A September 2022 boat crash in Biscayne Bay took the life of 17-year-old Luciana Fernandez, while questions swirled around an elite staffing switch before the treatment of the crash driver, George Pino. Pino originally faced relatively light sanctions, but he’s now dealing with increased charges following public outcry about the crash.
Whether future wrongdoers would face the appropriate punishment, lawmakers eyed and the clubs themselves soon considered much stiffer penalties for dangerous boating, after the bill had gone through.
The Southern Group’s Tallahassee team (TSG), who worked with TSG’s Avery Mazur to drive this bill from the emotional support needed behind the scenes, to behinds turned negotiators — all about Lucy’s untimely passing.
Castro has been close to the Fernandez family since high school and, years later, his sister married into the family.
“I have known Lucy since she was born. She was actually the first baby I ever held and tragically, the first funeral I’ve had to attend for a child.”
Lucy’s parents, Melissa and Andy Fernandez, were a constant presence in Tallahassee this Session as tireless makers. The lost child bill cut through the cracks, Castro and Mazur worked on the measure to make sure it got done — and did go broke.
Castro said a breakfast meeting earlier last year between the Fernandez family and House Speaker Daniel Perez convinced Perez that the proposal should be a priority. Once the Session was back up and open, the House floor session with Lucy’s Law was the very first bill heard.
“They were right in town when the time came — the House lit up working late throughout the night, it was so emotional I thought the law was not going to make it,” Castro said. “Because it was the most important piece of legislation that I’ve ever worked on, it was also the most stressful.”
That included Castro and Mazur watching the resolution with Lucy’s family.
“That last night, the Fernandez family came to my house. Even that day, I was not sure the bill was going to pass,” Castro recalled.
“The Speaker called me that evening to say that he couldn’t guarantee anything, but he was going to come back and the bill was going to touch. And that he would ensure, no matter what happened or occurred, he would get the bill through the House that evening.”
And it did pass. Lucy’s Law was swiftly adopted by the House as the clock ticked down.
“It felt so personal,” Mazur recalled. “There are no coincidences in life.”
Perez said on the floor before the bill passed, acknowledging the bill bookending the House’s work.
The personal connection Castro had to the legislation made the process difficult at times, as he credited Mazur with serving as a stellar partner to get it done.
“Avery was an integral part. It was a team,” Castro said.
He remembered countless after-hours hearings and meetings that I couldn’t attend. Avery went to them all. He gave everything he had.”
The bill is now being signed into law from Rep. Demi Busatta Cabrera of Miami-Dade, who has made it her signature item to push for the boating legislation.
Cissy Proctor of LSN Partners also worked this Session with the family of Ella Adler, who was struck and killed by a boat last year while wakeboarding.
Her family was also vocal in supporting the changes under Lucy’s Law. It is a gutting story to support the Adler family in their ask of justice and advocates for stronger boater safety measures in the wake of the unimaginable loss of their daughter, Ella. They have been deeply inspired by the courage and determination of the Fernandez family, who have channeled their grief into positive change with the passage of Lucy’s Law, comprehensive and effective legislation designed to prevent future tragedies on Florida’s waterways,” Proctor said.
“Lucy and Ella’s legacy are already making a difference, and the Adlers remain committed to supporting this fight — for their daughter, for Lucy and for every other Floridian that deserves safety, accountability and peace of mind on the water.”
And with boater rules promoted in South Florida and elsewhere in the Sunshine State, Castro has pushed forcing boaters to think twice about their behavior will help other families avoid such a heartbreaking loss.
“Lucy’s favorite thing to do was to be on the water, to be on the boat,” he said of the family’s vessel. “It was docked at a marina by our house. She’d go there, study, hang out. The water was her happy place.”
