Coast Guard details Jose Fernandez boating accident

On Sunday morning, word broke and then spread quickly about the death of Miami Marlins ace pitcher Jose Fernandez.

At this point, we don’t have all the details, although the United States Coast Guard is beginning to fill us in on some of them. Fernandez, 24, was killed in a boating accident that claimed the life of both he and two other people. One was found underwater, while two others were on the rocks. There was no confirmation about who was found where.

In addition, the boat that crashed was 32-feet long and was carrying only those three people. It has been confirmed that Fernandez was one of them, along with two of his friends. At this juncture, there is no evidence that drugs or alcohol played a part in the tragedy, although autopsies will be performed on each of the deceased.

Unfortunately, nobody was wearing a life vest, although it remains unclear if that would have been a saver of lives in such an incident.

Regardless of the details, this is one of the great tragedies we have seen in recent memory. While the year 2016 has been full of horrific deaths including Prince, Gordie Howe and Muhammad Ali, this might be the toughest to take. Fernandez was only a young kid with his whole life ahead of him. He had found a way to escape oppression in Cuba and was living the American dream, only to be killed far before his time.

The Marlins were scheduled to play the Atlanta Braves in Miami on Sunday, but the game has been canceled. In the NFL, the Miami Dolphins are also at home versus the Cleveland Browns, and will be honoring Fernandez with a moment of silence before the contest.