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The parents of Lucy Fernandez, Melissa, left, and Andres Fernandez, center, react as lead prosecutor Laura Adams replays a video of Lucy Fernandez and her friends singing and enjoying themselves on Pino’s boat while delivering her closing arguments on Monday, June 22, 2026, in Courtroom 4-1 at the Richard E. Gerstein Justice Building in Miami.<\/p>\n
Carl Juste<\/p>\n
cjuste@miamiherald<\/p>\n
The families of Luciana \u201cLucy\u201d Fernandez and Katerina \u201cKaty\u201d Puig, the two victims of a Sept. 4, 2022, boat crash that killed Lucy and left Katy with a lifetime of serious medical hurdles, have released statements reacting to Monday\u2019s not-guilty verdict<\/a> for the vessel\u2019s operator, Doral real estate broker George Pino.<\/p>\n A six-member jury on Monday night found Pino not guilty of felony vessel homicide and manslaughter charges.<\/p>\n Lucy\u2019s parents, Melissa and Andres Fernandez, thanked prosecutors in their statement but also blasted what they say was a \u201clack of accountability and the blatant efforts to hide the truth\u201d throughout the investigation into the crash.<\/p>\n They also noted that their daughter\u2019s death resulted in the creation of the Lucy Fernandez Foundation<\/a>, a nonprofit set up in her name to promote boating safety in the wake of the tragedy. The statement focuses on the short life of their daughter, who was 17 when she died the day after Pino crashed his boat into a steel Biscayne Bay channel marker.<\/p>\n Through the efforts of the foundation, the Florida Legislature passed a law<\/a> in 2025 that toughens penalties for boating crashes that end in serious injury, for providing misleading statements to law enforcement during a boat-crash investigation, and boating under the influence of alcohol or drugs.<\/p>\n \u201cThis tragedy serves as a powerful reminder that no family should have to bury a child because of someone\u2019s thoughtless and irresponsible choices,\u201d the Fernandezes said.<\/p>\n The Puigs also made clear their disappointment from the beginning of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission\u2019s criminal investigation into the Labor Day weekend crash, which they feel made prosecuting the case difficult because jurors were not permitted to know all the facts about the case and the subsequent probe.<\/p>\n Since the case against Pino was for Lucy\u2019s death and not Katy\u2019s catastrophic injuries, for instance, the jury was not allowed to hear the extent of Katy\u2019s physical and neurological challenges.<\/p>\n The Division I soccer prospect, now 21, still uses a wheelchair to get around and continues to relearn basic motor skills because of the injuries she sustained in the crash.<\/p>\n Pino\u2019s attorneys released a statement after the verdict saying in part \u201cthat the events of September 4, 2022, were a tragic accident, not a crime.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe want to thank ASA Laura Adams, Jonathan Borst, and the entire team at the State Attorney\u2019s Office for their countless hours and tireless pursuit of justice in bringing the proper charges for what happened on that tragic day.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile we do not agree with the verdict, we respect the judicial process and the role of the jury.<\/p>\n \u201cThis case was always bigger than George Pino.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is about our daughter, Lucy, and a family who loved her and refused to stop fighting for her. Her story has already changed the landscape of boating in Florida, including how we think about safety on the water and how reckless behavior is addressed and enforced. Speed, alcohol, inattention, and disregard for the rules meant to keep everyone safe are among the most dangerous and deadly choices anyone can make on the water.<\/p>\n \u201cThe lack of accountability and the blatant efforts to hide the truth do not lessen that loss. They deepen it.<\/p>\n \u201cWe remain steadfast in our fight for responsibility, for tougher laws, and for stronger enforcement, in the hope of saving lives.<\/p>\n \u201cRegardless of the outcome of this case, we hope no one walks away believing that the circumstances that led to Lucy\u2019s death were acceptable. This tragedy serves as a powerful reminder that no family should have to bury a child because of someone\u2019s thoughtless and irresponsible choices.<\/p>\n \u201cLucy\u2019s and Katy\u2019s lives matter. They will go on mattering long after this verdict is forgotten.\u201d<\/p>\n The Puig family statement<\/p>\n \u201cThe Puig family is deeply disappointed by today\u2019s verdict, and our hearts hurt for the Fernandez and Perez families, who continue to live every day with the unimaginable loss of Lucy.<\/p>\n \u201cFor nearly four years, our family has lived with the consequences of that tragic day. We see Katy\u2019s injuries every day. We see the challenges she continues to face, the strength she demonstrates in overcoming them, and the impact this tragedy has had on her life and the lives of those who love her. No verdict can change those realities.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have long believed that this case was compromised from the very beginning by critical investigative failures on the day of the accident. George Pino was not administered a sobriety test, nor was a blood sample obtained. As a result, evidence that should have been available in a fatal boating accident investigation was lost forever. That failure deprived the prosecutors, the jury, and ultimately the public of information that may have helped provide a more complete picture of what occurred.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are grateful to the prosecutors for their dedication, professionalism, and tireless efforts. They did an outstanding job with the facts and evidence they were given, and they pursued this case with integrity and compassion for the victims and their families. While we respect our system of justice and the role of the jury, we profoundly disagree with the verdict.<\/p>\n \u201cBased on the evidence presented, we believe George Pino should have been held accountable for the reckless operation of his vessel. We also believe that many people who are unfamiliar with boating may not fully appreciate the dangers associated with excessive speed on the water or the importance of adhering to established navigational rules that exist to protect lives and prevent exactly this type of tragedy.<\/p>\n \u201cThe criminal case may now be over, but its consequences are not. Lucy is still gone. Katy\u2019s injuries remain. Two families continue to carry burdens that neither asked for nor deserved. Today, we remember Lucy. We continue to support Katy in her recovery. We pray for both families and for all those whose lives were forever changed on September 4, 2022. And while we are disappointed by today\u2019s outcome, we remain steadfast in our belief that the truth of what happened that day has not changed.\u201d<\/p>\n This story was originally published June 23, 2026 at 10:49 AM.<\/p>\n David Goodhue<\/a><\/p>\n Miami Herald<\/p>\n David Goodhue covers the Florida Keys and South Florida for FLKeysNews.com and the Miami Herald. Before joining the Herald, he covered Congress, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy in Washington, D.C. He is a graduate of the University of Delaware.\u00a0\n <\/p>\n![\"Katerina](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/MIA_0865ADc2025-10-15KatyPuig.JPG\" "\\"MIA_0865ADc2025-10-15KatyPuig.JPG\\"")
Katerina \u201cKaty\u201d Puig holds an Our Lady of Lourdes Academy senior-year portrait at her home in Miami on Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025. Puig is still recovering from catastrophic injuries she received in a Biscayne Bay boat crash. PHOTO BY AL DIAZ adiaz@miamiherald.com <\/p>\n![\"George](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1782279993_304_MIA_26PINOVERDICT.JPG\" "\\"MIA_26PINOVERDICT.JPG\\"")
George Pino reacts after the jury’s verdict is read in court on Monday, June 22, 2026. Pino was facing manslaughter and vessel homicide charges. Carl Juste cjuste@miamiherald Statement from the parents of Lucy Fernandez<\/p>\n
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