motor yacht go accident

• Mar 4, 2021

Captain Makes Clutch Decision to Save Superyacht 'GO' in St. Maarten's Crash

By: Scott Way

Last week the brilliantly turquoise superyacht GO made headlines for crashing into St. Maarten's Yacht Club. Not once, but twice.

Naturally, internet 'experts' were quick to pounce. With a predictable lack of knowledge, many immediately labeled the crash the result of driver error. Surely no captain could crash one of the world's nicest boats into one of yachting's most famous ports. What the videos lack, like most viral phenomena, is context. The captain of GO was recently interviewed by The Daily Herald to discuss the circumstances surrounding the incident. Predictably, there was far more at play than operator error. If you haven't seen the videos, here's a few different angles of the mishap:

As for the vessel in question, the boldly turquoise GO is a 77m (252 ft) luxury motor yacht designed by H2 and built by the aptly named Turquoise Yachts . It is owned by Capri Sun mogul Hans-Peter Wild . Yes, that Capri Sun, the lovable juice in a bag with the world's most challenging straw. It is entirely computer-driven and packed with deluxe appointments including a pool, jacuzzi, elevator, gym, helipad, and steam room. She runs with a crew of 19 and has 7 cabins for up to 12 guests. It was built in Turkey and launched in 2018 with a pricetag of roughly $100 million USD.

As for the events that transpired, captain Simon Johnson was preparing to depart the lagoon via the rotating land bridge (which you can see in the upper frame of the second video). While roughly 50 metres from the bridge and holding position pending the bridge opening, an electronic error began pushing the yacht forward without steering input. The passage itself is precarious enough as GO carries a 13.5 meter (44 ft) beam and has only 50 cm (1.6 ft) of clearance on either side.

Johnson told The Herald , “With not much water between us and the bridge, I always set to align my stern and get parallel well in time for the bridge opening. We left the dock an hour before and went through all the checks. There was nothing different from the other times we’ve done this exit. I was in good shape."

“Then, when we were about 50 metres away and holding position, the yacht started moving mysteriously forward. There was nothing I seemed to be able to do; all the controls on the bridge were showing normal. I called the engine room and everything was normal down there. I found I had extremely limited control, almost limited to only the bow thruster, but with now only 50 metres between us and the bridge I had to make a decision fast."

The ability to prioritize outcomes while under duress is a valuable trait, and the sign of a good captain, and Johnson was able to calculate a remarkable list of outcomes before choosing a course of action.

“I certainly did not want to put the anchor down. That would have been disastrous. By the time the anchor hit the bottom we would have been 30 metres further in. Then we would have pinned the bow upwind, and slewed the stern towards the rocks and the road bridge.

“We have 160,000 litres of fuel on board. If I had done that, I would not only have disabled the bridge, but potentially breached the hull on the rocks beneath and could have caused an oil spill. My preferred option was to point the bow towards the yacht club dock, and beach her gently there. I had a crew member up front shouting a warning to make sure everyone was out of the way.”

After some initial investigation, it was determined Johnson had 13 roughly seconds to choose a course of action. Having made the passage at St. Maarten's 20 times previously, his knowledge of the boat and the lagoon was undoubtedly valuable.

“The fact that there were no warning alarms, no lights on board to indicate something was wrong was really scary. I know this yacht so well, yet I had 13 seconds to make a decision before hitting the bridge. The decision I made was one I would make again if faced with the same circumstances.”

While internet critics were quick to heap blame upon him, Johnson was justifiable in his criticism of the electronics responsible, calling them “ridiculously over the top” and without manual overrides. On GO in particular, there are 14 computers on the bridge with two more below decks. Insurers will now have the tall task of determining the root of the electronic fault, as well as assessing the extent of the damage to GO and the Yacht Club dock before pursuing repairs.

As for Johnson, “I’m proud that we walked away from a crash landing, and most importantly, there was no injury and the island’s arterial road bridge was not compromised,” he said.

The yacht's owner Hans-Peter Wild was also supportive, releasing a public statement in which he declared he is “extremely supportive of the captain’s decisions and performance. Personnel, economic, environmental disaster was averted for the island. I have full faith and confidence in the captain and am very grateful.”

You can see more photos of the impressive GO below:

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“I found I had extremely limited control, almost limited to only the bow thruster, but with now only 50 metres between us and the bridge I had to make a decision fast,” Captain Johnson added.

