Two children were killed and two others remain in critical condition after a barge collided with a small sailboat carrying a group of summer campers near Miami Beach on Biscayne Bay late Monday morning, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
The crash occurred around 11:15 a.m. between Hibiscus Island and Monument Island, authorities said.
Six people—five children and one adult camp counselor—were aboard the sailboat when it was struck. All were thrown into the water on impact.
The Coast Guard said a 7-year-old and a 13-year-old girl died, while an 8-year-old and an 11-year-old girl remain in critical condition. They said a 12-year-old girl and a 19-year-old woman were rescued.
The children were part of a summer sailing camp operated by the Miami Yacht Club and affiliated with the Miami Youth Sailing Foundation.
Rescue operation, sailboat submerged
Some of the children were reportedly trapped beneath the barge.
Emergency response teams from Miami Beach, the City of Miami and Miami-Dade County rushed to the scene.
Three children were taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center in critical condition and one was transported in stable condition, authorities said. By late afternoon, the Coast Guard confirmed two of the children had died.
One child and the counselor were evaluated on-site but not taken to a hospital.
A Coast Guard small boat crew established a 250-yard safety zone around the site, where the submerged sailboat remains under the barge.
Witnesses: “All the kids went flying off”
CBS News Miami interviewed several young witnesses who saw the crash.
Enzo Pifer Eddy, 9, described the barge hitting the boat and said, “All the kids went flying off.” Another 8-year-old, who asked not to be identified, said she heard a girl shouting for help beneath the barge’s crane.
“It was super sad and it was super scary,” the child said.
Camp confirms children were part of youth sailing program
The Miami Yacht Club confirmed that the children involved were part of its summer program, the Miami Youth Sailing Foundation.
“At this time, details are still emerging, and we are actively gathering all available facts,” the club said. “Our priority is the safety and well-being of everyone involved, and we are working closely with the appropriate authorities and organizations to understand the situation fully.”
The investigation remains ongoing.
