A family is heartbroken after their loved one was killed Thursday when she was ejected from a boat during a powerboat race near Key West.
The family of 28-year-old Stephanie Rodriguez says she always had a smile on her face. She had three older brothers, and they say she was their princess.
“She lit up any room she went into,” Ricky Rodriguez said. “My sister was special, she was special.”
Rodriguez was on a boat with seven other people on Thursday that went from Miami to Key West as part of a powerboat race, according to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers.
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The boat made a hard right, and six passengers went into the water, FWC said. One of them was Rodriguez.
Good Samaritans on a boat nearby stopped to help. The victims were rushed to the hospital.
Rodriguez didn't make it.
“We're just relying on God to get us through this,” Jorge Perez said.
Her family described her as full of life, giving, energetic and someone who loved to travel. Even though she was the youngest, she was very wise.
“She's a lot younger than me and she gave me a lot of advice,” Perez said.
While the family waits for answers, they're holding each other tighter and holding tight to all the memories.
“I just hope the law does what it has to do and investigations take part and we get that information and clarity to know what happened, but that's not in our hands, it's in God's hands and the authorities' hands,” Rodriguez said.
FWC has not said if the boat's operator, Reinaldo Aquit, will face any charges.
There is a GoFundMe for the family.
