Friday marks 10 years since the boating crash that killed Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez and two others off the coast of Miami Beach, Florida.
Fernandez was 24 when he died in the early hours of Sept. 25, 2016, after the 32-foot boat he was piloting struck a rock jetty near South Pointe Park. The U.S.
Coast Guard found the vessel overturned on the jetty around 3 a.m. ET, and Fernandez, along with Emilio Macias and Eduardo Rivero, was declared dead at the scene.
A final report from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, released in March 2017, said Fernandez was violating multiple boating laws at the time of the crash, including Boating Under the Influence Manslaughter, Vessel Homicide and Reckless or Careless Operation of a Vessel, per ESPN. The report said, "Fernandez operated V-1 with his normal faculties impaired, in a reckless manner, at an extreme high rate of speed, in the darkness of night, in an area with known navigational hazards such as rock jetties and channel markers," per ESPN. Investigators concluded Fernandez was the operator of the boat because bruises matched damage on the boat’s center console.
That same final investigation said the boat was traveling 65.7 miles per hour at the moment of impact, and the deaths were caused by "blunt force impact and drowning," per ESPN. An FWC official had previously confirmed Fernandez died from the blunt impact of the crash.
The toxicology findings added another layer to the tragedy. Public autopsy and toxicology reports showed Fernandez had cocaine in his system and was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident. The final FWC report said his blood alcohol level was .147 - nearly double the legal limit of 0.08 - and noted the presence of cocaine, per ESPN.
Fernandez’s death came a few months after his second MLB All-Star selection, at a time when he had already established himself as one of the sport’s rising names. He was a two-time All-Star and the 2013 NL Rookie of the Year, and he was known around the league for his outgoing personality.
The Marlins canceled their game against the Braves on the day of Fernandez’s death, then returned to the field the next day against the Mets. Across MLB, teams held moments of silence, and some displayed his No. 16 jersey.
Miami’s first game after the tragedy became one of the most memorable tributes in recent baseball memory. Every Marlins player wore No. 16, and in the first at-bat, Dee Strange-Gordon stepped into the right side of the batter’s box as a nod to Fernandez, who hit right-handed.
He then moved back to his usual left side and hit a leadoff home run, wiping tears away and pointing to the sky. Miami won that game, 7-3.
On Sept. 28, 2016, the city of Miami held a public memorial and funeral procession for Fernandez. His ashes were scattered at sea a few days later.
The families of Rivero and Macias later sued Fernandez’s estate for $2 million each, claiming negligence and personal injury. That case was settled with undisclosed terms in July 2018.
In Other News...
Jos Fernndez Remains The Marlins Most Emotional Legacy Debate
Nearly a decade after Jos Fernndezs death, his place in Marlins history still carries a weight that goes well beyond wins and losses. The former Miami pitcher was a two-time All-Star and one of the most electric arms the franchise has ever developed, setting several team records during a brief but unforgettable career before the boating accident that killed him and two passengers on Sept. 25, 2016.
Fernndezs legacy remains especially emotional because it is tied not only to what he did on the mound, but to the life he never got to know with his daughter, who was born after his death. For Marlins fans, he is still remembered as a singular talent and a symbol of what might have been, even as the circumstances surrounding the crash make his story impossible to separate from tragedy. [Read more 🡒]