According to the U.S. Attorney\u2019s Office for the Southern District of Florida, the tugboat\u2019s forward view was obstructed by a deckhouse and crane, and no one aboard was assigned as a lookout. <\/p>\n
The sailboat had stalled and lost wind, drifting into the barge\u2019s path, prosecutors said. Because of the obstructed visibility and lack of a lookout, Insua did not see the vessel before the barge struck it. <\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/260303-Biscayne-Bay-fatal-barge-view.jpg\")
Credit: United States Attorney\u2019s Office Southern District of Florida<\/p>\n
The counselor and two children managed to escape after being dragged under the barge. Three children were trapped in the wreckage and drowned. <\/p>\n
The victims were identified<\/a> as 7-year-old Mila Yankelevich of Argentina, 10-year-old Arielle Mazi Buchman and 13-year-old Erin Ko, a Chilean national who had recently moved to the United States. The Miami-Dade medical examiner ruled their deaths accidental drownings<\/a>. All of the children were wearing life jackets at the time of the collision. <\/p>\n A forensic review of Insua\u2019s cellphone revealed internet activity during transit, including at or near the time of the collision. <\/p>\n \u201cThis 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,\u201d said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Qui\u00f1ones in a press release. <\/p>\n