At this stage GO remains at the dock while waiting for the final assessments and repairs to be completed.

You can read the full story here .

As a licensed electrical engineer and mariner I was fascinated by this accident and pretty much knew what the likely cause of the accident was before reading the full account. I helped an owner with the delivery of his 1 year old Nordhavn 63 from Cabo to San Diego in 2016 with the purpose of the trip to take the boat back to the manufacturer for warranty work. The two major problems were a hydraulic failure that caused loss of steering and $50K of navigation gear that was inoperable. The boat was a marvel of marine engineering but the complexities of the systems aboard made me shake my head in awe. It was an easier boat to maneuver than my 36′ cutter with the computer control of the engines and thrusters. BUT you had to wonder what would happen if there was a glitch in the software. Unlike aircraft that are fly-by-wire the testing of yachts is much, much less stringent than required by the FAA. Expect more interesting videos like this and good on L38 for telling us the rest of the story. BTW, having read the full article it sounds like the pilot…er captain did a great job in dealing with the situation. Bravo to him and here is a toast to the K.I.S.S. principle.

As a guy who has piloted more than my share of both commercial boats and airplanes, I think that trying to pass a superyacht through a bridge with only 19 inches of clearance on each side while subject to wind and tides is just asking for trouble. I am a firm believer in “what can go wrong, will go wrong”.

Funny how this malfunctions occur after an accident, and not anytime during the other 3 years / 22,000 miles this Captain was on this ship safely out at sea.“Computer malfunction” seems unlikely to me. The only evidence of this is from the Captain who crashed it while making a seemingly I’ll-advised difficult pass-through. No diagnostics. No investigation report of yacht systems. No witnesses. And no similar reported “computer malfunctions at any other time – except after a crash.

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Superyacht crash video shows 77m Go colliding with Caribbean dock

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Footage has emerged of a 235ft superyacht crashing into a luxury Caribbean yacht club’s pier, causing visible damage to both the yacht and the dock.

Onlookers were shocked last week (February 24) when a 235ft (77m) superyacht collided with the dock of Sint Maarten Yacht Club in the Caribbean.

Video footage of the incident shows the extent of the damage – while the pier took the brunt of it, the superyacht’s steel hull didn’t come off unscathed.

Computer malfunction was to blame for the sickening superyacht crash, according to local publication The Daily Herald , which adds that no-one was injured as a result.

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The incident took place at around 1015 local time and the newspaper added that an insurer had already been to assess the extent of the damage by the end of the day.

If you think you’re having a bad day at work, spare a thought for the captain and crew who had to explain this situation to their yacht’s owner.

Launched by Turkish yard Turquoise Yachts in 2018, Go features a helipad, gym, jacuzzi, beach club, sauna and hospital as well as a master suite and eight guest cabins styled by London-based studio H2 Yacht Design.

She is run by a crew of up to 18 and her twin 2,575hp Caterpillar 3516C engines give her an estimated top speed of 17 knots.

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Captain of ‘GO’ opens up on mega yacht’s unexplained malfunction

Captain Simon Johnson on the bridge of the mega-yacht “GO”. (Robert Luckock photo)

~ “I am proud that we walked away from a crash landing.”  ~

SIMPSON BAY--Captain of the 77-metre-long mega-yacht GO Simon Johnson has sought to dispel rumours, answer critics and set the record straight in an exclusive interview with The Daily Herald, by describing the moments prior to the yacht’s sudden control malfunction in the crucial minutes of the line-up procedure to exit Simpson Bay Lagoon on Wednesday, February 24.

  He says the incident has inevitably brought his competence into question.

  The ultra-modern yacht built in Turkey in 2018 is entirely computer-driven, yet for all the latest electronics and a bridge brimming with computer screens and displays, the software apparently failed the British captain at the worst possible moment, leading to his choosing a deliberate impact with the St. Maarten Yacht Club wooden dock. 

  A second run-in to the dock was caused by, yet again, a computer miscommunication between the bridge and engine room in a bid to regain control.

  Johnson confirmed that the yacht’s insurance assessors are progressing well in their survey of all the damage sustained to the boat, which is minimal, and the dock, and are engaged to set things right.

  That said, the root causes of the malfunction have not yet been definitively identified and an intensive investigation is underway while the yacht remains at Ile de Sol Marina. 

