A Miami tugboat captain who was charged over the death of three girls following a sailboat crash was distracted by his cellphone at the time of the tragedy, prosecutors have said.
Yusiel Lopez Insua, 46, of Miami, was driving a tugboat pushing a barge loaded with construction debris across Biscayne Bay on the morning of July 28 last year.
Prosecutors with the United States Attorney’s Office Southern District of Florida allege that Insua was on his cellphone at the time, not paying attention, and that his forward view was obstructed by a deckhouse and crane.
While there was another person on board, they were not assigned as a lookout and were at the back of the boat at the time of the collision, according to court documents.
A sailboat carrying one 19-year-old female sailing camp counselor and five children, between the ages of 7 and 13, lost wind and stalled in the path of the tugboat and barge.
The counselor tried to alert the tugboat but due to the obstructed visibility and lack of a lookout, Insua did not see the stalled sailboat before the barge struck it, it is alleged.
Following the collision the counselor and two of the children escaped after being dragged under the barge. The three others, all girls, were trapped in the wreckage and drowned according to the Miami Yacht Club.
The Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner’s Office identified them as Mila Yankelevich, 7, and Erin Ko, 13. Several days later the family of Arielle Buchman announced that she too had died following the incident, The New York Times reported.
“Our hearts are with the families of the children who lost their lives in this tragedy,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida.
“This information alleges a preventable loss of life on our waterways, including the failure to follow basic maritime safety rules and cellphone use during transit at or near the time of the collision. We will present the evidence in court with care and professionalism.
“As in every case, the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.”
An investigation by the prosecutors office included a review of Insua’s cellphone, which revealed “internet activity during transit, including at or near the time of the collision.”
He has been charged with seaman’s manslaughter and if convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison.
The New York Times reports that the tugboat is owned by Waterfront Construction, a Miami firm, according to the company’s lawyer.
The Independent has reached out to the company for comment on the incident. The Independent has attempted to locate information for Insua’s legal representation for comment.
