MIAMI (NewsNation) — Investigators believe they’ve found the boat that fatally struck a 15-year-old girl off a South Florida beach, officials said Tuesday.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and other law enforcement agencies had been searching for the vessel since Saturday when Ella Adler was killed. The boat operator fled without stopping.
The owner of the vessel is cooperating, authorities said.
“The boat is in our custody, and the owner is cooperating,” FWC officer George Reynaud said in a video on Facebook.
Adler, the granddaughter of U.S. Ambassador to Belgium Michael Adler, was water-skiing near Nixon Beach in Key Biscayne on Saturday when she was struck by the boat, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which is leading the investigation.
Adler fell in the water while being towed and was struck by another boat, the FWCC said. She died from her injuries.
She attended Ransom Everglades School where she was “an outstanding student” and a member of the school’s dance team, the Jewish Student Association and the speech and debate team, Ransom Everglades Head of School Rachel Rodriguez said in a statement to NewsNation.
“Ella shined in our classrooms and on our stages, and she embodied the mission of Ransom Everglades School,” Rodriguez said. “We extend our deepest sympathy to her family and our prayers are with all who are mourning her loss.”
Adler was also a talented ballerina who performed with the Miami City Ballet. Members said they “are utterly devastated” by Adler’s death.
“Ella Adler was not just a beloved student and a magnificent dancer she was an integral part of our family, radiating potential and promise whose kindness, warmth, and infectious joy were known to all,” the Miami City Ballet said in a statement.
A funeral service for Adler was held Monday morning at Temple Beth Sholom in Miami Beach.
A total reward of up to $20,000 was being offered for information that leads to an arrest.