Two children who were participating in a summer sailing program were killed on Monday when a barge hit the sailboat they were in with three other children and a camp counselor, throwing them into the water off Miami Beach, the authorities said.
The children were participating in a sailing camp that is run by the Miami Youth Sailing Foundation, according to the Miami Yacht Club. Divers and rescue boats from several agencies responded and pulled all six people from the water, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said.
Two children were taken to the Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, where they died, according to Petty Officer Third Class Nicholas Strasburg, a Coast Guard spokesman. Two other children were brought to the hospital in critical condition, he said.
A fifth child was evaluated on the scene but did not go to the hospital, Lt. Pete Sanchez, a spokesman for the Miami Department of Fire-Rescue, said in an interview. The children ranged in age from 8 to 12, he said.
An adult woman who was working as a camp counselor on the boat was in stable condition and did not go to the hospital, Lieutenant Sanchez said. “She was obviously very shaken up about what happened,” he said.
The sailboat was carrying her and five children near Hibiscus Island in Biscayne Bay when it was hit by the barge, according to the commission, which cited preliminary information from a continuing investigation.
Lieutenant Sanchez said the authorities received several calls about a boating accident at 11:16 a.m. Some of the calls reported a submerged vessel with missing occupants, according to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue.
When rescue personnel arrived, they called for additional help, Lieutenant Sanchez said. Local television footage showed several rescue boats surrounding a barge.
Because of the swift response from local agencies, “all persons were located and removed from the water,” Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said in a statement.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said it was investigating the accident, along with the Coast Guard. On Monday afternoon, the Coast Guard said the sailboat remained submerged under the barge.
“The Coast Guard will conduct a thorough investigation to determine the causal factors and identify steps to help prevent similar tragedies in the future,” Capt. Frank Florio, commander of Coast Guard Sector Miami, said in a statement. “We remain steadfast in our commitment to accountability, improvement, and the shared responsibility of ensuring safety at sea.”
The Miami Yacht Club said in a statement that it was still gathering facts about what had happened. “Our priority is the safety and well-being of everyone involved, and we are working closely with the appropriate authorities and organizations to understand the situation fully,” it said.
The club was established in 1927 and runs summer camps for children and teens who learn how to sail, windsurf and use paddle boards. On Monday afternoon, a police cruiser was parked inside the entrance to the club.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times. © 2025 The New York Times
