boating accident attorneys

Published on: March 6, 2025

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

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 13, 2025

FWC Launches Vessel Turn-In Program in the Florida Keys. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

The Monroe County Board of County Commissioners recently released an advisory to remind Florida Keys boat owners that the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is once again accepting applications for its Vessel Turn-In Program (VTIP) to prevent possible.

The VTIP is entirely voluntary and was established in late 2022 to help boat owners dispose of unwanted or at-risk vessels before they become derelict, preventing possible future legal issues for the derelict boat owner in possible boat crashes and protecting Florida’s marine life. Vessels being considered must be free of all liens or other claims of ownership ad the applicant must be the titled owner of the vessel. The vessels will be removed from state waters and destroyed at no cost to the owner.

The program removes vessels on a first come, first served basis and applicants are accepted until funding runs out, or the program ends

Published on: November 12, 2024

One Dead, Two Others Injured in Key Largo Boat Crash Over the Weekend.

By Leesfield & Partners

A person has died and two others remain hospitalized after a boat overturned in Key Largo Saturday, marking at least the second boat crash in the Florida Keys in just over a week, officials say.

Saturday’s crash happened before 10:30 a.m. when a 34-foot Nor-Tech carrying three people turned sharply, ejecting all three passengers into the water.

The three were rescued from the water by passersby and were later airlifted to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center.

Published on: October 10, 2024

Boater Charged in Fatal Key West Crash, Months Later

By Leesfield & Partners

Nearly three months have passed since a spearfisherman was killed by a passing boater over the July Fourth Weekend. Recently, authorities have charged that boater in the man’s death.

Palmer Reid Long Jr., 72, of Placida, Florida, was charged on Sept. 23, with vessel homicide after police say he didn’t slow down despite there being visible divers-down flags in the area. Vessel homicide is a second-degree felony and a conviction could mean up to 15 years in prison.

The incident happened on July 5, killing spearfisherman, Israel “Kiko” Boza, 56, of Hialeah, according to reporting from local news outlets. That same weekend, three separate incidents on the water in the Florida Keys injured about eight people, including a 12-year-old.

Published on: September 23, 2024

Florida Divers Break Record in Annual Competition. What to Know About Safe Diving

By Leesfield & Partners

Divers broke records this year in an annual competition to remove invasive lionfish from Florida waters, according to a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission press release.

The 2024 Lionfish Season concluded with a record-breaking 31,773 species being pulled from the water. Just under 300 divers went on over 700 trips throughout the state to retrieve the animals that are dangerous to native fish and coral reefs.

One lionfish can reduce a native reef fish population by over 70%. They also present a risk to humans with their venomous spines which can cause painful stings. In 2022, over 25,000 lionfish were removed from Florida waters in FWC’s annual, summer-long challenge, which began in 2016.