A tugboat captain has been charged with seaman's manslaughter following a July 2025 collision near Miami that killed three children, federal prosecutors announced March 31.
Yusiel Lopez Insua was at the helm of the 25' mini-tugboat Wood Chuck, which was pushing a 60' construction debris-laden barge across Biscayne Bay on July 28 when the barge struck a stalled 17' sailboat carrying a counselor and five children from a nearby sailing camp. Three of the children, ages seven, 10, and 13, drowned after becoming trapped in the wreckage. The 19-year-old counselor and two other children, ages eight and 12, survived after being dragged under the barge.
According to prosecutors, the tugboat's forward view was blocked by a deckhouse and crane, and no lookout had been posted aboard the vessel. A forensic examination of Insua's cellphone also revealed internet activity during transit, including at or near the time of the collision, prosecutors said.
“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,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “We will present the evidence in court with care and professionalism. As in every case, the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.”
If convicted, Insua faces up to 10 years in federal prison.
The case is being investigated by the Coast Guard Investigative Service Southeast Region, Coast Guard Sector Miami, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Prosecutors credited the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office, Miami Police Department, and Miami Beach Police Department for their rescue efforts at the scene.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Gilfarb and Daniel Rosenfeld, along with Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanner Stiehl, are prosecuting the case.
