Two girls — ages 7 and 13 — were killed Monday morning when a barge collided with a sailboat carrying a group of children during a sailing summer camp on Biscayne Bay near Miami, the Coast Guard reported Monday night.
Two other girls — ages 8 and 11 — were hospitalized in critical condition, said the Coast Guard, which is investigating the crash with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Officials said a 12-year-old girl and a 19-year-old woman were also rescued. None were identified.
According to FWC, "preliminary information indicates that a barge struck a sailing vessel carrying six people near Star Island in Miami Beach."
The children were participating in a Miami Yacht Club Youth Sailing Foundation summer camp for ages 7 to 15, the club confirmed.
"Our hearts are with the families of those lost and all who have been affected by this tragedy," Capt. Frank Florio, commander of Coast Guard Sector Miami, said in a statement.
"Incidents like this leave a lasting impact on our maritime community and reinforce the importance of learning from every loss. The Coast Guard will conduct a thorough investigation to determine the causal factors and identify steps to help prevent similar tragedies in the future."
About 11 a.m., Miami-Dade Fire Rescue notified the Coast Guard that the sailboat and barge crashed, tossing six people into the water.
Coast Guard officials said six people on the sailboat were pulled from the water and sent to Jackson Memorial Hospital, where the two girls were declared dead upon arrival.
The sailboat remained submerged beneath the barge in Biscayne Bay — a body of water sandwiched between Miami and Miami Beach where there are several small islands, including Star Island, peppered with ritzy mansions.
A Miami Yacht Club official said it's cooperating with state and federal officials investigating the crash. She said the six girls aboard the sailboat were in their last week of the camp.
"The entire MYC family is devastated by this terrible tragedy," said Emily Copeland, the commodore of the yacht club, in a statement.
"We are working with FWC and the Coast Guard as they lead their investigation into the barge that struck our summer camp sailboat," Copeland told WLRN in an email.
"We are not releasing any details on the sailors or counselors at this time, out of respect for the privacy of the families," she added.
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