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Two Women Killed After Their Car Rolls Off a Ferry And Sinks Near Miami

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Two women have drowned after their car fell off the front of a ferry on Fisher Island — which takes residents to and from the exclusive Florida community.

Driver Emma Afra, 63, a resident of the island, and passenger Viviane Brahms, 75, of Harrison, New York, died after the blue 2019 Mercedes-Benz they were travelling in sunk on Tuesday afternoon.

The Coast Guard confirmed it is investigating how the car fell into the water.

Footage from the scene showed divers recovering their vehicle from the 50-foot deep channel late on Tuesday evening, before the car was taken from the scene Wednesday morning.

Emma Afra (left) and Viviane Brahms were found dead after their car fell off the front of the Fisher Island ferry,
Emma Afra (left) and Viviane Brahms were found dead after their car fell off the front of the Fisher Island ferry, (Image: Facebook)

Police spokesman Alvaro Zabaleta said: “Divers located the vehicle, submerged in the area of Government Cut, near Fisher Island.

“The vehicle was recovered from the water, and investigators discovered two deceased females inside.”

It is not yet known exactly how the car fell into the water but one local told The Miami Herald the boats are open at both the front and back, blocked only by a chain.

Aerial footage from Local 10 shows an empty space and a broken barrier on the front of a ferry named Pelican.

(Credit: LOCAL 10)

Online records appear to show Afra was arrested and charged with driving under the influence in 2018.

Fisher Island was named the wealthiest zip code in the United States in 2019.

Footage from the scene showed divers recovering their vehicle from the 50-foot deep channel late on Tuesday evening (Credit: LOCAL 10)

It is a 216-acre island that was once home to celebrities like media mogul Oprah Winfrey, actor Mel Brooks, retired tennis star Boris Becker, and Czech supermodel Karolina Kurkova.

recovery effort
Emergency crews recovered the blue 2019 Mercedes-Benz after it sank on Tuesday afternoon (Credit: LOCAL 10)

It has approximately 700 families who own either a home or an apartment, but only a small fraction of them are actually there at a given time, according to Forbes.

Fisher Island is primarily a vacation haunt for the super rich, who only spend a few weeks or months at a time.

Its ferry service takes people from the MacArthur Causeway over Government Cut to the million dollar homes off Biscayne Bay.

 

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Source: Sun