A federal indictment in Florida names a tugboat captain in a July collision that prosecutors say killed three children after their sailboat was struck and crushed by a construction barge. Authorities allege the captain was using his phone to browse online marketplaces and failed to keep a proper lookout; his initial court appearance is set for April 3.
According to court filings, 46-year-old Yusiel Lopez Insua was at the controls of a 25-foot tug, the Wood Chuck, pushing a 108-foot barge loaded with demolition debris across Biscayne Bay on July 28, 2025, when it struck a stalled catamaran near Hibiscus Island. Three girls — 7-year-old Mila Yankelevich, 13-year-old Erin Ko Han and 10-year-old Arielle Buchman — later died; medical officials determined the cause was accidental drowning.
The children were enrolled in a sailing program run by the Miami Yacht Club. A 19-year-old counselor piloting the Hobie Getaway–style catamaran toward Flagler Monument Island told investigators the boat lost wind and stopped directly in the path of the oncoming barge. The counselor reportedly stood to warn the barge, but prosecutors say no evasive action was taken.
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Prosecutors allege several safety shortcomings aboard the tug-and-barge combination. Insua is charged with one count of seaman’s manslaughter after a forensic review allegedly showed his phone unlocked and active on internet marketplaces at the time of impact — a detail highlighted in the complaint as evidence of distracted operation.
Three people aboard the sailboat escaped after being dragged beneath the barge; three others remained trapped under the hull as the vessel continued over the capsized boat. One victim who initially survived later died in hospital two days after the crash, local reporting said.
- Obstructed visibility: The barge carried a welded deckhouse and a forward crane, and was covered in concrete debris, limiting the pilot’s waterline view.
- No assigned lookout: Prosecutors say no crew member was tasked with watching directly in front of the barge despite the blind spots.
- Phone activity: Forensic analysis allegedly shows internet browsing on marketplaces while the vessel was underway.
- Communication issues: The tug’s radio was reportedly set to Channel 9 rather than Channel 16, the common emergency frequency for small boats.
- Missing safety aids: The complaint notes the vessel lacked cameras or radar that might have mitigated the obstructed view, and pilothouse windows were closed.
Investigators also say Insua had worked the same tug-and-barge setup in Biscayne Bay for about 12 years and had been involved in prior near-miss incidents with sailboats in the area. The complaint stresses that when a vessel’s forward visibility is blocked, a prudent operator should place a lookout where they can see the waterline — a step prosecutors say was not taken.
“Our hearts are with the families of the children who lost their lives in this tragedy,” U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones said in a statement, calling the deaths preventable and pointing to alleged failures to follow basic maritime safety rules and to alleged cellphone use during transit.
Survivors included a 7-year-old girl who was treated and released from hospital, a 12-year-old girl and the 19-year-old counselor. The Miami-Dade medical examiner later ruled the three deaths were due to accidental drowning.
The charge of seaman’s manslaughter is a federal criminal count tied to operating a vessel in a manner that results in death. Insua is scheduled to appear before a judge on April 3; the case will center on the evidence prosecutors say shows distraction and ignored safety procedures on a heavily loaded barge traveling through a busy recreational waterway.
Beyond the criminal case, the incident has prompted renewed attention to safety practices on mixed-use waterways, where commercial tows and small recreational craft increasingly share narrow channels. Advocates and local officials say the collision underscores how quickly routine operations can turn deadly when visibility, communication and crew assignments fail.
