The captain of a tugboat that struck and killed three young girls on a sailboat during a summer camp program has pleaded guilty to seaman's manslaughter. Yusiel Lopez Insua, 46, accepted responsibility in a Miami federal courtroom on Tuesday for operating his vessel with an obstructed view, without a proper lookout, and while using his cellphone.
"He feels awful about the unimaginable pain and loss suffered by the three families who lost their three very young daughters," said Walter A. Reynoso, Insua's attorney, following the hearing. "Our thoughts remain with each of the families as they continue to endure this profound tragedy."
Insua faces a potential sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison, though a plea deal recommends a sentence of one year and one day, along with six months of home confinement. His sentencing is scheduled for October.
The incident occurred on July 28, 2025, when Insua was operating a tugboat pushing a barge of debris through Biscayne Bay near Hibiscus Island. The tugboat struck a stalled sailboat carrying a Miami Yacht Club camp counselor and five girls. The counselor and two girls were pulled under the barge but managed to escape. Three other girls, identified as Mila Yankelevich, 7, Arielle Buchman, 10, and Erin Ko, 13, became trapped in the wreckage and drowned.
Prosecutors stated that Insua's view was obstructed by a deckhouse and crane, and no lookout had been assigned. Forensic review of Insua's cellphone indicated internet activity around the time of the collision. "Due to the obstructed visibility, and lack of a lookout, Insua did not see the stalled sailboat before the barge struck it," the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida said in a statement.
Insua's trial was scheduled to begin the following week. His attorney noted that his client wished to avoid causing further pain to the victims' families by reliving the crash, which was captured on surveillance cameras. He pleaded guilty to one count of seaman's manslaughter.