  Johnson has defended his unblemished record as a captain and his split-second decisions that averted a far worse disaster. Like an airline pilot reacting to something unexpectedly going wrong mid-flight, Johnson was faced with a similar predicament, the difference being there are 400 souls at stake sitting in a plane at 30,000 feet. 

  In some ways, Wednesday’s extraordinary incident was Johnson’s “Miracle in the Lagoon” moment. There were no injuries, no lives lost, there was no oil spill, and the bridge was still intact.

  “I’m proud that we walked away from a crash landing, and most importantly, there was no injury and the island’s arterial road bridge was not compromised,” he said.

   GO’s width is 13.5 metres, the widest yacht to date to come through the bridge with just 50 centimetres of space on each side left to pass ( Limitless is 12.5 metres wide). In that sense, lining up absolutely correctly is key. GO has passed through the bridge in St. Maarten perhaps 20 times unscathed, always with a well- trained crew.

  “With not much water between us and the bridge, I always set to align my stern and get parallel well in time for the bridge opening,” he explained. “We left the dock an hour before and went through all the checks. There was nothing different from the other times we’ve done this exit. I was in good shape. The wind was a brisk 24 knots and we were being pushed towards the bridge. I am familiar with this manoeuvre even in even stronger winds.

  “Then, when we were about 50 metres away and holding position, the yacht started moving mysteriously forward. There was nothing I seemed to be able to do; all the controls on the bridge were showing normal. I called the engine room and everything was normal down there.

  “I found I had extremely limited control, almost limited to only the bow thruster, but with now only 50 metres between us and the bridge I had to make a decision fast. 

  “I certainly did not want to put the anchor down. That would have been disastrous. By the time the anchor hit the bottom we would have been 30 metres further in. Then we would have pinned the bow upwind, and slewed the stern towards the rocks and the road bridge.

  “We have 160,000 litres of fuel on board. If I had done that, I would not only have disabled the bridge, but potentially breached the hull on the rocks beneath and could have caused an oil spill. My preferred option was to point the bow towards the yacht club dock, and beach her gently there. I had a crew member up front shouting a warning to make sure everyone was out of the way.” 

  Johnson said he is deeply upset by the incident, but not concerned for his own record. He has done 28,000 miles on GO during his 3½ years as its captain. He has been in the business for 40 years, 35 as a captain, visited 276 ports on GO alone, and often manoeuvred her in the tightest places.

  “I’m very proud of my handling of yachts,” he stressed. “My biggest concern was not to stop the activity of the island, which I am very fond of, by taking out the bridge. I used to live here and have many friendships over the years.

  “The fact that there were no warning alarms, no lights on board to indicate something was wrong was really scary. I know this yacht so well, yet I had 13 seconds to make a decision before hitting the bridge. The decision I made was one I would make again if faced with the same circumstances.”

  Insurance assessors have arrived, as well as control systems people. The investigations are ongoing as to how an engine can be locked into gear, and why it never showed up. New parts are being flown in. Johnson indicated the investigation should be concluded by the end of this week.

  “We will not leave this dock until Lloyds Insurers approves the repairs and then we will have to do a sea trial to check all the systems. (I might not be at liberty to share a conclusion yet with these investigations ongoing, but it is looking like a computer malfunction seized us into gear). We are of course confident this will be solved.”

  He criticised modern electronics as getting “ridiculously over the top” with no manual overrides or back-ups if something goes wrong. GO has 14 computers on the bridge and two more below decks.

  “Questions have to be asked in this industry about what’s going on; who is building these boats, who is designing them, who is supervising them, and why we aren’t being asked what we (captains) need to operate them,” he said. 

  The owner of GO released the following statement: “The owner is extremely supportive of the captain’s decisions and performance. Personnel, economic, environmental disaster was averted for the island. I have full faith and confidence in the captain and am very grateful.” 

Copyright © 2020 All copyrights on articles and/or content of  The Caribbean Herald N.V. dba The Daily Herald  are reserved.

Without permission of The Daily Herald no copyrighted content may be used by anyone.

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Capri Sun billionaire was on his 235-foot-long superyacht when it crashed not once but twice in spite of it being controlled by 12 onboard computers. The $82 million vessel that boasts a swimming pool, helipad, and even a hospital had almost destroyed the dock in Saint Maarten.

