The boater involved in the death of a 15-year-old girl who was struck and killed while in Biscayne Bay over the weekend has been identified.
Carlos Guillermo Alonso, 78, of Coral Gables, is named as the boater in a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission incident report on the Saturday afternoon crash that killed Ella Riley Adler.
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The one-page report lists Alonso as the only occupant of his boat, a 42-foot Boston Whaler. It doesn't mention whether he could face charges, and it's unclear whether alcohol was a factor in the crash, since the section of the report that mentions whether it's alcohol related is marked "unknown."
In a statement Wednesday, FWC officials said Alonso was cooperating with the investigation.
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BISCAYNE BAY BOAT TRAGEDY
According to the report, 13 other people were with Adler when she was fatally struck, including the 30-year-old man who was operating the boat she'd been on, a 42-foot Hanse Fjord walk-around.
According to the report, Adler and another girl were being towed in an area of Biscayne Bay about a mile west of Mashta Point, one on a wakeboard and the other on a wake surfboard.
They fell off at different times and locations and were in the water when Adler was struck by the other boat, which didn't stop, FWC officials said.
Adler, a student at Ransom Everglades School, died from her injuries. No other injuries were reported.
FWC officials said Tuesday that a boat matching the description of the one that struck and killed Adler was in custody.
"I am pleased to report that we have a vessel in custody that matches the description given by witnesses, and the investigation is ongoing," FWC Chairman Rodney Barreto said in a statement. "As a father and grandfather, my heart is broken for the Adler family. Ella’s death is devastating for her family, friends, and the community at large. The FWC and our partner law enforcement agencies will not stop until we have all the answers and the case is solved."
Aerial footage from Chopper 6 showed the boat docked behind a house in the Hammock Oaks neighborhood in southwest Miami-Dade Tuesday. It was later towed from the home and was being brought to the FWC's offices.
In the wake of what could be a breakthrough in the case, the Adler family released a statement Tuesday night.
“The world lost a star this weekend. Ella was beautiful and shined brightly. In her 15 years, she gave us more light than we could have ever dreamed," the family said. "While we cope with this unspeakable tragedy, we ask the public to give us our privacy as we mourn. We also wish to extend our gratitude to law enforcement for their hard work and commitment to helping bring some closure to this horrific loss."
Adler, a member of her school's dance team, was an accomplished ballet performer and was a ballerina in the Nutcracker, appearing in over 100 performances with the Miami City Ballet at the Adrienne Arsht Center.
