A Miami-Dade County jury on Monday found George Pino, a prominent South Florida real estate broker, not guilty of vessel homicide and manslaughter in connection with a fatal Labor Day weekend boat crash in 2022. Pino, 55, faced charges related to the incident that resulted in the death of 17-year-old Lucy Fernandez.

The verdict came after less than two hours of deliberation by the jury. Pino, who did not testify during the trial, was seen embracing his family after the verdict was announced. The crash occurred on September 4, 2022, when the 29-foot Robalo boat Pino was operating struck a boat marker in the Cutter Bank channel.

Lucy Fernandez sustained fatal injuries in the collision. In addition to Fernandez, everyone else on board, including Pino, his wife, their daughter, and 10 of the daughter's friends, were injured. One of the injured teens, Katy Puig, suffered catastrophic injuries and now requires constant medical care, according to prosecutors.

State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle, whose office prosecuted the case, stated that while her office disagreed with the jury's finding, they accepted it. She acknowledged that the verdict offers no solace to the Fernandez and Puig families who must live with the tragedy. Rundle emphasized that in such cases, there are no true winners, with Pino facing the burden of his actions and the affected families grappling with the consequences.

During the trial, prosecutors alleged that Pino made a series of errors leading up to the crash, including failing to maintain a proper lookout and driving at an unsafe speed. They claimed he was traveling nearly 50 mph before striking the marker and had been inattentive for nine seconds, operating the boat on the wrong side of the channel. Allegations were also made that Pino and the minors on board had consumed alcohol prior to the incident.

Prosecutors further contended that Pino misled authorities by claiming a wave from another boat caused him to lose control, despite a lack of evidence supporting this assertion. They argued that Pino’s actions, including his speed and direction of travel, constituted culpably negligent operation of the vessel, leading to Lucy Fernandez's death.

In contrast, Pino's defense attorney, Howard Srebnick, argued that Pino simply made a mistake and failed to see the marker. Srebnick maintained that while it was an error in judgment, it did not rise to the level of criminal negligence.

The crash has had a profound impact on the families involved and the wider community, highlighting the devastating consequences of boating accidents and the complexities of legal proceedings in such tragic circumstances.