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UPDATE: 63m M/Y Utopia IV spotted in Miami following collision

M/y utopia iv has been spotted in miami following an incident involving a collision with a tanker on christmas eve….

Image Credit:@ Diegoluca  on Instagram

The 63 metre Rossinavi motor yacht M/Y Utopia IV has been spotted in Miami following an incident involving a collision with a tanker on Christmas Eve last year. While the superyacht itself remains relatively unscathed considering the impact of the collision, investigations will need to be continued in order to identify the cause of the accident.

It has been confirmed that owners Loren and JR Ridinger were not on board during the accident and that there were no fatalities or serious injuries as a result of the crash.

SuperyachtNews coverage of the collision can be seen below -

63m M/Y Utopia IV collides with tanker in the Bahamas -27/12/2021

Image courtesy of salvage_and_wreckage

M/T Tropic Breeze was struck by the 63 metre Rossinavi superyacht M/Y Utopia IV at 22:03 pm on Christmas Eve just 15 miles off the coast of New Providence Island in the Bahamas. The 49 metre product tanker was travelling on its proper watch when it was ‘rear ended’ by the aluminium hull charter vessel. The collision led to the tanker sinking 2000 feet below sea level, however, all seven crew members were rescued without injury by M/Y Amara who were quick to respond to the distress call.

Several reports online have suggested that crew on-board M/Y Utopia IV did suffer minor injuries, however, no official statements have yet been made.

The tankers cargo onboard included non-persistent materials only - all of which have floated to the waters surface and subsequently have been easily dissipated into the atmosphere, meaning clean up action is only minimal. The 32 year old tanker was found by the authorities to be fully-compliant with all national and international safety and vessel integrity standards just a few weeks before the incident. Due to the depth of the ocean at the location where the incident occurred, it has been decided by authorities that the tanker can not be salvaged safely.

M/Y Utopia IV was originally commissioned by an American client in November 2014. Utopia IV’s unique features include a 70sqm beach club, three spa pools and a helipad. The 11m beam allows for a total interior volume of 986gt, and features a fast-displacement aluminium hull. After the launch, Rossinavi described the vessel as ‘fast and powerful’, with a maximum speed of 33 knots, an average cruising speed of 26 knots, and a range of  about 3,300 nautical miles. The speed upon impact is currently unknown.

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It is just the same question after any collision, even with true professionals involved ...

How in this day and age can this happen!!!! BNWAS and radar and posting a proper lookout on the bridge. Maybe too much reliance on technology and not enough looking out the window with a set of bins! Whether the master likes it or not it is down to him.

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Woman dies following three-vehicle crash at Harborcreek Township intersection Tuesday

The Pennsylvania State Police are investigating a three-vehicle crash in Harborcreek Township on Tuesday night in which one of the motorists later died.

The accident was initially reported on Tuesday at 7:32 p.m. on Buffalo Road at Nagle Road, according to state police and Erie County 911. One of the vehicles rear-ended another vehicle at the intersection, causing the struck vehicle to be pushed into a third vehicle, state police reported.

A 46-year-old woman who was driving one of the vehicles was taken to UPMC Hamot, where she was pronounced dead at 8:47 p.m. Tuesday, according to the Erie County Coroner's Office.

Additional details on the accident were not immediately available Wednesday.

Return to GoErie.com for updates

Contact Tim Hahn at  [email protected] . Follow him on X  @ETNhahn.

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Victims killed in crash near Renton identified as 3 children, 1 woman

A 38-year-old woman and three children were killed in a crash Tuesday afternoon near Renton, authorities confirmed Wednesday.

The crash involving four vehicles occurred shortly before 1 p.m. near the intersection of Southeast 192nd Street and 140th Avenue Southeast, in the Fairwood area, according to the King County Sheriff’s Office.

It was categorized as a mass casualty incident by responders, and five medic units were at the scene, according to the Renton Regional Fire Authority. 

The cause of the crash is still under investigation, but sheriff’s spokesperson Sgt. Eric White said speed may have been a factor.

An 18-year-old man has been identified as the driver who caused the crash, the Sheriff’s Office said. He is being treated for injuries at Harborview Medical Center and is expected to face criminal charges.

The King County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the 38-year-old woman as Andrea Smith Hudson and confirmed she died of multiple blunt-force injuries.

