MIDWAY, Fla. (WTXL) — A tragic boating accident that claimed the life of a Florida teen is now the driving force behind a new law aimed at making waterways safer across the state.
- Lucy's Law, named after 17-year-old Lucy Fernandez, aims to improve boater accountability.
- Lucy's family advocated for safety reforms following her tragic death in a 2022 boating accident.
- Watch the video below to see what the new, stricter boating penalties mean for you.
New Florida law enhances boater accountability in memory of Lucy Fernandez
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
A teen's tragic death on the water has now led to a new statewide law.
“They will be more careful about what they are doing,” said neighbor Randell Morris.
I'm Lentheus Chaney on Lake Talquin, with a look at Lucy’s Law and what it means to boaters here in the Big Bend.
Lucy’s Law is named after 17-year-old Lucy Fernandez, killed in a 2022 boating accident off the Florida Keys when the vessel she was on struck a channel marker.
Eleven others were injured — and state lawmakers say this should never have happened.
“Lucy was an incredible person. She was light, she was joy, she was all of those things, and she loved the water more than anything in the world,” Melissa Fernandez, Lucy’s mother, said during a recent press conference.
Effective July 1, boaters who flee an accident face new felony charges:
• If someone is injured, it’s a second-degree felony
• If someone dies, it escalates to a first-degree felony
Misleading authorities during an investigation is now a second-degree misdemeanor.
And boating under the influence now matches DUI penalties, including license suspensions and jail time.
Randell Morris has fished and boated on Lake Talquin for more than 30 years. He says he’s witnessed how the combination of high traffic and high temperatures on local waterways creates dangerous conditions — especially when alcohol is involved.
“Since I've been out here fishing for these years, I've seen a lot of accidents. Just about every accident that happened out on the water, someone is intoxicated,” Morris said.
Lucy’s tragic death led her family to create this law, designed to make sure there are real consequences for poor choices on the water.
Lucy’s father, Manuel Fernandez, spoke recently when the governor signed the law.
“We were led in this direction on purpose, and we have no doubt that Lucy guided us here and we are avid boaters. We are a boating family, and when we began to look at the gaps that existed in the laws and in the enforcement of those laws, we realized that we had no other choice but to make this our number one priority,” Manuel Fernandez said.
The man police say is responsible for her death is facing felony vessel homicide charges.
Lucy’s Law also requires most boaters operating engines over 10 horsepower to be boater safety certified.
In Midway, I’m Lentheus Chaney, ABC27.
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