Three young girls lost their lives and one other was injured following a collision between a barge and a sailboat during a youth sailing camp in Biscayne Bay near Miami Beach, Florida, on the morning of July 28, 2025. The accident occurred at approximately 11:15 a.m. between Hibiscus Island and Monument Island, as reported by the U.S. Coast Guard.
Six individuals were on board the sailboat at the time, including five children and a 19-year-old instructor. All six were ejected into the water upon impact and were subsequently rescued by emergency teams from Miami Beach, Miami, and Miami-Dade County. They were transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center.
A seven-year-old girl, Mila Yankelevich, and a 13-year-old girl, Erin Ko Han, were declared dead upon arrival. A third child, 10-year-old Arielle Mazi Buchman, who had been critically injured, died in the hospital on August 3, bringing the death toll to three.
Another child, seven-year-old Calena Areyan Gruber, was hospitalized after being trapped under the barge. She was discharged from the hospital on August 1.
A 12-year-old girl and the instructor were rescued and did not require hospitalization, according to Coast Guard officials.
Mila Yankelevich was the daughter of director Tomas Yankelevich and actress Sofia Reca, according to Argentina’s La Nacion newspaper. Erin Ko was a citizen of Chile. The medical examiner attributed all three deaths to accidental drowning.
The children were part of a summer sailing program run by the Miami Youth Sailing Foundation in collaboration with the Miami Yacht Club, which teaches sailing to children aged seven to 15.
Surveillance footage documented the collision, capturing the barge striking the sailboat. Witnesses, including young participants of nearby camps, described seeing the occupants thrown into the water. Enzo Piffartti, a nine-year-old camper, noted that all the children were ejected and some required hospitalization.
An eight-year-old witness reported hearing cries for help from beneath the barge’s crane post-collision. Some children were trapped under the barge, leading to a widespread rescue effort involving multiple agencies.
The Coast Guard set up a 250-yard safety zone around the site, where the sailboat remained submerged under the barge by Monday evening. Emergency responders, including scuba teams, worked on site throughout the day.
Emily Copeland, commodore of the Miami Yacht Club, stated that the organization was profoundly affected by the incident. The yacht club will remain closed until further notice.
Captain Frank Florio, commander of Coast Guard Sector Miami, expressed that the agency’s hearts are with the families of those lost and all affected. He noted that such events leave a lasting impact on the maritime community, emphasizing the need to learn from each loss.
The Coast Guard and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission have launched a full investigation into the collision. Officials are gathering information to understand the incident and determine its causes.
Local boat owners, familiar with the area, reported regularly seeing camp participants practicing during morning and afternoon sessions. A boat owner noted frequent greetings from the young sailors as they participated in the program.
The boat owner did not witness the collision but saw first responders heading to the area. She realized it involved the sailing program’s children upon observing the emergency response.
Coast Guard statistics indicate that fatalities from vessel-to-vessel collisions in recreational boating are relatively rare. In 2024, only 43 of over 550 deaths resulted from such collisions.
The investigation remains active as officials continue to explore the factors that led to this fatal collision in the busy waterway between Miami and Miami Beach.