Hudson’s two children were inside the vehicle as well. They survived the crash but are receiving extensive care at Harborview Medical Center, according to a GoFundMe page set up by Hudson’s brother-in-law.

“Andrea Hudson was an amazing mother, devoted wife, beloved daughter, and dear friend to so many,” the page states. “She was a ray of light to those around her, and always had a smile on her face. The most patient and loving mother a child could hope to have.”

The GoFundMe said Hudson was driving her two children and three others to a home-school activity when they were struck.

“[Andrea] homeschooled all three of her children, and dedicated her life to her family,” the fundraiser said. “She enjoyed spending time adventuring with them in nature, and was an avid health enthusiast and cook. Her absence has left a hole in our hearts and will be felt by many.”

This is the first serious collision at the intersection this year, according to  data shared online by the Washington State Department of Transportation . There were two nonfatal crashes at the intersection last year, the data shows.

Seattle Times staff reporter Vonnai Phair contributed to this story.

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Angela Chao, McConnell’s sister-in-law, had a blood alcohol level three times above the legal limit in fatal accident, police say

Angela Chao, a shipping industry CEO and sister-in-law to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, was intoxicated when she drove into a pond and died last month in Texas, according to a law enforcement report released Wednesday.

The investigation by the Blanco County Sheriff’s Office concluded that  Chao’s death  was an “unfortunate accident” and her blood alcohol level was nearly three times the state’s legal limit.

Chao, 50, died the night of Feb. 10 after having dinner with a large group at a ranch near Johnson City, west of Austin. The report describes a frantic scene as friends and deputies tried to pull Chao from her Tesla after she backed it into the pond near a guest lodge on the property.

A friend, Amber Keinan, told detectives that Chao called her at 11:42 p.m. and said the car was in the water and she was trapped inside. The conversation lasted 8 minutes as the car slowly sank.

“Chao told Keinan the water was rising and she was going to die and said ‘I love you,’” the report says. “Chao then said her goodbyes to Keinan.”

Friends swam to the car while another paddled out with a kayak, according to the report. Someone else called 911 at 11:55 p.m. and remained on the phone for 11 minutes.

When law enforcement officials and firefighters arrived, they went into the water and attempted to enter the Tesla, the report said. They broke the window on the driver’s side, and a deputy felt around until he located Chao’s hand.

Emergency crews pulled her out of the car and brought her to shore, where she was pronounced dead at 1:40 a.m. Feb. 11.

A toxicology test determined that Chao had a blood alcohol concentration level of 0.233 grams per 100 milliliters, above the legal limit in Texas of .08, the report says.

Chao was the chair and CEO of her family’s shipping business, the Foremost Group, and the president of her father’s philanthropic organization, the Foremost Foundation. She lived in Austin, which is about 50 miles east of Blanco County.

Chao was the youngest of six sisters to immigrant parents who moved to the U.S. from China in the late 1950s. Her eldest sibling, Elaine Chao, is married to McConnell and served as transportation secretary under President Donald Trump and labor secretary under President George W. Bush.

“Angela’s name in Chinese sounds like the characters for peace and prosperity,” her father, James S.C. Chao, said in a family statement shortly after her death. “Her absence leaves a void not only in our hearts, but in the Asian-American community.”

Her father was named chairman of Foremost Group following her death. Michael Lee, a former president, became president.

Chao is survived by her husband, father and four sisters.

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The biggest superyacht disasters in 2022

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49m superyacht 007 runs aground in Greece

In the early hours September 3, the 49 metre yacht 007 struck rocks in a small bay on the island of Kythnos, in the Cyclades island chain in Greece. She quickly began taking on water and listed steeply on her port side, jutting out above the waterline around 15 metres from the beach. Pollution prevention measures were put in place within 24 hours, but the yacht remains in the same position as of December 2022, prompting complaints from local residents.

39m superyacht My Saga sinks in Italy

One of the most dramatic yacht disasters of 2022 came when 39 metre My Saga sunk in the Ionian Sea off the coast of southern Italy. She was being towed when the incident took place, after sending out a distress signal in the early hours of the morning to report that she was taking on water. It’s still not clear how the incident occurred, but a representative from a local marina told BOAT International that the seafloor in this region is too deep for the yacht be salvageable. You can watch the moment My Saga sunk below.

