A Miami tugboat captain has been charged in a 2025 Biscayne Bay collision that killed three girls near Miami Beach, federal prosecutors announced Tuesday.
Yusiel Lopez Insua, 46, is facing a charge of seaman’s manslaughter after authorities say he operated a tugboat pushing a debris-filled barge with obstructed visibility and without a proper lookout, leading to the July 28, 2025 crash.
If convicted, Insua faces up to 10 years in federal prison.
What happened in the deadly Biscayne Bay crash
The collision happened around 11:15 a.m. that Monday, between Hibiscus Island and Monument Island.
According to a Department of Justice press release, the tugboat’s forward view was blocked by a deckhouse and crane, and no one aboard was assigned to watch for hazards, a basic maritime safety requirement. At the same time, a children’s sailing camp was underway nearby when a sailboat carrying one counselor and five children lost wind and stalled directly in the path of the approaching tug and barge.
The victims were later identified as 7-year-old Mila Yankelevich, 13-year-old Erin Ko Han and 10-year-old Arielle “Ari” Buchman, who died days after the crash. The children were part of a summer sailing camp operated by the Miami Yacht Club.
Prosecutors say Insua did not see the stalled sailboat before the barge struck it.
A forensic review of Insua’s cellphone also revealed internet activity during transit, including at or near the time of the collision, according to investigators.
The counselor and two children survived after being dragged under the barge, but three children were trapped in the wreckage and drowned.
“Our hearts are with the families of the children who lost their lives in this tragedy,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “This information alleges a preventable loss of life on our waterways, including the failure to follow basic maritime safety rules and cellphone use during transit at or near the time of the collision. We will present the evidence in court with care and professionalism.”
Federal and Florida agencies investigate the incident
The case is being investigated by the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS), Southeast Region; U.S. Coast Guard Sector Miami; and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Authorities also credited rescue efforts by the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, Miami Police Department and Miami Beach Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Gilfarb and Daniel Rosenfeld, along with Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanner Stiehl, are prosecuting the case.
