Tug Captain Charged With Manslaughter for Tragic Sailboat Collision
Prosecutors in Florida have charged the captain of a mini-tugboat with seaman's manslaughter in connection with a deadly collision that killed three young girls in Biscayne Bay last year.
On July 28, 2025, Yusiel Lopez Insua, 46, was navigating the 25-foot tug Wood Chuck and a 60-foot construction barge across Miami's Biscayne Bay. The tug was pushing ahead, and the view from the pilothouse was limited because of equipment on the deck of the barge, including a large crawler crane and a deckhouse. There was no lookout on duty aboard the barge.
At about 1100 hours, the tug transited past Hibiscus Island and approached a formation of sailboats from a youth sail-training camp. One of the catamaran boats stalled out and lost forward momentum in the barge's path, and Insua did not see it. The barge ran over the small craft, sending all six occupants into the water. Three young girls were trapped underwater and drowned; the counselor and two students made it down the length of the barge as it passed over them, and they survived. One of the young students sustained "catastrophic" life-altering injuries, according to her parents.
Prosecutors contend that Insua's cellular device showed internet usage during the casualty voyage, including activity near the location of the accident.
Insua stands accused of seaman's manslaughter. If convicted, the maximum penalty is ten years in prison or a $250,000 fine.
“Our hearts are with the families of the children who lost their lives in this tragedy,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “This information alleges a preventable loss of life on our waterways, including the failure to follow basic maritime safety rules and cellphone use during transit at or near the time of the collision."
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Insua's attorney told local media that the captain "intends to accept responsibility for his conduct and to resolve the case in a way that avoids causing the families any further unnecessary pain or anguish."
According to the tug's operating company, Insua had been employed in the operation of the vessel for 12 years, and post-casualty toxicology tests came back negative.