59m yacht Idol collides with bridge in Italy

A less dramatic incident saw the 58.9 metre motor yacht Idol collide with a bridge in Pisa, Italy. The bridge typically has an elevation of 11.8 metres above sea level during low tide, but according to eyewitness reports, the yacht attempted to pass during high tide. Minimal damage was sustained.

49m Eleonora E sinks in Spain following collision

In June, the 49 metre Eleonora E sunk after being hit by an offshore supply vessel while she was stationary in the marina. Footage shows the offshore vessel hitting the yacht squarely on its starboard side, after apparently running into mechanical difficulties. Eleonora E remained in the port for several months, before a three-week salvage operation raised her from the seafloor and hauled her away for repairs.

45 metre motor yacht Domani flounders off Washington Coast

Around 45 miles from the coast of Washington, the 45 metre Benetti yacht Domani ran into difficulty. The US Coast Guard reported the yacht’s crew had been unable to close the transom door, resulting in flooding of the beach club that left her disabled and floundering. Emergency services were quick to respond, and the yacht was towed to nearby Port Angeles for repairs.

Brand new 45m superyacht Aria SF goes up in flames in Ibiza

Fresh from delivery from Italian yard ISA, the 45 metre Aria SF caught fire in a busy anchorage in Formentera, Ibiza. Eyewitness accounts reported smoke originating from the area around her main saloon, and within minutes the yacht’s superstructure was engulfed in flames. She was towed away from other yachts to prevent damage, and sunk close to Cap Martinet, in Ibiza. Local news have been reporting on the ongoing efforts to remove the yacht’s hull from its current resting place.

Yacht damaged by Coast Guard in alleged drug smuggling operation

In July, shocking images showed the result of a clash between a 27 metre superyacht named Belgor and a Coast Guard patrol vessel in Turkey. The incident is alleged to be part of a drug smuggling operation, with the Coast Guard attempting to investigate reports indicating the presence of drugs on board the yacht in Muğla, close to Bodrum. The yacht then attempted to leave the waters of Turkey and the Coast Guard pursued, before finally opening fire and ramming the yacht.

25m motor yacht sinks off Chub Cay in the Bahamas

A 25 metre motor yacht, believed to be a popular Ferretti Yachts 830 model, was spotted submerged off the coast of Chub Cay in the Bahamas. The yacht reportedly hit a shallow reef and sank quickly, in an incident that bore some similarities to the sinking of another 25 metre motor yacht in April 2021.

Fire destroys 27m Sanlorenzo superyacht in Valencia

In April, a fire destroyed a 27 metre Sanlorenzo SX88 model named Pesa in the Port de Valencia, on Spain’s eastern coast. Six separate fire crews were called to tackle the blaze and it was eventually distinguished — however it’s understood the yacht is a total loss. After 12 hours of burning, the yacht sunk in the port.

Yacht damaged in fire at the Ferretti shipyard in Cattolica

At the start of the year, a fire at one of Ferretti Group’s Cattolica shipyard caused significant damage to a motor yacht under construction. No-one was injured thanks to the “immediate implementation of safety procedures” and the cause of the fire is subject to an investigation.

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3-year-old in driver's seat of truck that fatally struck 2-year-old: Police

An arrest has not been made in the incident, police said.

An unattended 3-year-old was behind the wheel of a truck left running at a California gas station when the vehicle fatally struck a 2-year-old, authorities said.

The incident occurred Saturday in Woodland, in the Sacramento metropolitan area, police said.

MORE: 5 killed, including 1-year-old, in head-on collision on Florida highway

The owner of the Dodge truck left the vehicle running while parked at a pump with his 3-year-old in a car seat and went into the gas station store, according to police. The 3-year-old then managed to get out of the car seat and into the driver's seat, according to police.

"The truck began moving forward and it collided with a two-year-old child who was near a taco stand on the edge of the lot," the Woodland Police Department said in a statement Monday.

Officers responded to a report of a child hit by a vehicle around 3:46 p.m., police said. The 2-year-old was seated at a table when the collision occurred, police said. Family members transported the toddler to a hospital, where she died from her injuries, police said.

The 2-year-old was identified by officials and her family as Ailahni Sanchez Martinez, of Woodland. Her father, Sandro Sanchez, told Sacramento ABC affiliate KXTV that she was about to turn 3 in April.

MORE: 3 children, 2 adults dead after school bus and semitruck collide in Illinois: Police

Witnesses told police they saw the 3-year-old in the driver seat, Woodland Police Sgt. Richard Towle told KXTV.

