Ella Riley Adler, Miami teen Ballerina, struck, killed by boat while waterskiing, no arrests as un-identified fishing boat driver flees Key Biscayne, Nixon Beach hit and run scene.
Florida water authorities continue to seek to identify the driver of a ‘fishing boat’ that struck and hit a teen girl who had gone out waterskiing, killing her before fleeing the scene.
Ella Riley Adler, 15, lost her life on Saturday afternoon off the coat of Key Biscayne‘s Nixon Beach, when a boater collided with her before speeding away from the scene.
The suspected driver of the boat has to date yet to be arrested according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).
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No attempt to slow down or divert course
The teen girl was reportedly celebrating a friend’s birthday and had been waterskiing from a gray boat when tragedy struck, with a first responder telling WSVN that they found ‘a lot of blood in the water.’
The boater apparently made no attempt to slow down or divert course as they approached the high schooler, according to witnesses who spoke with WTVJ.
One witness, who asked to remain anonymous, described hearing the captain of the boat that Ella was on calling in a mayday over the radio, as well as screaming and blaring their horn.
Officials described the fleeing vessel as a light blue Center Console, possibly with blue or dark blue bottom paint and three or four white outboard engines.
FWC officials also confirmed to NBC6 on Sunday that the girl was not actively waterskiing when she was hit.
‘She was just in the water with the board attached to her feet and wearing a life jacket,’ an FWC spokesperson told the outlet.
‘Our hearts are broken’
According to her school, Ransom Everglades, Adler was already at the age of 15 an accomplished ballet performer.
Wrote Head of School, Rachel Rodriguez on Monday: ‘Our hearts are broken and our community has been devastated by this tragedy. Ella shined in our classrooms and on our stages, and she embodied the mission of Ransom Everglades School. She was an outstanding student, a wonderful dancer and an active member of the Jewish Student Association and speech and debate team.
We extend our deepest sympathy to her family and our prayers are with all who are mourning her loss. In this time of unspeakable pain, we have been moved by the outpouring of kindness and compassion from the Ransom Everglades community. In the coming days and weeks, we will continue to lean into our core values and provide support and care to the many students and members of our professional community who are grieving.’
Annual tuition at the private Miami Beach area school is $51,000-a-year according to the Ransom Everglades website.
Ella’s father runs Florida-based property company Adler Group, and she lived in a sprawling $7.3 million mansion in an affluent Miami Beach neighborhood.
A funeral service was being held Monday at Temple Beth Shalom for Adler, who was on the dance team at Ransom Everglades.
Fines and charges fleeing driver now faced
‘Special little girl. She was a great dancer. She was my daughter’s best friend. It’s a tremendous loss. She had such a bright future. Very sad, very sad,’ family friend Loren Pierson told NBC6.
‘It’s really sad to hear. I heard she was a really nice girl and was on the dance team and had a lot of friends. I can’t imagine the pain they’re going through,’ student Miles Gelber said.
An obituary posted on Legacy.com said Adler had appeared as a ballerina in the Nutcracker, appearing in over 100 performances with the Miami City Ballet at the Adrienne Arsht Center.
‘She loved her friends deeply. She had a big posse of friends, both from Blue Star Camps and school, but Ella had a way of making each of her friends feel special,’ the obituary read. ‘She was loyal. She was compassionate. She always believed in speaking up for what was right and she always spoke her mind, but with warmth and grace.’
The Miami City Ballet also released a statement on the teen’s death.
‘We at Miami City Ballet and the Miami City Ballet School are utterly devastated by the heartbreaking news of this tragic accident. Ella Adler was not just a beloved student and a magnificent dancer who graced our stage in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker; she was an integral part of our family, radiating potential and promise whose kindness, warmth, and infectious joy were known to all,” the statement read. “Our hearts go out to Ella’s family, friends, and everyone who had the privilege of knowing and adoring her. As we come together, we will profoundly grieve the loss of Ella, and hold dear the precious memories we were fortunate enough to create with her.’
The FWC is continuing its search for the boat and said a reward of up to $20,000 is being offered for information leading to an arrest or aiding the investigation.
Under Florida law, leaving the scene of a boating accident that results in personal injury can result in a third-degree felony, which can land an offender in prison for a maximum of 5 years with a $5,000 fine.
Police are offering a reward of up to $20,000 for any information about the boater and the vessel responsible for the crash, including $5,000 from Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers. It remained unclear at present what charges the boat driver faced.
Anyone with information on this incident is urged to call the FWC’s hotline at 888-404-3922.
