High School Student Killed During Boat Crash in the Florida Keys

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on September 7, 2022

Search and rescue efforts by local law enforcement officers in the Florida Keys were commended over the weekend after they saved several passengers from a capsized boat Sunday evening along the Intracoastal Waterway.

According to reports from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission that were released earlier today, it was close to 6:30 p.m. on September 5, 2022, when 52-year-old George Ignacio Pino, his 47-year-old wife Cecilia Pino, and 12 other passengers were riding aboard a 29-foot Robalo Center Console near Boca Chita Key heading toward Ocean Reef from Elliot Key. It was as the boat approached the southern point of Cutter Bank within the Intracoastal Waterway that it struck Marker 15 and ejected everyone from the boat into the water.

Almost immediately after the collision occurred, multiple members of the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue and several good samaritans were able to successfully pull all 14 boaters out of the water. In total, 8 individuals suffered a variety of injuries during the boating accident, including 52-year-old George Ignacio Pino, 47-year-old Cecilia Pino, 17-year-old Sarah Emily Gutierrez, 17-year-old Cecilia Lianne Pino, 17-year-old Coco Aguilar, 17-year-old Isabella Rodriguez, 17-year-old Luciana Fernandez, and 16-year-old Katerina Sofia Puig. Everyone was transported to local hospitals to receive additional medical assistance but sadly, 17-year-old high school senior Luciana Fernandez was unable to survive her life-threatening injuries and she passed away shortly after arriving at the emergency department.

“Known for her smile, larger-than-life personality, and signature laugh, Lucy was a joy to all who knew her and a shining light at our school,” according to a press release on Facebook from Our Lady of Lourdes Academy.

This tragic boating accident is currently under investigation by authorities with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Other passengers who were aboard the Robalo Center Console at the time of the crash have stated that their vessel swerved to avoid a collision with another boat that fled the scene after the accident took place. These statements have yet to be corroborated with any concrete evidence, although officials have indicated that alcohol was not a factor in the crash. Further details are expected to be made public at the conclusion of the case.

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.