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Yusiel Lopez Insua, 46, entered a guilty plea Tuesday to a federal charge linked to a deadly collision in Biscayne Bay that resulted in the deaths of three children participating in a youth sailing camp. The vessel operator will forgo trial proceedings in the deaths of Mila Yankelevich, 7, Arielle Buchman, 10, and Erin Ko Han, 13. His defense attorney, Walter Reynoso, stated the decision was made to spare the victims’ families from enduring a lengthy court battle.
The crash occurred on July 28, 2025, near Hibiscus Island when Lopez Insua’s tugboat struck the sailing vessel. Prosecutors presented evidence that the captain was using his cellular phone at the time of impact, with digital records showing internet marketplace activity occurring during the collision. The indictment also detailed operational deficiencies aboard the tugboat, including an obstructed pilothouse view caused by a deckhouse and crane mounted on the accompanying barge.
Court documents revealed the vessel lacked standard safety equipment such as radar systems and camera monitoring devices. Prosecutors additionally noted Lopez Insua had experienced previous near-miss incidents in the same waters. The incident has spawned at least one civil lawsuit filed in Miami-Dade County court.
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