The captain of a barge that plowed into a sailboat in Florida has been given a sobriety test, as it emerged that one of the two girls who died is the granddaughter of a famed TV producer.
The test, which included a blood draw, is part of the US Coast Guard’s investigation into Monday’s deadly collision, Capt. Frank Florio III, commanding officer for Miami, told a press conference Tuesday.
“We owe you answers, and we are going to find them,” Florio said, according to the Miami Herald.
Mila Yankelevich, 7, has been identified as one of the victims in Monday’s deadly boat crash in Florida.Instagram / @bycrismorena
The results were not known, and it was not clear if there were any particular flags to justify the sobriety test.
The captain has not been arrested.
Investigators are also looking into whether the barge’s crew was properly licensed to be out in Biscayne Bay at the time of the collision, off the coast of Miami Beach, Florio said.
Five girls were on the sailboat with a teenage instructor as part of a summer camp group when they were hit Monday.
One of the two girls 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁ed has been identified as 7-year-old Mila Yankelevich, the granddaughter of an award-winning Argentinian TV producer, Cris Morena, according to La Nacion.
Mila’s grandfather, Gustavo Yankelevich, and father, Tomas Yankelevich, are also producers, while her mother, Sofia Reca, is an actor.
Mila with her grandmother, Cris Morena, a prominent Argentine TV producer.Instagram / @bycrismorena
The youngster lived with her parents in Surfside, Florida, and was taking part in a Miami Youth Sailing Foundation summer camp run by the Miami Yacht Club at the time of the crash.
In poignant social media posts, Mila’s grandparents wished her a happy 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡day, calling her “special” and “brilliant,” back in February.
Mila’s family members “are currently meeting with authorities on the Miami coast,” Argentine journalist Orian Brito told La Nacion. “In addition to exchanging information about the investigation, they are providing emotional support during this difficult time.”
Mila was the youngest on the boat.
The captain of the barge has undergone a sobriety test, according to the US Coast Guard.AP
She was 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁ed along with a 13-year-old girl, while two others, ages 8 and 11, were critically injured.
The 19-year-old instructor and a 12-year-old girl were unhurt.
“The crane just completely destroyed the boat,” one witness told WSVN. “The boat just went under and I heard a girl shouting for help under the crane.”
