On May 11, 2023, 15-year-old Ella Adler, a celebrated local ballerina from Miami, was tragically killed in a boating incident near Key Biscayne, Florida. Adler was wakeboarding with a friend behind a boat with a dozen people on board when she fell into the water. Before her vessel could retrieve her, a light blue center console boat with multiple white outboard engines struck her and fled the scene.
Carlos Guillermo Alonso, a resident of Coral Gables, has been identified by police as the suspected operator of the hit-and-run boat. Alonso, who resides in a $4 million home, is represented by attorney Lauren Field Krasnoff. Krasnoff asserts that Alonso, an experienced boater of over 50 years, was unaware of the incident until police visited his home. She maintains there is doubt regarding his involvement, emphasizing that Alonso has cooperated with authorities and tied up his boat in plain sight upon his return.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) confirmed that Alonso was alone on his boat during the incident. As of the latest reports, no criminal charges have been filed against Alonso, and the investigation remains active. The FWC has not speculated on potential charges. Witnesses describe the scene as having "a lot of blood in the water" following the collision.
Ella Adler was a freshman at Ransom Everglades School and a performer with the Miami City Ballet. On May 15, 2023, mourners gathered for her funeral service at Temple Beth Sholom in Miami Beach. Ella's family, including her parents Amanda and Matthew Adler, and her siblings Jaden and Adalynn, have publicly expressed their grief and thanked authorities for their efforts.
This tragic event has also drawn the attention of First Lady Jill Biden, who visited the Adler family in accordance with the Jewish mourning tradition of Shiva. The family has requested privacy as they cope with their loss.