MIAMI — (AP) — Two children were killed and two more are in critical condition after a barge struck and sunk their boat, sending them overboard during a sailing camp in Miami on Monday, authorities said.
All six people on the sailing boat were pulled from the water by responders, and four kids were rushed to a nearby hospital where two were pronounced dead upon arrival, said Petty Officer 3rd Class Nicholas Strasburg, a spokesperson for the U.S. Coast Guard.
Two of the six who were rescued were in “good condition,” Strasburg said.
The six — one adult and five kids — were in their last week of the sailing camp for children aged 7 to 15, according to the Miami Yacht Club.
“The entire MYC family is devastated by this terrible tragedy,” said Emily Copeland, the commodore of the yacht club, in a statement.
The sailing boat remained submerged beneath the barge in Biscayne Bay — a body of water sandwiched between Miami and Miami Beach where there are several small islands, including Star Island, peppered with ritzy mansions.
Across the U.S. last year, there were over 550 deaths in recreational boating, but only a sliver of those — 43 — were caused by vessels crashing into each other, according to Coast Guard statistics.
“The Coast Guard will conduct a thorough investigation,” said Capt. Frank Florio, who heads the Coast Guard’s Miami sector, in a statement. “We remain steadfast in our commitment to accountability, improvement, and the shared responsibility of ensuring safety at sea."
Local television stations showed first responders, some in scuba diving gear, in boats around what appears to be a barge. The Coast Guard is investigating the crash.
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Bedayn reported from Denver.
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