Overview

• In late April, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission charged 79-year-old Carlos Guillermo Alonso with two misdemeanors and 32-year-old Edmund Richard Hartley with four misdemeanors for careless vessel operation.
• The charges stem from a May 11, 2024 collision in Biscayne Bay that killed 15-year-old Ella Adler after she fell from a wakeboard.
• Investigators located and seized Alonso’s 42-foot Boston Whaler from his Coral Gables home during their probe.
• Both men have pleaded not guilty as Alonso’s attorney maintains he was unaware of striking Adler.
• Authorities allege both operators violated U.S. Coast Guard rules on proper look-out and collision avoidance leading to the fatal incident.