DON’T FAULT THE JETTY
The December article regarding the boating accident death of Jose Fernandez and two others was, in my opinion, misguided. It describes alleged issues with the visibility of the Government Cut jetty at night, implying that that was the primary cause of the accident. But it also states that “the baseball player’s [boat] crashed into the jetty at a high rate of speed about 3:15 a.m.” Though not stated in the article, maximum moonlight that night was only about 30 percent, so even if the sky was cloudless, it would have been fairly dark offshore.
The official autopsy report indicated that Fernandez had a blood alcohol content of 0.147 percent, almost double the legal limit of 0.08 percent, and had cocaine in his system. The autopsies of the other two men also showed high alcohol levels and cocaine in their systems. Miami-Dade County investigators reported that the accident was caused by “recklessness exacerbated by consumption of alcohol.” But somehow, according to Sen. Marco Rubio, the fault lies with the jetty, not the boater. Am I the only person having trouble with that reasoning? Tom Butler West Chester, Pennsylvania Your article regarding the tragic death of Jose Fernandez and two of his friends states that Sen. Marco Rubio said Government Cut is difficult to transit because the north jetty is sometimes submerged and not properly marked. I’ve been transiting that inlet for almost 30 years and have never seen the jetty completely submerged. If it were, half of Miami Beach would be flooded.
As far as the inlet not being properly marked, nothing could be further from the truth. The light-scatter from Miami and Miami Beach and the markers leading into the inlet make it very easy to see from offshore at night. Let’s face it: The accident was caused by drugs, alcohol and too much speed. Capt. Marty Olsen
via email
Editor’s note: The toxicology results were released after Soundings went to press with this story. sons that this is not just a hobby for me. It’s not something many people around here really understand. It’s what is on my mind when I’m at work, at home and on the way to the dock.
Thank you for what you do. And thank you for turning English grammar into an art form. Victor M. Lagomasino Miami
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