A yacht captain who was operating the boat that was involved in a tragic incident on Biscayne Bay took a plea deal in court. Edmund Richard Hartley pled guilty to two navigational rule violations on Tuesday, which are misdemeanor charges. The 33-year-old was towing 15-year-old Ella Adler, who was on her wakeboard, when she and her friend fell into the water. Ella was then struck and killed by another boat. The other girl survived. Hartley was sentenced to six months probation, have no criminal conviction on his record, and is required to take boating safety classes. “And while we have our own expert’s view about what might have occurred, he wants this over and it speaks volumes in my judgement,” said Michael Band, Hartley’s attorney. Adler’s family listened as Hartley pled guilty. The prosecutor of the case said that she wished that the court could do more. “And although we probably would all like to see more significant punishments for these types of offenses, the legislature has seen fit to only make them second degree misdemeanors, so our hands are tied,” said assistant state attorney Laura Adams. The tragic incident happened back in May 2024 in Biscayne Bay. Adler’s family agreed to the plea deal in court, with the teen’s father, Matthew Adler, speaking in court about the death of his daughter. “In the Jewish tradition, when someone dies, they die three times. Once when their body dies, second when their soul leaves the body, and the third when no one remembers their name. So whenever I have the opportunity to speak about Ella, and tell people who she was, I feel an obligation as her father to keep her memory alive,” he said. Her father added that his daughter was an amazing human being. “Ella was extraordinary. She was bright, joyful, and creative, and she was deeply loved. She was a top student at Ransom Everglades [High School].” As part of the plea agreement, within 60 days, Hartley will have to pay the first part of a $5,000 payment to the victims’ compensation fund and will have to pay $2,500 in Ella Adler’s name. Also, starting next month, he will not be able to operate a boat for 60 days. Meantime, Carlos Guillermo “Bill” Alonso, the boat captain who struck Ella, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor careless-boating charges in connection to the accident in January. He also was ordered to complete six months probation and take a boater safety course. The Adler family has set up a fund in their daughter’s name, dedicated to supporting Jewish life, art, and education. ...read more read less