Authorities announced Tuesday that they have located a boat of interest connected to the tragic death of 15-year-old Ella Riley Adler, who was struck and killed while waterskiing in Biscayne Bay over the weekend.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) officials stated that a boat matching the description of the one involved in the Saturday afternoon incident has been taken into custody, and its owner is cooperating with the ongoing investigation.
FWC Chairman Rodney Barreto expressed relief at this development, saying, “I am pleased to report that we have a vessel in custody that matches the description given by witnesses, and the investigation is ongoing. As a father and grandfather, my heart is broken for the Adler family. Ella’s death is devastating for her family, friends, and the community at large. The FWC and our partner law enforcement agencies will not stop until we have all the answers and the case is solved.”
Aerial footage from Chopper 6 captured images of the boat docked behind a house in the Hammock Oaks neighborhood in southwest Miami-Dade on Tuesday. The boat was later towed from the property and transported to the FWC’s offices.
Officials credited an eyewitness for helping locate the boat. The identity of the boat’s owner has not been disclosed, and it remains unclear whether the owner was operating the vessel at the time of the incident.
In response to this potential breakthrough, the Adler family released a statement on Tuesday night. “The world lost a star this weekend. Ella was beautiful and shined brightly. In her 15 years, she gave us more light than we could have ever dreamed. While we cope with this unspeakable tragedy, we ask the public to give us our privacy as we mourn. We also wish to extend our gratitude to law enforcement for their hard work and commitment to helping bring some closure to this horrific loss.”
The fatal incident occurred at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday at Nixon Beach Sandbar off Key Biscayne. Officials reported that Adler was not actively waterskiing but was being towed when she fell into the water. At that moment, another boat struck her and fled the scene.
The boat in question was last seen heading westbound from Nixon Beach and was described as a “light blue center console with possibly blue or dark blue bottom paint with three or four white outboard engines,” according to FWC officials. The boat discovered on Tuesday had four engines and matched this description.
Ella Adler, a student at Ransom Everglades School, succumbed to her injuries. She was a talented ballet performer and a member of the school’s dance team, having appeared in over 100 performances of the Nutcracker with the Miami City Ballet at the Adrienne Arsht Center.
During her funeral on Monday, Loren Pierson, the father of Adler’s best friend who was with her at the time of the incident, expressed his grief. “A great dancer, my daughter’s best friend, a tremendous loss,” Pierson said. “She had such a bright future, very sad.”
FWC officials have been working tirelessly to locate the boat involved in the incident. The investigation remains ongoing.
