COCONUT GROVE, FLA. (WSVN) - This Fourth of July will be the first holiday since state legislation named after a teenage girl who died in a 2022 boating accident went into effect, and the victim’s family came together to commemorate the signing of the law and to shine a spotlight on a campaign aimed to ensure people are safer while out on the water.
“Have fun, be safe” has become more than a saying for the family of Lucy Fernandez. Her parents joined state and local officials at a news conference held Wednesday at the Bayshore Club in Coconut Grove.
“It was our way of saying, ‘Go live life to the fullest, but do it with awareness,’ and today it has become a campaign, a movement that we hope will save lives,” said Andy Fernandez, Lucy’s father.
This saying will now impact lives.
“In fact, responsibility is what protects our freedom to enjoy life,” said Andy.
The news conference took place just days after Lucy’s Law was signed into law. It honors the life of 17-year-old Lucy, who was killed in a boating accident on Sept. 4, 2022.
The bill aims to sharpen penalties associated with reckless boating and provides strong proactive reform on Florida’s waterways.
“My closing on this bill, I always felt Lucy standing next to me,” said Florida State Rep. Vicki Lopez.
“Someone will bring a designated driver. A parent will say no to bow riding. A distracted driver will look twice, and because of that, a life will be saved,” said Florida State Rep. Vanessa Oliver.
The law now in place is a milestone for the Fernandez family.
“There is nothing that prepares you for the loss of a child,” said Melissa Fernandez, Lucy’s mother. “Lucy was an incredible person. She was like – she was joy. She was all of those things, and she loved the water more than anything in the world, and so, for us, being able to continue to make the pastime that she enjoyed so much a safer place for all, knowing that this is how she passed, that is a full-circle moment for us, and it’s what gives us meaning and purpose and what keeps us going.”
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