A Miami boat captain is charged in the deaths of three girls who were aboard a sailboat he ran over and “crushed” while operating a large tugboat last summer, federal court filings say.
Yusiel Lopez Insua was the captain of a 25-foot tugboat that had been pushing a 108-foot-long construction barge during the deadly crash in Biscayne Bay on July 28, 2025, according to a criminal information charging Insua with seaman’s slaughter.
Insua, 46, collided into a children’s sailing camp’s vessel in the bay, after the sailboat “lost wind and stalled in the path of the tugboat and barge,” federal prosecutors said in a Tuesday, March 31, news release.
The crash occurred, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of Florida, because Insua was driving the barge with “obstructed visibility and without a proper lookout.”
A 19-year-old sailing instructor from the Miami Yacht Club and five girls had been on the sailboat struck by Insua, NBC Miami reported.
Mila Yankelevich, 7, Arielle Buchman, 10, and Erin Ko, 13, died in the crash, according to the outlet.
The three girls became trapped below the barge during the collision and drowned, according to the criminal information. The sailing instructor and two other girls were able to escape the wreckage.
“Our hearts are with the families of the children who lost their lives in this tragedy,” U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones, of the Southern District of Florida, said in a statement.
“This information alleges a preventable loss of life on our waterways, including the failure to follow basic maritime safety rules and cellphone use during transit at or near the time of the collision,” Quiñones added.
According to the criminal information, Insua was possibly using his phone at the time of the deadly crash.
“Insua’s cellular telephone was unlocked during the transit time leading up to the collision and indicated activity on internet marketplaces, including at the time when the collision occurred,” the filing states.
If Insua is found guilty of seaman’s manslaughter, he could face up to 10 years in prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
In a statement shared with NBC Miami, his attorney, Walter A. Reynoso, said, “Our client remains deeply saddened by the tragic boating accident that resulted in the loss of three young lives.”
“He extends his heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims, while recognizing that no words can lessen the pain caused by this terrible tragedy,” Reynoso added. “As this matter moves toward resolution, our client intends to accept responsibility for his conduct and to resolve the case in a way that avoids causing the families any further unnecessary pain or anguish.”
