CORAL GABLES, FLA. (WSVN) - Authorities have identified the operator of the boat who, they said, struck and killed a 15-year-old girl in Biscayne Bay.
7News cameras captured Carlos Alonso as he returned to his Coral Gables home on Wednesday night. He declined to provide comment.
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Alonso was operating the vessel at the time of Saturday afternoon’s crash near Key Biscayne’s Nixon Beach.
Authorities said two females, including 15-year-old Ella Adler, had both fallen in the water west of Washta Point. Adler had been wakeboarding at the time during a birthday celebration on the water.
As the boat towing the girls turned around to retrieve them, officials said, Alonso’s boat struck Ella, causing fatal injuries.
The second female, still in the water, was not near Adler; she was the first to find Ella and help pull her to safety.
Investigators said Alonso, 78, did not stop and left the area.
“We don’t know if the person who hit her, even knows he hit her. We don’t know the answer to that at this point, so there’s a lot of unanswered questions,” said FWC Chairman Rodney Barreto.
FWC officials confiscated the boat on Tuesday after identifying it as a “vessel of interest.”
Authorities took the boat to the U.S. Coast Guard base in Miami Beach. From there, it was taken to another undisclosed location to be closely examined.
So far, no charges or arrests have been made in this case. Alonso is cooperating with the investigation, FWC officials said.
The tragedy caught the attention of first lady Dr. Jill Biden, who visited the family on Tuesday. Ella is the granddaughter of the U.S. Ambassador to Belgium, Michael Adler.
Following the confiscation of the vessel and Biden’s visit, Ella’s family released a statement expressing their gratitude for the hard work of law enforcement and saying:
We are honored that the First Lady paid a shiva call to our family during this time of immense pain. We are touched by their support and love and we are proud to call the President and First Lady our friends for over 40 years.
The Adler Family
The mother of one of the teens, who witnessed what happened, appeared at the Key Biscayne Council Meeting on Tuesday to thank members of the community for their support.
“My daughter, Caitlyn, was on the boat. I’m here to say thank you,” said Melissa White. “The Adler family, their lives are forever changed. But those girls that had to witness it, my hope is that they go forward and they continue to make Ella’s memory a blessing.”
On Wednesday, Ella’s school, Ransom Everglades, posted a picture of classmates painting the cannon with her name, purple hearts and ballerinas. In the caption, the school wrote, “Friends and classmates of Ella Adler Class of 2027. Love her and miss her deeply.”
On Wednesday, 7News cameras captured vehicles lined up throughout the street in front of Ella’s home as those who knew and loved her mourn with the family.
FWC investigators urge anyone with information or video footage related to the incident to contact the Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922) or Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS (8477).
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