The mother of one of the girls who were on the boat with 15-year-old Ella Adler before she was fatally struck by another boat while wakeboarding spoke out at a Key Biscayne council meeting Tuesday night.
"My daughter... was on the boat," said Melissa White during the meeting. "This weekend will be marking her life, a turning point, before the accident and after the accident."
The boating incident happened near Nixon Beach in Miami-Dade around 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials said.
"The Adler family, their lives are forever changed," said White. "But there's girls that had to witness it. My hope is that they go forward and they continue to make Ella's memory a blessing."
Get South Florida local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC South Florida newsletters.
"Even though Ella didn't live in our community you all showed up," said White. "And I just want to thank you, it does make a difference."
According to a witness, Adler, 15, was in the water when she was struck by a large center console fishing boat. They said the boat that hit her did not appear to swerve or slow down. Following the collision, the witness said they heard distress signals and screams over the radio coming from the yacht.
FWC's incident report confirmed that Adler was wakeboarding when she fell in the water while being towed, before being struck.
BISCAYNE BAY BOAT INCIDENT
A funeral service was held Monday at Temple Beth Shalom for Adler.
Adler was a student and an accomplished ballet performer, Ransom Everglades Head of School Rachel Rodriguez said Monday.
On Tuesday, officials confirmed that a boat of interest connected to the fatal accident had been found.
Officials confirmed that it was thanks to an eyewitness that they were able to find the boat.
The owner's identity hasn't been released, and it's unknown if the owner was driving the boat during the incident. The incident remains under investigation.
