Probe of jetty sought as service held for Fernandez
As a public memorial service was held Wednesday for Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio is seeking a safety probe into the rock jetty where a boat crash claimed the lives of the baseball star and two friends.
A private funeral Mass will be held Thursday with family and Marlins players and personnel.
Rubio, a Florida Republican, sent a letter Wednesday to the Coast Guard and Army Corps of Engineers asking for a review of the centuryold jetty and whether it poses a chronic danger to boaters. The jetty, which extends out from Miami’s port, is difficult to see at night especially at high tide, Rubio said.
“While our hearts are heavy with grief for the numerous lives lost every year on the water, we can do more to save others,” Rubio wrote. “As a boater myself, I have experienced firsthand the challenges this particular jetty can present to others trying to navigate around it.”
Shortly after the 32foot boat owned by Fernandez crashed early Sunday, the Coast Guard said a lighted buoy that marks the channel opening at the end of the jetty was working properly. The jetty itself does not have lights, but officials say routine reviews have concluded the existing navigational aids are adequate for safety.
The cause of the crash is being investigated by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. In addition to Fernandez, Emilio Jesus Macias, 27, and 25-year-old Eduardo Rivero also died in the crash.
Investigators have said no evidence of alcohol or drug use was found at the scene, but medical examiner toxicology reports are pending.
A Miami River bar and restaurant has confirmed that Fernandez was there before the crash, but it is unclear if he was drinking.
Highly popular in the Cuban-American community, Fernandez defected from the communist island at age 15 and rose to baseball stardom.