2 Girls Dead, 2 Critically Injured After Barge Hits Youth Camp Sailboat In South FL: Reports

MIAMI BEACH, FL — Two girls were killed and two others were critically injured after a barge crashed into a youth camp sailboat in Miami Beach on Monday, according to multiple reports.

There were six people aboard the sailboat when the crash happened around 11 a.m. near Hibiscus Island, the U.S. Coast Guard said in a news release.

Those killed were 7- and 13-years-old, who were pronounced dead at Jackson Memorial Hospital, the Miami Herald reported.

An 8-year-old girl was unresponsive as of Monday afternoon, while an 11-year-old girl was also in critical condition, reports said. Both were brought to the Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson.

A 12-year-old girl and a 19-year-old woman, a counselor, were rescued, reports said.

"Our hearts are with the families of those lost and all who have been affected by this tragedy,” Capt. Frank Florio, commander of Coast Guard Sector Miami, said. “Incidents like this leave a lasting impact on our maritime community and reinforce the importance of learning from every loss. The Coast Guard will conduct a thorough investigation to determine the causal factors and identify steps to help prevent similar tragedies in the future. We remain steadfast in our commitment to accountability, improvement, and the shared responsibility of ensuring safety at sea.”

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue crews were first on scene, then later joined by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, City of Miami Fire Rescue, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), and Coast Guard Station Miami Beach.

"It was all hands on deck," Miami Fire Rescue Lt. Pete Sanchez told NBC News. "It was a very chaotic scene, as you can imagine, especially when children are involved."

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An Hibiscus Island resident told NBC's Telemundo Miami, "They were rescuing kids as a boat sunk, and I saw them put one of the kids in the ambulance.”

As of Monday afternoon, a Coast Guard small boat crew was at the scene to establish a 250-yard safety zone around the crash site as the sailboat remained submerged under the barge, the agency said.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

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