The U.S. Coast Guard announced Thursday it has referred its investigation into a July sailboat crash near Miami Beach that killed three girls to the Department of Justice for potential criminal prosecution, citing possible violations of federal seaman's manslaughter laws.

On July 28, a barge being pushed by a towing vessel and a small sailing vessel carrying children from a summer camp crashed near Hibiscus Island in Miami Beach. The incident killed 7-year-old Mila Yankelevich , 13-year-old Erin Ko Han , and 10-year-old Ari Buchman , and injured two others.

The Coast Guard said it referred the case under 18 U.S. Code § 1115, known as the federal seaman's manslaughter statute, against parties connected to the towing company. The uninspected towing vessel is called Wood Chu

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