jet ski crash

Published on: June 27, 2025

FWC Fatal Boat Crash Investigation Concludes with Criminal Charges for Vessel Operator. What to Know.

A Broward County man is facing criminal charges after authorities say he crashed his 21-foot center console vessel into a sailboat, resulting in at least one death in the Florida Keys.

Guy Erdman,61, of Oakland Park, was charged Wednesday with manslaughter, boating under the influence and several other misdemeanor charges, according to officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The crash happened on Dec. 27 around 8 p.m. with Erdman’s vessel and a sailboat that was anchored in Buttonwood Sound in Key Largo. Erdman was ejected from the vessel along with three passengers. A passing boater rescued Erman and two passengers from the water, but the third, Sydney Cole, 24, of North Carolina, was missing, according to reporting from The Miami Herald.

Published on: June 27, 2025

Man, 23, ‘Vanishes’ on Utah Lake Following Jet Ski Crash, officials say

By Leesfield & Partners

A 23-year-old disappeared after he flipped on a jet ski in a Utah lake with his cousin, according to reporting from The Miami Herald.

The man, whose name had not been released as of Wednesday afternoon, was last seen around 5:30 p.m. on June 22 near a marina, officials with the Utah County Sherrif’s Office Search and Rescue team said via a Facebook news release. The man was riding the jet ski with his cousin, who was rescued by someone in a nearby boat.

The search continued until at least 1 a.m. on June 23. Some witnesses reported seeing waves between 2 and 3 feet high.

Published on: June 25, 2025

Driver in Fatal November 2024 Florida Keys Boat Crash Faces Charges, police say. What Happened?

By Leesfield & Partners

The driver in a fatal boat crash that ejected at least six people in the Florida Keys faces charges related to a woman’s death nearly seven months later, according to reporting from local media.

Reinaldo Aquit, 48, of Miami Beach, was charged Friday with vessel homicide and eight other misdemeanors. The misdemeanor charges had not been released as of Monday morning, though jail records show that three are related to public order crimes, such as reckless operation of a vessel, and three are related to health and safety.

Stephanie Rodriguez, 28, of Hialeah, was among the passengers on the boat the day of the crash. She died from her injuries. Rodriguez was “kind, loving, and playful,” according to a GoFundMe page that was started to help provide support to her family in the wake of her death.

Published on: June 25, 2025

MiLB Baseball Player Dies at 19 in Florida Jet Ski Crash on Father’s Day. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

A minor league shortstop for the Baltimore Orioles has died after a jet ski crash in Sarasota, Florida.

Luis Alexander Guevara, 19, of Venezuela was identified as one of four people who were involved in a crash near Lido Key, an island west of Sarasota. All four people were thrown into the water following the head-on collision between two jet skis around 8 p.m. Sunday.

Witnesses told reporters with The Baltimore Sun that the jet skis were driving “recklessly” around the beach area and that multiple watercrafts were “extremely close to boats and the children that were in the water.”

Published on: June 19, 2025

South Florida’s Lobster Season is Almost Upon Us. What You Should Know to Stay Safe.

By Leesfield & Partners

With a little more than a month left until the official start of the spiny lobster sport season in Florida, here’s what divers and boaters should know.

Leesfield & Partners has over 48 years of experience in Miami, Orlando, Key West and throughout the Florida Keys. In that time, the firm’s attorneys have represented countless boat crash victims and their families, becoming among the top leaders in the state when it comes to maritime and boating accident law. With that experience, comes tremendous experience as to what can go wrong on the water.

Among the most pressing issues when it comes to boating safety are boating under the influence, negligent speeding on the water, a lack of experience, and a lack of lifejacket usage. The most recent data from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission shows that Florida is again the nation’s leader when it comes to registered vessels with the state tallying in 1,030,053 registered vessels in 2024. With the nation’s most boats, it is no wonder that Florida also leads the nation with the most boating accidents.