All parties involved have cooperated in the investigation, police said. An arrest has not been made, police said.

"We are working to ensure a thorough investigation is completed. This includes taking statements, analyzing evidence, reviewing video surveillance footage, creating scene diagrams, and completing investigative reports," police said. "We ask for the community's patience while this occurs."

The completed investigation will be forwarded to the local district attorney's office for review, police said.

A memorial to Ailahni has grown at the site of the collision, as her family is hoping for accountability.

"That person took a life from a little girl," Sanchez told KXTV. "His truck was supposed to be in off."

This story has been updated.

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GoFund Me set up for several McKinney North High School families hurt in crash over Spring Break

By Johannah Grenaway

March 16, 2024 / 10:33 AM CDT / CBS Texas

MCKINNEY —  A GoFund Me page has been set up for five different McKinney North High School families injured in a crash over Spring Break. 

Several people were left with serious injuries while the families were caravanning to Florida. The GoFundMe organizer, Jen Wray, says a motorist caused a multi-car accident. One person is in critical care in Alabama after regaining consciousness and undergoing several medical procedures. Another person has been transported back to Dallas for jaw surgery. And a third person returned to McKinney for arm surgery. 

Wray says in addition to the medical expenses or loss of work, "these families are faced with multiple totaled cars, rental car costs, last-minute flights and emotional turmoil that no one should ever have to endure."

As of Saturday morning, $3,950 of the $25,000 goal has been raised.

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Florida news | rep. carolina amesty notarized document that teacher says he never signed | special report, florida news, subscriber only, florida news | go inside research boat that studies florida’s overheated corals.

While you might first notice the glossy super yachts or a fishing trawler on the Miami River, there’s also an 80-foot vessel packed not with partiers, but scientists, trying to protect the coral offshore.

Bridget Coughlin, the CEO of the Chicago-based Shedd Aquarium, said their research vessel named the Coral Reef II is docked in Miami because of the diversity of marine life in the area.

“We teach climate change through empathy with animals,” said Coughlin. “If you talk about how otters are starving, that empathy for that otter is going to catalyze you to act.”

The vessel can go out to sea for three weeks at a time and can travel as far south as the Dominican Republic. The researchers study a plethora of animals including queen conch, endangered rock iguanas, sharks and climate change’s impact on the coral reef. From March through October, the crew often works days that stretch from 7 a.m. to midnight.

How to come aboard the research vessel

The Coral Reef II also acts as a live-in laboratory for aspiring marine biologists. High school and college students can go on a weeks-long journey that includes snorkeling in crystal-clear water with Caribbean reef sharks and working side-by-side with scientists. Chuck Knapp, a 30-year employee of Shedd and the head of conservation on the vessel, said he got his start that way.

Rep. Carolina Amesty notarized document that teacher says he never signed

“I was originally a high school marine biology student back on the boat as a 17-year-old in the late ‘80s so it’s been a thrill of a lifetime to come back,” Knapp, who gave a tour of the vessel in the video said.

This summer, high schoolers will be taking a trip to the Bahamas to learn about how to protect dolphins, snorkel shipwrecks and observe firsthand from Shedd’s shark research biologist.

Conducting research on coral reefs bleaching

One of the most unique parts of the vessel is its live well system, which consists of large built-in tanks at the front of the boat filled with seawater.

These mini aquariums are a safe harbor for wildlife that scientists are trying to study or move. The live well system makes it easy to scoop marine life like coral up, perform heat stress tests and return them back to sea in hours.

Ross Cunning, a coral biologist with Shedd, said researchers can use technology onboard to test how well the coral absorbs sunlight and observe what temperature and speed cause corals to bleach.

Even two corals of the same species might bleach at different speeds, and they’re looking for the most heat tolerant coral, Cunning said.

Last summer he worked alongside South Florida research groups, like the University of Miami, the Coral Restoration Foundation, and Reef Renewal to test snippets of these baby corals in nurseries that have been growing in higher water temperatures.

“Finding interventions to boost the heat tolerance in coral reefs is more important than ever,” Cunning said. “But the most critical thing we need to do is stop climate change.

“All the research in the world will not boost coral heat tolerance enough to cope with oceans that continue warming. We must stop the root of the problem and stop greenhouse gas emissions as quickly as possible.”

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