The father of a girl killed in a Miami incident spoke to the press to honor his daughter and demand justice, hoping to ensure no other family has to experience such a terrible tragedy
A boating accident in Florida on July 28, 2025, has devastated a couple of Hispanic families. The crash left two girls dead, including 13-year-old Erin Victoria Ko Han, a girl from Chile. Her father, Pil Jye Ko, later recalled her final words to him before she boarded the sailboat.
The teenager was at a summer camp at the time of the incident, and a video of her father’s emotional interview in the aftermath resonated deeply on social media, where hundreds of people expressed their grief.
One YouTuber wrote, “I had to stop watching the video, seeing this man cry like that breaks me to pieces . How sad, rest in peace little angel ️”.
Pil Jye Ko talking to the press about his daughter’s loss, from a news report dated July 31, 2025 | Source: YouTube/WPLG Local 10
Another noted the magnitude of the loss, “What a tragedy ❤️. I’m so sorry . May you rest in peace, beautiful angel.” A third person expressed shock, “My God, his only daughter .”
An Incomprehensible Crash
A 60-foot barge struck a small, 17-foot sailboat, which was carrying five minors and a 19-year-old instructor, in Biscayne Bay around 11:15 a.m. on Monday. In addition to Erin, the crash also claimed the life of 7-year-old Mila Yankelevich.
Incident on Biscayne Bay, from a news report dated July 31, 2025 | Source: YouTube/WPLG Local 10
According to local media reports, the instructor had no way to avoid the impact. The autopsy confirmed that both girls died from accidental drowning. Two of the survivors, ages 8 and 11, remained in critical condition at Jackson Memorial Hospital as of this writing.
The Other Casualty
Mila was the granddaughter of producer Cris Morena and the daughter of Tomás Yankelevich and Sofía Reca. She had joined this summer camp run by the Miami Youth Sailing Foundation, a group that teaches sailing to children between the ages of 7 and 15.
