The devastated father of the 13-year-old girl who tragically lost her life in the Miami boat crash on Monday shared the last words his “amazing daughter” said to him before the incident.
“I still remember when we dropped her off. She said, ‘See you later, mom and dad!'” Pil Jye Ko recounted what his daughter, Erin Ko Han, told him and his wife as they left her for her first day at the Miami Yacht Club’s sailing camp.
Upon hearing about the crash, Ko hoped it was all a “dream,” but that hope was shattered when the reality sunk in. He prayed for a miracle, for the hospital to call and say that his daughter was alive and safe, but sadly, that wasn’t the case.
He and his wife rushed to Jackson Memorial Hospital to be with their daughter, who had sustained severe injuries that left them in disbelief.
“I can still see it in my mind. She had many wounds to her head, her arms, her legs, everywhere,” Ko recalled.
Erin Ko Han, a standout student at Nautilus Middle School, was proficient in English, Spanish, and Korean, and was in the process of learning Japanese. She excelled in volleyball, loved swimming, and was described as the perfect daughter by her father.
Originally from Chile, the Ko family had moved to Florida in 2024 for work and to provide a better life for Erin. However, they are now left grappling with the pain of losing their beloved daughter and seeking justice for her untimely death.
“We are very much in pain in our hearts because she was all we had,” Ko expressed. “I need to honor my daughter because I can’t say goodbye as if nothing happened. I need to know what happened.”
Another victim of the incident was Mila Yankelevich, 7, the granddaughter of renowned Argentinian TV producer Cris Morena. Two other campers were critically injured, while the sailboat’s instructor and another child escaped unharmed.
The US Coast Guard has initiated an investigation into the tragic crash, while the barge captain, who underwent a sobriety test at the scene, has not been detained.
