Tragic Boating Hit-and-Run Incident: Two Men Charged in Connection with Death of High School Freshman
Two Florida men are facing misdemeanor charges in connection with a tragic boating hit-and-run incident that resulted in the death of a 15-year-old high school freshman while she was wakeboarding with friends. Carlos "Bill" Alonso, 79, and Edmund Hartley, 31, have been charged with violating U.S. Coast Guard navigational rules, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC). The incident occurred in May 2024 at Key Biscayne's Nixon Beach, where Ella Adler and a friend were wakeboarding behind a boat driven by Hartley.
Adler and her friend fell into the water, and Adler was struck by a second boat that fled the scene. Witnesses described the boat as a center console with blue bottom paint and multiple outboard engines. Investigators traced the boat to Alonso's Boston whaler, which was docked at his Coral Gables home. Alonso claimed he was unaware of hitting someone, and his attorney stated that he was an experienced and cautious boater who did not cause the accident.
Adler, a freshman at Ransom Everglades School and a Miami City Ballet ballerina, was remembered for her light, love, and joy by her family. She was also a proud Jewish-American with a strong commitment to faith and community service. Both Alonso and Hartley have pleaded not guilty to multiple counts of careless operation of a vessel. Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava expressed condolences to the Adler family and called for better boat safety measures to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
The FWC expressed its deepest sympathies to Adler's family and friends, acknowledging the unimaginable loss they are facing. The case is ongoing, and both men are facing legal consequences for their alleged roles in the fatal boating incident. The community continues to mourn the loss of Adler and strives to honor her memory by promoting boat safety awareness.