Family members of one of the two girls who died in a deadly sailboat crash near Miami Beach on Monday have arrived in Miami.
Seven-year-old Mila Yankelevich is the granddaughter of Cris Morena and Gustavo Yankelevich, two prominent Argentinian media producers. On Wednesday, they landed at Miami International Airport on a flight from Buenos Aires, but did not wish to make a comment.
She was the youngest daughter of television producer and director Tomas Yankelevich and actress Sofia Reca.
Yankelevich, who lived in both Surfside and Argentina with her family, is remembered as a joyful child who loved dancing, singing and dressing up in costumes.
Two girls fighting for their lives after the crash
Along with Yankelevich, a 13-year-old girl, who has not been identified, also died as a result of the crash. They were among five girls and a camp counselor who were aboard the sailboat when it was struck by a barge in Biscayne Bay between Hibiscus Island and Monument Island, authorities said.
An 8-year-old girl and an 11-year-old girl remain in critical condition at Jackson Memorial Hospital, according to the Coast Guard. A 12-year-old girl and a 19-year old woman were evaluated on-site after the crash but were not taken to a hospital.
Coast Guard vows thorough investigation
The Coast Guard, which is the lead agency in the crash investigation, said Tuesday it will be thorough.
“Know that we grieve with you. We will not take this lightly and we will not forget. We owe you answers and we are committed to finding them,” Coast Guard Miami Sector Commander Frank Florio said.
Florio said they have interviewed the captain of the tugboat that was piloting the barge.
“We did do alcohol testing and we have conducted the chemical testing as well,” he said.
Those test results are pending.
The children were part of a summer sailing camp operated by the Miami Yacht Club and affiliated with the Miami Youth Sailing Foundation.
Members of the Miami Yacht Club are asking for privacy at this time. In a statement, the club said out of respect for the families impacted and to allow for the necessary response efforts, they are closing their facilities further notice.
Mauricio Maldonado
contributed to this report.
