Tugboat captain was internet shopping when he 'capsized and crushed a stalled sailboat,' killing 3 kids: Feds

A 46-year-old tugboat skipper successful Florida is accused of sidesplitting 3 children aft helium allegedly crashed into and crushed their sailboat portion piloting a operation barge due to the fact that helium was connected his cellphone browsing online marketplaces.

Yusiel Lopez Insua is charged with 1 number of seaman's manslaughter successful transportation with the July 28, 2025, collision that killed 7-year-old Mila Yankelevich, 13-year-old Erin Ko Han and 10-year-old Arielle Buchman.

Federal prosecutors accidental Insua was operating a 25-foot tugboat known arsenic the Wood Chuck portion pushing a 108-foot operation barge loaded with debris from a seawall demolition task erstwhile helium struck a stalled sailboat carrying 5 children and a 19-year-old campy counsellor adjacent Hibiscus Island.

"Due to the obstructed visibility, and deficiency of a lookout, Insua did not spot the stalled sailboat earlier the barge struck it," the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida said successful a news release announcing the charge.

The children were attending a sailing campy tally done the Miami Yacht Club. The counsellor had been navigating the Hobie Getaway-style catamaran from the yacht nine toward Flagler Monument Island erstwhile the vessel mislaid upwind and stalled straight successful the way of the oncoming barge, according to the complaint.

According to the transgression complaint, the counsellor stood up and tried to pass the approaching vessel, but Insua "did not alteration people oregon change the Vessel's speed" arsenic the sailboat sat motionless successful the water.

Prosecutors accidental the barge past "ran over, capsized, and crushed a stalled sailboat" with the victims aboard.

Three of those aboard — the counsellor and 2 girls — managed to flight aft being dragged beneath the vessel. The different 3 children became trapped successful the wreckage arsenic the barge continued moving implicit the capsized sailboat, pinning it underwater beneath the hull.

"Thereafter, Victims 4, 5, and 6 escaped being pulled nether h2o arsenic the barge continued to question connected apical of the capsized sailboat, submerging it and pinning it nether the barge's hull," the ailment states. "However, Victim 1, Victim 2, and Victim 3 were trapped successful the wreckage of the sailing vas underneath the barge."

Buchman survived the archetypal collision and remained successful captious information for 2 days earlier she died connected July 30, according to a study from Miami NBC affiliate WTVJ. The Miami-Dade aesculapian examiner aboriginal ruled that each 3 girls died from accidental drowning.

The surviving children included a 7-year-old girl, who was reportedly hospitalized and aboriginal released, and a 12-year-old girl. The 19-year-old counsellor besides survived.

Investigators allege Insua had been operating the aforesaid tug-and-barge operation successful Biscayne Bay for astir 12 years and had antecedently experienced "near misses" with sailboats successful the aforesaid area.

The ailment says Insua knew that the vessel's guardant presumption was obstructed by some a deckhouse welded to the barge and a operation crane positioned adjacent the beforehand of the deck. Concrete debris from the demolition task besides covered the barge.

Although the tugboat's pilothouse provided long-range visibility, prosecutors accidental Insua could not spot straight successful beforehand of the barge.

"Insua knew, oregon should person known, that the presumption of the deckhouse and the crane connected the barge information of the Vessel obstructed the waterline presumption of a aviator operating the Vessel from the tugboat's pilothouse," the ailment states.

Despite those limitations, prosecutors say, nary 1 aboard was assigned to enactment arsenic a lookout.

"When determination is nary nonstop enactment of show instantly successful beforehand of a vessel, and erstwhile a vas is not different equipped to summation visibility, a reasonably prudent vas relation should delegate unit aboard to enactment arsenic a lookout," the papers continues.

A operation idiosyncratic was aboard the barge astatine the time, but authorities accidental helium had not been instructed to ticker for different boats.

The ailment further alleges that Insua's cellphone was progressive during the travel crossed the bay.

"A forensic reappraisal of Insua's cellphone revealed net enactment during transit, including astatine oregon adjacent the clip of the collision," prosecutors said.

According to the complaint, Insua's telephone was unlocked and showed enactment connected "internet marketplaces" astatine the infinitesimal the sailboat was struck.

Federal authorities besides allege the tugboat's vigor had been tuned to Channel 9 — typically utilized to pass with span operators — alternatively of Channel 16, the exigency frequence utilized by boaters.

The vas allegedly was not equipped with cameras, radar, oregon different instrumentality that could person helped compensate for the blocked view. Prosecutors further allege that the windows successful the pilothouse were closed, making it much hard for Insua to perceive anyone extracurricular trying to alert him.

"Our hearts are with the families of the children who mislaid their lives successful this tragedy," U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones said successful a statement. "This accusation alleges a preventable nonaccomplishment of beingness connected our waterways, including the nonaccomplishment to travel basal maritime information rules and cellphone usage during transit astatine oregon adjacent the clip of the collision."

Insua is presently scheduled to marque his archetypal quality successful tribunal connected April 3.