Miami authorities are desperately seeking information about a boat that struck and killed a 15-year-old girl, Ella Adler, in a horrifying hit-and-run incident over the weekend. Ella, a talented student and ballet dancer from Miami Beach, was wakeboarding near Key Biscayne on Saturday afternoon when the accident occurred.
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Ella had fallen into the water about a mile from shore while being towed behind a boat. As she waited to be picked up, wearing a life jacket with her wakeboard still attached, another vessel struck her and fled the scene.
Despite her safety precautions, Ella Adler suffered fatal injuries in the hit-and-run. Investigators are now on an urgent hunt for the boat responsible – described as a 30 to 40-foot center console vessel with a distinctive light blue hull, white outboard engines, and possibly blue or dark blue bottom paint.
“We are heartbroken as we say goodbye to our beautiful niece, Ella,” her aunt Cristina Mas Adler wrote in a post on Facebook. “She brought so much joy, laughter, and love into our lives.”
Ella’s school, Ransom Everglades, called her an “outstanding student” who “shined” in academics and extracurriculars. They also wished her family “peace and comfort” through their Instagram page.
As the search for the boat driver continues, a $20,000 reward has been offered for any information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case. The FWC and Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers have combined to put up $10,000, with Ella Adler’s family contributing the other $10,000 in a desperate bid for justice.
“The world lost a star this weekend,” the victim’s parents Amanda and Matt stated to ABC News. “We hope the public will help us find the person who took her from us.”
