Erin with her parents. | Photo: youtube.com/@WPLGLocal10
Erin Ko Han’s father, 13, shared his last words to her before she died in the Miami boat crash — Video
The father of one of the two girls who died in the Miami boating accident spoke to the press to honor his daughter and demand justice: he doesn’t want the terrible tragedy she endured to be repeated.
A tragedy struck two Latino families in Miami after a boating accident left two people dead, including a 13-year-old Chilean girl. Her father recounted, in Spanish, the last words his daughter said to him before boarding the sailboat.
Erin, the 13-year-old Chilean girl who died in the boating accident. | Photo: YouTube.com/@WPLGLocal10
Erin Victoria Ko Han was 13 years old and attending summer camp when she died Monday morning. A barge collided with the sailboat she was traveling on with other girls, killing two girls. Her father, Pil Jye Ko, spoke to the media and recalled the last moments they shared before the accident.
The video of the interview generated a strong impact on social media, where hundreds of people expressed their grief. One user 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 👼🙏🕊️.”
Father of Erin, the 13-year-old Chilean girl who died in the boating accident. | Photo: YouTube.com/@WPLGLocal10
Another person noted the magnitude of the loss: “What a tragedy 😢💔❤️💔. I’m so sorry 🙏. Rest in peace, beautiful angel.” A third person expressed their shock : “Oh my God, her only daughter 😣😣😣.”
An incomprehensible crash
The accident occurred around 11:15 a.m. Monday in Biscayne Bay, when a 60-foot barge collided with a small 17-foot sailboat. Five children and a 19-year-old instructor were on board. The fatalities were Mila Yankelevich, 7, and Erin Ko Han, 13.
Erin, the 13-year-old Chilean girl who died in the boating accident. | Photo: YouTube.com/@WPLGLocal10
According to local media reports, the instructor was unable to avoid the impact. An autopsy confirmed that both girls died from accidental drowning. Two of the survivors, ages 8 and 11, remain in critical condition at Jackson Memorial Hospital.
Mila Yankelevich, the other victim of the tragedy
Mila Yankelevich was the granddaughter of producer Cris Morena and the daughter of Tomás Yankelevich and Sofía Reca. She was seven years old and also participating in a camp organized by the Miami Youth Sailing Foundation, an organization dedicated to teaching sailing to children between the ages of 7 and 15.
Days before the accident, her grandmother had shared a video with photos of the little girl, accompanied by the song “Todo Todo” by “Chiquititas.”
This was Erin Ko Han, the 13-year-old Chilean girl who died.
Erin was Chilean, born to a family of Korean origin, and had lived in Chile until December 2024. She attended San Pedro Nolasco School in Vitacura, which issued a statement highlighting her warmth, academic commitment, and participation in school life.
At the end of last year, the Ko family moved to Miami for work. Since then, Erin has attended Nautilus Middle School and participated in extracurricular activities such as volleyball and swimming. According to her father , she spoke Spanish, English, and Korean, and was learning Japanese.
The Chilean consulate in Miami also expressed its condolences : “We share in the grief over the tragic loss of two girls in the boating accident that occurred this Monday in Biscayne Bay… We are deeply saddened by their families, especially their parents.”
Erin, the 13-year-old Chilean girl who died in the boating accident, with her parents. | Photo: YouTube.com/@WPLGLocal10
The painful testimony of Erin’s father
The father’s testimony was reported by Local 10 News, where he expressed the family’s deep sorrow. “She was all we had,” he said . With tears in his eyes, the man remembered his little girl: “She was a perfect daughter.” The family had left Chile seeking new opportunities in Florida, and, he explained, Erin was his only child.
She also recalled her daughter ‘s last words : “I still remember us going to drop her off, saying goodbye, ‘See you, Mommy and Daddy.'” Sadly, that reunion was never to happen: the parents didn’t know it, but it was the last time they would see their daughter alive.
Erin’s dad’s testimony. | Photo: YouTube.com/@WPLGLocal10
He said that when he heard about the accident, he hoped it was just a nightmare . He hoped the hospital would call him and someone would say, “Your daughter is alive, she’s fine.” When they arrived at the hospital, however, they found Erin with no vital signs and multiple injuries : “She had multiple injuries on her head, arms, legs, everywhere.”
In that same interview, Pil Jye Ko demanded justice: “There are two girls who have gone to heaven, and two other children who are in critical condition. This can’t happen.” She stated that she needs answers so she can properly say goodbye to her daughter.
Erin, the 13-year-old Chilean girl who died in the boating accident, with her parents. | Photo: YouTube.com/@WPLGLocal10
The family also issued a public statement expressing their gratitude for the support: “On July 28, our lives were changed forever by a devastating accident that took Erin from us too soon, leaving our family heartbroken beyond words.”
Although the interview was conducted for an English-language outlet, the father’s testimony was given in Spanish, and the network where it aired broadcast it with subtitles for English-speaking audiences. You can watch what he said here:
They asked for privacy during this grieving process : “During this unimaginably difficult time, we kindly ask for privacy as we mourn Erin and honor her beautiful life.” We send our condolences to the families of the two deceased girls in this time of grief.
