A third child in the Biscayne Bay barge-sailboat crash has died, yacht club says

David J. Neal, Miami Herald on Aug 3, 2025

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

A third child has died as a result of Monday’s barge-sailboat collision in Biscayne Bay, the Miami Yacht Club announced Sunday.

“The Miami Yacht Club (MYC) and the Miami Youth Sailing Foundation (YSF) are deeply heartbroken to share that a third young sailor has tragically passed away as a result of the incident that occurred on the water earlier this week,” the Yacht Club email said. “This devastating news comes after two young sailors lost their lives in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy.

“Now, with the passing of a third sailor, the entire sailing community is shattered by grief.”

Herald sources confirm that Ari Buchman, 10, died after spending days in Jackson Memorial Hospital. Several South American media outlets reported her death Thursday via social media.

Ari’s levaya or funeral is Sunday afternoon, the afternoon of Tisha B’av, which the American Jewish World Service states is “the saddest day on the Jewish calendar.” It’s a day of mourning the destruction of the first two temples in Jerusalem and Jewish deaths from religious or ethnic hate over the last 2,000 years.

Ari’s death follows the Monday deaths of 7-year-old Mila Yankelevich and 13-year-old Erin Victoria Ko Han shortly after the crash of a barge into a sailboat between Hibiscus Island and Monument Island around 11:30 a.m.

Of the five summer sailing campers on the sailboat, three have died; one has been released from Jackson, according to the U.S. Coast Guard; and one was treated for injuries on the scene along with the 19-year-old counselor.

The U.S. Coast Guard, the agency leading the investigation, tested the tugboat captain for impairment, but haven’t released those results yet.

“Our hearts are broken for these families,” The Miami Yacht Club said. “There are no words that can ease this pain, but we stand in full solidarity with the families, counselors, and every member of the YSF during this unthinkable nightmare.”

_____