Video allegedly shows moments before, after boat collision that killed Florida teen: lawyer

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Sunday, May 19, 2024
Video allegedly shows moments before, after deadly boat incident
A lawyer for Carlos "Bill" Guillermo Alonso says video shows the moments before and after a Florida boat accident killed Ella Adler.

KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. -- A lawyer for the owner of a boat that fatally struck a Florida teen released new video that allegedly shows the moments before and after the collision.

Attorney Lauren Field Krasnoff, who represents the boat owner, 78-year-old Carlos "Bill" Guillermo Alonso, released the video, saying, "Bill was alone. He was not drinking, and he had no clue that he may have hit someone... If Bill hit anything, let alone a person, he absolutely would have stopped."

Authorities say 15-year-old Ella Adler was wakeboarding with friends off the coast of Key Biscayne last weekend. She fell in the water, with her board still attached to her feet, waiting for her friends to circle back and pick her up. That is when, investigators say, Alonso struck Adler with his 42-foot-long boat without stopping to help.

The incident prompted a search lasting several days. Florida Fish and Wildlife located the suspected boat in Coral Gables, seizing the vessel and hauling it away.

The newly released video shows Alonso docking the boat in what appear to be the moments after the fatal incident.

In the video, Alonso appears calm. His attorney says his demeanor supports the claim that her client was unaware of the collision or if he was even involved.

"He was out in the water alone that day. He had no idea that an accident had occurred. He had no knowledge of the accident until law enforcement came knocking on his door," Field Krasnoff said.

Adler was a high-school freshman and talented ballerina, appearing in more than 100 performances with the Miami City Ballet, according to her obituary.

Her family shared a video, saying, "Ella was beautiful and shined brightly. In her 15 years, she gave us more light than we could have ever dreamed."

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