The roommate of a woman killed in a boating accident in Biscayne Bay over the weekend is remembering her friend as a hardworking, kind person whose death has left her in shock.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said the incident happened Saturday morning in the waters near West Point and Crandon Park Marina.
Two people, 54-year-old Neil Schwabe of Coconut Grove and 33-year-old Claudia Orellanes of Coral Gables, were on board the 27-foot boat when they were thrown into the water and struck by their own vessel as it continued moving through the water, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials said. Video captured the aftermath, when the boat was left spinning out of control.
Schwabe was airlifted to the hospital. Orellanes was pulled from the water but did not survive.
Mayra Echevarria, Orellanes’ roommate, said they had lived together for two years after Orellanes moved to the U.S. three years ago from Cuba. She said Orellanes was working as an insurance agent.
“She would wake up every morning at seven o’clock and drive to her work and she came back at 4:30 every day. She was a work person, a responsible person,” Echevarria said. “I miss her a lot because she was always with her dog and she was always saying good morning. I miss her a lot in the morning. I will see her at the door. I miss Claudia.”
Echevarria said she is still trying to process the loss of her friend.
“I don’t sleep well. It impacted me a lot. So young. How could she pass so fast, in one day? So young? She was a good person, a very good person,” she said. “I’m always thinking about her. When I would see her standing there. She would tell me ‘good morning.’ I never thought this could happen to a person like her.”
Investigators are still trying to determine what caused Saturday’s crash, but are urging boaters to take precautions before heading out onto the water. They include:
- ensure that all passengers are wearing a personal floatation device
- have a float plan so someone knows your itinerary
- have your VHF radio on channel 16 for emergencies
This marks the second deadly boating incident in Miami-area waters in just days, after a separate hit-and-run crash in Miami Beach that killed 55-year-old father Davide Veglia.
The FWC is leading the investigation.