Published on: June 12, 2025

This Florida Town Ranked Among ‘Most Charming’ in Florida. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

World Atlas named Key West among the 10 most charming small towns to visit in Florida, here’s why.

The southernmost island in the Florida Keys owes its popularity to crystal-clear waters, historic charm, and quirky locals. With must-see locations like its famed lighthouse and the six-toed cat oasis of the Ernest Hemingway Home, it’s easy to see why thousands of out-of-state visitors choose to vacation in Key West. And that’s not the only place for history buffs. Other historic sites to see include Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park and the Truman Little White House.

Whether looking for educational places to visit, trying to work on a tan, or hoping to snorkel among vibrant marine life, Key West has a little something for everyone.

Published on: April 2, 2025

Michigan Snorkeler Dies at Florida Keys Hospital Monday. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

A 73-year-old snorkeler has died after he was found passed out off Key Largo this week, according to local media.

The man, Dwaine David Anderson, of Crystal Falls, Michigan, was swimming on the Grecian Rocks reef off Key Largo Monday. Anderson was out with a commercial dive operation when he was found passed out, officials with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office told the Miami Herald.

The dive boat crew performed CPR as they raced back to shore. Anderson was transported to the Mariners Hospital in Tavernier where he was pronounced dead.

Published on: March 6, 2025

Boater accused in 2022 Crash that Killed High Schooler Ordered Not to Contact Victim’s Family

By Leesfield & Partners

A circuit court judge ordered George Pino, the 54-year-old Doral real estate broker facing vessel homicide charges related to the 2022 boat crash that killed an Our Lady of Lourdes Academy student, to no longer contact the teen’s parents during trial.

Circuit Court Judge Marisa Tinkler Mendez granted the order Wednesday, barring Pino from contacting the family of 17-year-old Luciana Fernandez via a third-party, social media, electronically or in person for the remainder of the trial. The text message was reportedly sent last week from Pino to the girl’s parents that “appealed to both families’ Catholic faith,” according to reporting from the Miami Herald.

While Tinkler Mendez said in court she did not believe the message was sent with “intentional malfeasance,” prosecutors said it could be interpreted as intimidation or witness tampering.

Published on: February 26, 2025

Couple, Pet, Rescued from Choppy Florida Waters. Here’s What You Should Know to Stay Safe.

By Leesfield & Partners

Two boaters and their dog were left clinging to the hull of their sinking boat in the St. Augustine Inlet after rough waters caused the vessel to flip, according to authorities.

“They had life jackets onboard, but the boat flipped so fast they couldn’t get to them in time,” officials from the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office told reporter with the Miami Herald about the daring, Feb. 15 rescue. “The female onboard was able to call 911. It [took] about 10 to 15 minutes for us to locate them.”

The couple was spotted around 3 p.m. and videos of their harrowing ordeal show the boat almost completely submerged at some points.

Published on: December 26, 2024

New Bill Proposes Stricter Penalties for ‘Boat and Run’ Crashes in Florida. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

Several bills, including one to impose stricter penalties on boaters involved in crashes, have been proposed in the Florida House and Senate ahead of the 2025 start to the legislative session in March; here’s what you should know.

The bill referencing the penalties was proposed by Sen. Ileana Garcia, a Republican in Miami, and would classify fleeing a fatal boat crash as a first-degree felony, meaning this charge could carry a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, if convicted. Additional penalties can include a $10,000 fine. If a person who is found guilty of this crime was also found to have bene under the influence at the time of the crash, then a mandatory, minimum sentence of four years would be applied.

This bill, SB 58, was filed in response to the 2022 Biscayne Bay boat crash that killed one high school student on board and permanently injured another. The student killed in that incident was 17-year-old Luciana Fernandez who was on the boat being operated by George Pino, a local real-estate developer. Pino was first charged with three misdemeanor charges of careless boating, but those charges were changed to vessel homicide after a witness came forward this year with new evidence in the case.