Lead investigator for Florida Fish and Wildlife commission testifies in George Pino boat crash trial

Lead investigator for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission testified about the Sept. 4, 2022 Biscayne Bay crash. Lt. William Thompson said Doral real estate broker George Pino spontaneously told him that another boat caused the wreck after responders arrived, a claim he maintained despite no corroborating observations. The collision occurred around 6:37 p.m. in the Cutter Bank channel, and Pino, aboard a 29-foot Robalo, pulled into Elliott Key Harbor at 8:16 p.m. to be treated and processed. Luciana Fernandez, 17, died the next morning after being flown to HCA Florida Kendall Hospital; her classmate Katerina Puig sustained injuries with long-term neurological and physical effects.