The boat driver accused of homicide and manslaughter in the negligent death of his daughter’s friend in a 2022 incident has been found not guilty. Immediately after the jury delivered its verdict, family members of the victims shared their outrage.

George Pino, a wealthy and prominent real estate broker in South Florida, was originally charged with one count of manslaughter and one count of vessel homicide in connection with the fatal boat crash on September 4, 2022.

Tragic Boating Incident

Pino, 55, took his wife, daughter, and 11 of his daughter’s friends out on his 29-foot Robalo boat over Labor Day weekend to celebrate his daughter’s birthday. On his way back from a day of partying, he struck a Cutter Bank channel marker in Miami-Dade County, Florida. 

Upon impact, the boat was capsized, and Lucy Fernandez, 17, ended up in the water. Help arrived too late for her, and she died from injuries sustained during the crash. Her specific cause of death was ruled a drowning.

Every other passenger aboard was injured, but one teenager in particular, Katy Puig, suffered life-altering injuries requiring her to receive 24/7 medical care.

George Pino Found Not Guilty

The jury delivered a verdict within two hours of deliberation on Monday evening. Upon doing so, Pino, already known for his emotional outbursts in court, was seen crying and embracing his family.

State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle expressed the prosecution’s disappointment in the verdict, but said they accept the finding. “Sadly, I know that this verdict brings no comfort to the Fernandez and Puig families who forever must live with the tragedy of what happened,” she said. 

“In a case like this, there are no winners or losers. Mr. Pino must live with what he did, while the Fernandez and Puig families will grapple with the consequences of his actions. These families and, to some extent, our community as a whole have been deeply impacted by this tragedy.” 

Prosecutor’s Closing Arguments

During closing arguments on Monday, Prosecutor Laura Adams said Pino made “mistake after mistake after mistake after mistake” that day of the deadly crash, and was responsible for the outcome. She alleged that, due to his failure to maintain a proper lookout and to drive the channel speed limit, he hit the marker, which could otherwise have been avoided.

She said everyone aboard, including Pino, had been driving prior to their trip home, and that he had been inattentive for nearly 10 seconds before the crash and had already been driving on the wrong side.

Adams said Pino “did do an intentional act, like deciding how fast to go and what direction to travel, and that caused Lucy’s death, and because the way that he operated that vessel was culpably negligible.”

Prosecutors also accused Pino of lying to police about the crash, claiming it was another boat that was speeding, leaving a wake and causing him to lose control. However, no evidence was found to prove his statement.

Defense Counter Closes

Pino’s defense attorney, Howard Srebnick, described the incident as a “mistake” and said that the defendant’s view of the channel marker was “less than ideal.” He began to sympathize with the jurors, saying Pino also suffered from a “traumatic brain injury” which left his memory unreliable.

Srebnick consistently argued that Pino was not impaired due to the two beers he had before boarding the boat, and that he was “disoriented” after the boat capsize, but still managed to find Fernandez and pull her out of the water.

“A bad thing happened, a tragedy happened, a lot of pain has come from this,” Srebnick said. Pino had no intention of harming anyone. He had known Fernandez since she was a little girl. He went on to argue that there is “no evidence, none, that ever once in his mind he thought that he was putting anybody’s life in jeopardy.”

Family Disappointed in Acquittal

Katy Puig’s family expressed disappointment in the jury’s verdict on Monday. They criticized the investigation, claiming it was highly flawed. “While we respect our system of justice and the role of the jury, we profoundly disagree with the verdict,” her parents, Kathya and Rodolpho Puig, said.

“Based on the evidence presented, we believe George Pino should have been held accountable for the reckless operation of his vessel,” they said in a statement.

“We are deeply disappointed by today’s verdict, and our hearts hurt for the families who continue to live every day with the unimaginable loss of Lucy. For nearly four years, our family has lived with the consequences of that tragic day.”

“We see Katy’s injuries every day. We see the challenges she continues to face, the strength she demonstrates in overcoming them, and the impact this tragedy has had on her life and the lives of those who love her. No verdict can change those realities,” the statement concluded.