"Leesfield & Partners"

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 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 17, 2025

Florida Keys Charter Captain Faces Criminal Charges Following Violent Video. Here’s What Companies Must Do to Ensure Safety.

By Leesfield & Partners

An individual in the Florida Keys working as a fishing charter captain was charged after a violent video allegedly showed them stabbing a bull shark surfaced online.

Zane Porter Garrett, 26, of Stock Island, was charged with aggravated animal cruelty after authorities accused them of being the person in the video.

The investigation was conducted by officers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission after a Snapchat video showing an animal being stabbed was reported to authorities.

Published on: June 16, 2025

Child Hospitalized after Near-Drowning Incident in Fort Lauderdale Pool. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

A child was hospitalized after being resuscitated Sunday from a near-drowning incident at a Fort Lauderdale pool, according to media.

First responders were called out to 6001 NW 6^th Way, an Extended Stay America, for a call about a drowning. Paramedics performed CPR on the minor and the child was said to be alert and breathing when he was transferred to the Broward Health Medical Center.

Additional information, including how this happened and how old the child is, were not immediately available Monday.

Published on: June 12, 2025

Hoping to Get a Selfie with Key West’s Most-Photographed Landmark this Summer? You’re out of Luck.

By Leesfield & Partners

Key West’s iconic Southernmost Point Buoy will not be available to the public for about a year, according to city officials.

Due to recent storms, the seawall and other damages at the corner of South and Whitehead Streets call for repairs and the closure of the area. The repairs will begin in mid-August or the beginning of September, according to reporting from local media. While the real buoy is under construction, the city announced it is working on a temporary replacement, which will be located on the Duval Street Pocket Park at 1400 Duval.

“It is smaller, but still taller than a person,” Alyson Crean, a city spokesperson, told reporters with the Tampa Bay Times. “The ocean will still be visible, but the temporary location is farther away from the ocean.”

Published on: June 3, 2025

Influencer’s Son Drowns at Family Home in Arizona. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

The 3-year-old son of popular lifestyle influencer, Emilie Kiser, died from a drowning incident at the family’s home in Chandler, Arizona.

Emergency responders were called out to the home around 6 p.m. on May 12 after an incident in the family’s backyard pool where they allegedly found the boy, Trigg, unresponsive. The child was taken to Chandler Regional Medical Center before he was transferred to Phoenix Children’s Hospital in critical condition. He died just six days later, according to media reporting.

Local authorities will be investigating this tragic incident.

Published on: May 27, 2025

Key West International Airport’s Concourse A is Ready for Takeoff. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

Key West International Airport’s Concourse A opens after more than two years of construction, according to local media.

The two-year project’s completion to the direct service airport that offers transport to 24 cities means additional amenities for travelers including worktables, charging stations, concessions and free Wi-Fi. The concourse spans over 48,800 square feet and features a single-story concrete building with modern, clear story windows and a curtain wall system to “allow natural lighting and give a sense of transparency,” according to an airport press release. The concourse will expand the airport’s concession opportunities. A new, extended passenger bridge will connect the existing landside terminal building to Concourse A.

The airport is “completely prepared” to brave category 5 hurricanes and sea level rise, according to local media.

Published on: May 20, 2025

Seven Passengers Ejected Following Seven Mile Bridge Crash Over the Weekend in the Florida Keys.

By Leesfield & Partners

Several boat passengers required air transport to a hospital after the boat they were on crashed into the Seven Mile Bridge in the Florida Keys Saturday, according to local media.

The incident happened Saturday and involved a 17-foot Mako, a brand of inshore fishing boat, allegedly being operated by a minor when it crashed. At least seven people were ejected from the vessel, including the young girl who was driving, according to local media. Several passengers were airlifted to a hospital in Miami.

There was no update on the condition of the injured as of Monday.