Captain pleads guilty in boat crash that killed 3 girls from Miami sailing camp
Summary
A Miami tugboat captain pleaded guilty to causing a boat crash that killed three girls from a sailing camp last summer. The captain admitted to breaking safety rules that led to the collision, and prosecutors have suggested a sentence of one year in prison plus six months at home.Key Facts
- Yusiel Lopez Insua, 47, pleaded guilty to seaman’s manslaughter for a 2025 boat crash in Miami.
- The crash involved a tugboat pushing a heavy barge and a small sailboat with a counselor and five girls from a sailing camp.
- The barge was about 108 feet long and weighed around 149 gross tons, with limited forward visibility.
- No crew member served as a lookout on the tugboat during the incident.
- The barge hit the sailboat, which had stalled in the tugboat’s path, causing three girls to drown.
- Lopez Insua’s phone records showed internet use while the tugboat was moving, near the time of the crash.
- Prosecutors recommended a prison sentence of one year and six months of home detention as part of a plea deal.
- Recreational boating deaths in the U.S. in 2024 exceeded 550, with 43 deaths caused by collisions between vessels.
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