‘We cannot afford to lose another life’: Advocates urge boat safety for Fourth of July
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Lucy Fernandez loved being on the water. Her parents taught her from a young age how to stay safe on boats and to “respect” the ocean. She attended years of boating summer camps.
But on Sept. 4, 2022, the 17-year-old was killed when the driver of the boat in which she was a passenger struck a channel marker in South Biscayne Bay.
Now, ahead of the Fourth of July weekend — one of the busiest boating weekends of the year in South Florida — Lucy’s mother urged boaters to take precautions to avoid another tragedy.
“It is our responsibility to … remain vigilant and aware of the potential dangers that exist always, but especially on these big and busy weekends,” Melissa Fernandez said at a news conference about boating safety at Crandon Park Marina on Wednesday.
Earlier this year, another local teen was killed in a boating accident. Ella Adler, a 15-year-old freshman at Ransom Everglades School, was fatally struck while wakeboarding near Nixon Beach.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava urged boaters to “honor” the memory of Ella and Lucy by practicing safe boating this weekend. After the conference, Levine Cava told the Herald she believes the recent tragedy of Ella’s death will cause people to boat more responsibly this summer.
Florida is the “boating capital of America,” with over 1 million registered recreational boats, said Stephen Talpins, the chief assistant state attorney at the Miami-Dade County State Attorney’s Office. In 2023, the Coast Guard reported 619 boating accidents that left 56 people dead and 368 injured in Florida, he said during the conference.
Summer holiday weekends are particularly dangerous times for boating, as thousands of residents and tourists descend on the waters around Miami and South Florida. There will be an increased presence of marine patrol units on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, Miami-Dade Police Lt. Michael Barrios said after the conference. He said less boat traffic is expected on Friday because it’s not a holiday or weekend day.
The Coast Guard and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will also have a presence in the waters around Miami over the next few days.
Factors like intoxication, distraction and speeding often contribute to boating crashes, injuries and fatalities. Thomas Kennedy, a marine patrol unit officer who has worked for Miami-Dade Police for 30 years, said many boaters don’t have adequate knowledge of boating safety or of their surroundings when they are out on the water.
During a ride along on marine patrol unit boats after the news conference, Kennedy pointed out places like Bear Cut and Miami Marine Stadium, where he said boaters frequently speed and disobey no wake zones. He said officers will often write between 80 and 100 tickets in a weekend in Bear Cut alone.
Hazards like sandbars and submerged rocks can also create dangers for boaters who do not know the area well, said Sean Carper, another marine patrol officer. Carper encouraged boaters to follow the advice, “If you don’t know, go slow.”
County Commissioner Raquel Regalado asked boaters to use “common sense” this weekend, and she reminded them to ensure they have the appropriate equipment and training.
Regalado added that, unlike on highways and roads, there are no yield signs or stop lights on the water. And Levine Cava said that just like you should not drink and drive, you should not drink and boat.
Oliver Gilbert, the chairman of the Miami-Dade County Commission, said most boater safety advice — like staying sober and obeying speed limits — should be obvious. And for boaters who choose not to follow the rules, “It’s our intention to arrest you.”
“We’re not asking for a lot,” Gilbert said during the conference. “We’re just asking you to want the type of safety that you want for yourself for everyone.”
State Rep. Vicki Lopez, who represents much of Miami’s coastline in District 113, said during the conference she is pushing for stronger boating safety laws in Tallahassee.
Some proposals being considered by lawmakers include provisions like upgrading the charge for leaving the scene of a boating accident to a felony and suspending the driver’s licenses of people caught boating under the influence, said Talpins, the Miami-Dade prosecutor.
Kennedy and Carper, as well as Adam Fullana, the other marine patrol officer on the boat during the ride along, said they support legislation that cracks down on unsafe boating.
“It makes our jobs easier,” Kennedy said.
Fernandez, the mother of the 17-year-old killed in 2022, also advocated for stronger boating safety laws in Florida during the news conference. She said shifting the culture surrounding reckless boating is “the only way forward.”
“Collectively we must ensure the safety of ourselves and those in our care above all else,” Fernandez said. “We cannot afford to lose another life.”
