Two young girls — ages 7 and 13 — were killed Monday morning when a barge collided with a sailboat carrying a group of children during a sailing summer camp on Biscayne Bay near Hibiscus Island, the U.S. Coast Guard reported Monday night.
Two other girls — ages 8 and 11 — are hospitalized in critical condition, said the Coast Guard, which is jointly investigating the crash with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission. Officials said a 12-year-old girl and a 19-year-old female were rescued. None were identified by name.
"Our hearts are with the families of those lost and all who have been affected by this tragedy,” said Capt. Frank Florio, Commander of Coast Guard Sector Miami, in a statement.
READ MORE: 2 children in sailing program die after barge hits boat off Miami Beach
“Incidents like this leave a lasting impact on our maritime community and reinforce the importance of learning from every loss,” Florio said. “The Coast Guard will conduct a thorough investigation to determine the causal factors and identify steps to help prevent similar tragedies in the future.”
The collision between the two vessels occurred about 11 a.m. when Miami-Dade Fire rescue notified the Coast Guard that a sailboat and barge crashed into each other, tossing six people into the water. Late Monday, NBC6 South Florida broadcast an exclusive video that showed the barge ramming into the sailboat.
Coast Guard officials said six people on the sailboat were rescued after being tossed into the water and sent to Jackson Memorial Hospital, where two of the victims were declared dead upon arrival.
A Miami Yacht Club official reported it’s cooperating with state and federal officials investigating the crash of the two vessels. She said the six people aboard were in their last week of the sailing camp for kids from 7 to 15 years old.
“The entire MYC family is devastated by this terrible tragedy,” said Emily Copeland, the commodore of the yacht club, in a statement.
“We are working with FWC and the Coast Guard as they lead their investigation into the barge that struck our summer camp sailboat,” Copeland told WLRN in an email.
“We are not releasing any details on the sailors or counselors at this time, out of respect for the privacy of the families,” she added.
