The families of two daughters who were killed and injured in a boating accident three years ago, came together on Saturday to establish foundations to help traumatic brain injury survivors and create awareness about boater and watercraft safety.
The family of Katy Puig put on a fundraiser to help in the fight for her recovery.
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WATCH HERE"Katy Strong" was the message that echoed in the South Florida community for nearly three years since the tragic accident.
Hundreds gathered to celebrate Puig by playing her favorite sport: soccer.
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"To have everybody here, supporting my sister, supporting my family, and even supporting Lucy, it truly means the world to us, and we’re so blessed to have this community," said Amanda Puig, Katy's sister.
With every goal comes a step closer to Katy's road to recovery.
"It's been really tough," said Rudy Puig, Katy's father. "It's been the toughest challenge of our life. That day on September 4, 2022, it changed not only changed Katy’s life forever, it changed our life."
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Katy was one of 14 passengers aboard a boat that crashed into a channel marker during Labor Day weekend in 2022.
She was left with a traumatic brain injury.
And nearly three years later, Katy’s on her road to recovery, undergoing therapy five times a week.
Proceeds from Saturday’s soccer tournament are hoping to help
"As a big sister, I’m looking up to her and every day she’s pushing through," Amanda said. "It’s not easy what she does."
"Just to see the progress she has made in such a short time is a testament, not only to the love and the faith that lives behind her family but to the perseverance and to her strength," said Melissa Fernandez, Lucy Fernandez’s mother. "She’s an inspiration to all of us.:
Lucy's family was also supporting Katy.
She was killed in the Labor Day weekend crash.
"They were truly best of friends, and I know that Lucy is looking down, giving her the strength to continue to progress forward and we're just so happy to be a part of this," said Andy Fernandez, Lucy's father.
Just last week, the Fernandez family helped pass Lucy’s Law in Florida, which aims to enhance boater safety in the state.
"Boating is beautiful," Andy said. "It is the most beautiful thing we have here in the state of Florida, but it also could be dangerous."
The tournament comes as the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission confirmed two body camera videos from that boat crash were reportedly deleted.
The agency said the footage was marked incidental and erased automatically.
"This is the second time that a video was missing," Rudy said. "There’s a lot of misleading facts and misleading things that the report said and then the depositions are saying a different thing. We just want the truth. We want to know what happened, why it happened, and that’s it. And that’s what we’re looking for."
The agency said the officers followed procedure but changes are coming, as part of a push for more transparency and accountability.
Meantime, the Puigs and the Fernandez’ are hoping to inspire hope to make a difference in our community.
