Family and friends gathered for the funeral of Ella Riley Adler, who died when she was struck by a boat while waterskiing in Biscayne Bay. NBC6’s Amanda Plasencia reports
The young girl who was waterskiing when she was struck and killed by a large fishing boat that fled the scene in Biscayne Bay Saturday afternoon has been identified.
The young girl was identified as 15-year-old Ella Riley Adler, who was a student and an accomplished ballet performer, Ransom Everglades Head of School Rachel Rodriguez said Monday.
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"Our hearts are broken and our community has been devastated by this tragedy," Rodriguez said in a statement. "Ella shined in our classrooms and on our stages, and she embodied the mission of Ransom Everglades School. She was an outstanding student, a wonderful dancer and an active member of the Jewish Student Association and speech and debate team. We extend our deepest sympathy to her family and our prayers are with all who are mourning her loss. In this time of unspeakable pain, we have been moved by the outpouring of kindness and compassion from the Ransom Everglades community. In the coming days and weeks, we will continue to lean into our core values and provide support and care to the many students and members of our professional community who are grieving."
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A funeral service held Monday at Temple Beth Shalom for Adler, who was on the dance team at Ransom Everglades.
“Special little girl. She was a great dancer. She was my daughter’s best friend. It’s a tremendous loss. She had such a bright future. Very sad, very sad," family friend Loren Pierson said.
It was standing room only as family and friends gathered to remember the life of Adler. Among them was Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, who knows the family.
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"This is a young woman who had so much compassion for the world and was such a role model for so many at the age of 15. Our whole community is grieving," Levine Cava said.
Grief counselors were also on hand at Ransom Everglades on Monday.
"It’s really sad to hear. I heard she was a really nice girl and was on the dance team and had a lot of friends. I can’t imagine the pain they’re going through," student Miles Gelber said.
The boating incident happened near Nixon Beach in Miami-Dade County around 4:30 p.m. Saturday. Adler had been waterskiing before she was struck by a vessel that left the scene, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials said.
On the condition of anonymity, NBC6 spoke to a witness who offered a firsthand account of the tragic incident.
The witness also provided NBC6 a photo of the immediate aftermath, which captured what appeared to be gray yacht next to a police boat. The witness said Adler had been waterskiing from the gray yacht.
According to the witness, the girl was in the water when she was struck by a large center console fishing boat. They said boat that hit her did not appear to swerve or slow down. Following the collision, the witness said they heard distress signals and screams over the radio coming from the yacht.
Officials also said the vessel that fatally hit her was described as a light blue center console, possibly with blue or dark blue bottom paint and three or four white outboard engines. It was last seen heading westbound from Nixon Beach in Key Biscayne.
FWC officials also confirmed to NBC6 on Sunday that the girl was not actively waterskiing when she was hit.
"She was just in the water with the board attached to her feet and wearing a life jacket," an FWC spokesperson said.
The witness described the yacht as urgently blaring its horn while circling back to the girl.
An obituary posted on Legacy.com said Adler had appeared as a ballerina in the Nutcracker, appearing in over 100 performances with the Miami City Ballet at the Adrienne Arsht Center.
"She loved her friends deeply. She had a big posse of friends, both from Blue Star Camps and school, but Ella had a way of making each of her friends feel special," the obituary read. "She was loyal. She was compassionate. She always believed in speaking up for what was right and she always spoke her mind, but with warmth and grace."
The Miami City Ballet also released a statement on the teen's death.
"We at Miami City Ballet and the Miami City Ballet School are utterly devastated by the heartbreaking news of this tragic accident. Ella Adler was not just a beloved student and a magnificent dancer who graced our stage in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker; she was an integral part of our family, radiating potential and promise whose kindness, warmth, and infectious joy were known to all," the statement read. "Our hearts go out to Ella’s family, friends, and everyone who had the privilege of knowing and adoring her. As we come together, we will profoundly grieve the loss of Ella, and hold dear the precious memories we were fortunate enough to create with her."
In a statement Monday, FWC officials said they were making "significant progress" in their investigation.
The FWC is continuing its search for the boat and said a reward of up to $20,000 is being offered for information leading to an arrest or aiding the investigation.
Anyone with information on this incident is urged to call the FWC’s hotline at 888-404-3922.
