Two Men Charged in 2024 Biscayne Bay Teen Boating Death

Two men, Carlos Guillermo Alonso and Edmund Richard Hartley, have been charged with misdemeanor careless boating offenses in the May 2024 death of 15-year-old Ella Adler, who was struck by a boat while wakeboarding in Biscayne Bay. Alonso, 79, operated the boat that hit Adler after she fell into the water, and faces two counts related to Coast Guard navigational rules on responsibility and lookout. Hartley, 31, was the captain of the yacht towing Adler and has been charged with four counts, including failing to maintain a lookout and violating navigational rules concerning collision risk and avoidance. Both men pleaded not guilty and are set for trial in Miami-Dade County on June 30, 2025. Ella Adler was a student at Ransom Everglades High School and the granddaughter of Michael Adler, the U.S. ambassador to Belgium. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which conducted a thorough investigation, expressed sympathy to Adler's family and friends while emphasizing the importance of navigational safety on the water.