Barge kills two young girls on sailboat in Miami

CTdave · Jul 29, 2025

Tug operator runs over small sailboat on Biscayne Bay, killing two young girls at summer camp.

I'm sorry but I'm absolutely outraged. I just watched an unedited version & the tug Capt doesn't appear to slow one bit. There were several small sailboats with young girls at summer camp/sailing school & this guy just keeps steaming ahead.

Yes, I get the limited maneuverability issues involved, but this wasn't a big barge/tug. There were quite a few small sailboats with very brightly colored sails and perfectly clear weather. The tug operator clearly saw this group with plenty of time to slow down, they didn't just pop up in front of him. Please spare me the "a tug can't stop instantly" speech, when you see kids on sailboats from a distance, you plan accordingly, well knowing they might tack, slow down or speed up at any time. 100% of this operator's attention should have been on this group of boats/kids. Two young girls out for a fun day on the water aren't coming home.

Video shows barge, sailboat converging in Biscayne Bay moments before crash killing 2 girls

Pascal · Jul 29, 2025

There is another video from a different angle which shows the hobie getting run over while prop wash is clearly visible at the stern of the tug indicating the operator didn’t realize what happened right away.

he was either distracted or visibility was blocked by the crane which wouldn’t surprise me

that said, allowing one teen camp instructor on a hobie cat with 5 kids that young doesn’t seem like a great idea and something I ve always wondered about all these camps.

that stretch of water is extremely busy with ghetto charters and reckless operators. Not where you want a bunch of kids with minimal supervision

Norseman · Aug 1, 2025

Horrible accident and so avoidable.

https://wsvn.com/news/local/miami-d...12B1jc1TkUJTGcY4mw_aem_300jiAqKYXyi0jvoZo_7ow

Norseman · Aug 3, 2025

A third girl died…

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...-victim-arielle-mazi-bucham-biscayne-bay.html

Norseman · Aug 4, 2025

Eyewitness accounts, from another boating forum:

The Miami Hearld interviewed roofers working on a house on Hibiscus Island who witnessed the entire event. They stated that they could see the barge was on a collision course with the sailboat, which was not moving, and they desperately yelled at the barge crew in an attempt to get their attention. They stated that the sailors on the boat that was struck were also screaming as were the sailors on nearby sailboats boats that were also camp participants. Eventually a deck-mate on the barge noticed the danger and ran to the push-boat's bridge to warn the skipper but by the time the skipper was alerted it was too late. In one of the videos of the accident there appear to be at least two other sailboats as well as a HBI support boat and it appears to me that the support boat already had one sailboat under tow and was heading to the accident sailboat.

So, the sailboat didn't suddenly dart into the barge's path but was dead in the water due to a lack of wind. (These types of sail boats do not have auxiliary motors). The barge crew were not paying attention.
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Barge kills two young girls on sailboat in Miami

CTdave Senior Member

Pascal Senior Member

Norseman Senior Member

Norseman Senior Member

Norseman Senior Member