It is five o’clock in the afternoon, the sun is starting to set, the sky is painted with all sorts of bright colors, the wind is blowing your hair all over the place. With every passing acceleration the water splashes your face and the salty air surrounds you as you spend a beautiful Saturday on the boat. Two seconds later, the boat has capsized and you are in the water struggling to stay afloat.
This is the reality of what can happen when people, uneducated on boater safety, decide to go out on their boats, risking their lives and the lives of those around them. While this is an issue that should be of top priority to any individual residing in Miami, it has become especially important to our school community in light of last year’s events.
On September 5, 2022, Lucy Fernandez ’23 passed away after being a victim of a boating accident that left many others with significant injuries. This tragedy seriously impacted the school community and truly served to make us more aware of the risks and responsibilities that come with being on the water.
“Losing Lucy in an activity that she loved, and that so many of our students and their families love and participate in, and that usually brings us tons of joy and relaxation, especially here in Miami, showed us right in our face that we can’t take it for granted,” President Sister Carmen Fernandez said.
As a result of the accident, Lucy’s family started The Lucy Fernandez Foundation, with the purpose of keeping Lucy’s memory alive, while promoting and educating people on boater safety.
“I already invited The Lucy Fernández Foundation to work with us to create a presentation and add an education component for students, so that we make sure that all of our girls and their families are safe when they are out enjoying the water,” Sister Carmen said.
Teenagers don’t always see the possible dangers on the water when they are out with friends and having a good time but, this makes it even more important to get them to understand that boating can have severe consequences.
Boater safety is not only an issue of such significance to our school community, but it is also incredibly relevant to the community as a whole. Living in a city surrounded by water it is only right that we educate ourselves before stepping out on the water. It is our responsibility to spread the Foundation’s message in school and to the larger community.
“It is important to keep our community safe from any further accidents and spread awareness,” BLU Crew Club president Emma Lizama said. “The new BLUE Crew Club will host boating safety seminars, where we’ll expand on the 10 Ways to Fly High Bird from the Lucy Fernandez Foundation. Rules such as awareness, following boating regulations, and getting your boater safety ID card are just some way to be safe on the water while still having fun.”
Water safety is the anchor that keeps us from a sea of accidents.
