The US coast guard says a third child has died nearly a week after a barge struck and sank a boat during a sailing camp near Miami.
Six people on the sailboat were pulled from the water after the 28 July collision, and four children were hospitalized before two girls were pronounced dead.
A third girl – aged 10 and initially hospitalized in critical condition – died on Sunday, according to a coast guard statement.
The local medical examiner’s office has identified two of the girls who died after the crash as Mila Yankelevich, seven, and Erin Ko, 13. CBS Miami reported that the girl who died on Sunday was Ari Buchman.
“Our hearts continue to mourn with all those [affected] by Monday’s tragic incident, especially with the passing of another one of Miami’s children today,” Capt Frank Florio of the coast guard said.
Salvage operations began on Tuesday.
“The coast guard remains committed to conducting a thorough investigation to ensure all facts are uncovered,” Florio said.
The collision between a barge and the sailboat occurred in Biscayne Bay, between Miami and Miami Beach. Everyone on the sailboat, a teenage sailing camp counselor and five children, ended up in the water. They were in their last week of a camp for children aged seven to 15, according to the Miami Yacht Club.
An eight-year-old girl on the struck boat was in critical condition as of Tuesday. A 19-year-old woman and a 12-year-old girl were rescued but not hospitalized.
Across the US last year, there were more than 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 Associated Press contributed reporting
