Officials Want Lights On Jetty Where Jose Fernandez Crashed
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MIAMI (CBSMiami/AP) — Miami-Dade County is calling for lights to be installed on the jetty where Marlins star Jose Fernandez crashed his boat, killing himself and two friends.
Mayor Carlos Gimenez said in a memo Monday that the jetty is a "serious threat" to boater safety. The Miami-Dade Police Department made the recommendation for lights.
The Coast Guard began a new analysis last fall of the Government Cut jetties at the southern end of Miami Beach. The new analysis has not been released, but a previous study found that navigation aids in the area met boaters' needs.
CBS4 investigative reporter David Sutta took a boat ride at night. With the jetty right in front of them, he could barely see. It was a powerful demonstration of how different boating at night can really be and how much difference lighting can make.
The Miami-Dade Fire Rescue boat crew told CBS4 Fernandez likely didn't see the rocks until the last second.
The channel is marked with a series of markers that flash at night.
Past studies concluded the jetties aren't hazards for boat operators following standard navigational rules.
Fernandez, 27-year-old Emilio Macias and 25-year-old Eduardo Rivero, 25, died when the 24-year-old pitcher's 32-foot boat struck the jetty just after 3 a.m. Sept. 25.
Fernandez's blood ethanol level was between .14 percent and .16 percent, or two times the legal limit, according to toxicology results. The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner's Office report also noted Fernandez and Rivero also had cocaine in their system.
(© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)