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Miami Tugboat Captain Pleads Guilty in Fatal Collision That Killed Three Young Sailors
MIAMI – A Miami tugboat captain has admitted guilt in a tragic accident last summer that claimed the lives of three young girls attending a sailing camp.
Yusiel Lopez Insua, 47, entered a guilty plea Tuesday to seaman’s manslaughter. The charge, which can carry a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison, comes with a prosecutor-backed recommendation of one year behind bars followed by six months of home confinement. The ultimate sentence will be determined by a judge.
“Three children lost their lives in a tragedy that never should have happened,” stated Jason Reding Quiñones, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida.
“Lopez Insua acknowledged that his failure to adhere to fundamental maritime safety protocols caused this deadly collision. Our thoughts continue to be with the families and all those affected by this heartbreaking event.”
Court documents reveal that on July 28, 2025, Lopez Insua was navigating a 25-foot tugboat pushing a 108-foot construction barge loaded with debris-totaling approximately 149 gross tons-across Biscayne Bay. The tugboat’s forward view was blocked by a deckhouse and crane, and no crew member was assigned as a lookout, leaving Lopez Insua unable to spot a stalled sailboat in his path.
The sailboat, carrying a 19-year-old counselor and five girls aged 7 to 13 from a nearby sailing camp, had lost wind and was drifting. The barge struck the sailboat, submerging it beneath the barge’s hull. While the counselor and two girls escaped, three others became trapped beneath the wreckage and drowned.
Investigators also found that Lopez Insua had been using the internet on his cellphone while operating the tugboat, including around the time of the collision.
The young victims were in the final week of their camp, which was affiliated with the Miami Yacht Club.
This incident stands out amid national figures showing that out of more than 550 recreational boating deaths in 2024, only 43 resulted from collisions between vessels, according to U.S. Coast Guard data.