A boat of interest has been found in connection with the hit-and-run death of a 15-year-old ballet dancer who was struck while water skiing in Biscayne Bay over the weekend. Authorities have identified a vessel matching the description of the one involved in the incident that killed Ella Riley Adler on Saturday.
The boat driver fled the scene after the tragic collision at Key Biscayne on Saturday, leading to an immediate multi-agency search for both the driver and the vessel. However, the boat owner, whose identity has not been disclosed publicly, now is cooperating with the investigation, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said in a statement on Tuesday.
Boat Traced at Last
"The boat is in our custody, and the owner is cooperating," Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation officer George Reynaud confirmed in a Facebook video.
Authorities did not immediately reveal the location where the boat was found or how it was located. It also remains unclear whether the owner of the vessel was the person operating it at the time of the collision with the girl.
According to the FWC, Ella was enjoying a water skiing excursion off Key Biscayne's Nixon Beach when she fell into the water while being towed.
Witnesses reported that she was then struck by the center console of an oncoming boat, which did not slow down or stop after the collision.
First responders described the Miami City Ballet dancer as being left floating in the water with "a lot of blood" coming from her body.
The teenager was still wearing her life vest and water skis when the boat, described as a light blue vessel with a dark blue bottom, plowed over her.
Reynaud said that Ella was in the water at the time, wearing a life vest and with ski boards still strapped to her feet, just moments before the tragic crash. He described the vessel as being white to light blue in color, with a blue or dark blue bottom paint.
According to him, the boat likely had two wide-board engines, although it could potentially have up to four based on various witness reports.
Talent Dies too Young
Tributes have flooded in for the talented Florida teen, who is also the granddaughter of the US Ambassador to Belgium. Her family described her as someone who had a magnetic presence, noting that "when she walked into a room, everyone was drawn to her."
Adler's funeral took place on Monday morning at Temple Beth Sholom in Miami Beach. "You were taken from us way too soon, and the world has been robbed of all the things you could have achieved. But you will always be here with us and your friends and family will carry your energy and spirit forever," Ella's father, Matthew Adler, wrote in an emotional letter that was read at the dancer's packed funeral on Monday.
Ella, who had appeared in over 100 performances with the Miami City Ballet, recently participated in her school's production of "Chicago" before her death, as shared by a friend with the gathering at Temple Beth Sholom in Miami Beach.
As the investigation continues, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission has issued an ongoing appeal for witnesses who may have seen the hit-and-run incident or have captured video footage of it.
