authorities said the sailboat had stalled directly in the barge’s path, and Insua did not see it before the collision. While the counselor and two girls were dragged under the barge but managed to escape, the remaining three children became trapped in the submerged wreckage and drowned.

Investigators also revealed that internet activity was detected on Insua’s cellphone around the time of the crash, according to forensic analysis. If convicted, Insua faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison. The Miami-Dade Public Defender’s Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office did not immediately confirm if Insua has legal representation.

Four of the children were taken to a hospital; a 7-year-old and a 13-year-old were pronounced dead soon after, and a 10-year-old later died from injuries, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. The Miami Yacht Club stated the girls were in their final week of camp at the time of the tragedy.

National Coast Guard data shows that while there were over 550 recreational boating deaths in the U.S. in 2024, only a small fraction involved collisions between vessels. The investigation into the crash remains ongoing.