A funeral has been held for Ella Riley Adler, a 15-year-old girl who died when a boat crashed into her, where friends, family and classmates mourned the tragic loss of the talented dancer.
Adler, a student at Ransom Everglades School in Miami, was described as a hard worker, a magnificent dancer and someone brimming with kindness and warmth.
‘In her 15 years on this earth, she dazzled us with her light. She exuded love and joy. She was beautiful. When she walked into a room, everyone was drawn to her,” her family said.
Adler died Saturday afternoon water skiing off the coast of Key Biscayne, near Miami Beach, when a boater collided with her before speeding away from the scene.
Witnesses reported seeing “a lot of blood in the water” and, since the boater who hit her remains at large, authorities “hope to receive help from the community so we can locate whoever is responsible for this.”
Pictured: Ella Riley Adler, 15, who was killed by a speedboat while water skiing at Nixon Beach in Miami.
Ella’s coffin is seen being carried by members of the temple.
Friends and family attended Ella’s funeral Monday morning at Temple Beth Sholom in Miami Beach.
Adler’s funeral was held Monday morning at Temple Beth Sholom in Miami Beach.
The teenager was a high achiever and was involved in many different organizations and clubs, including her school’s Jewish Student Association, the debate team, and the Miami City Ballet.
‘She Adler was not only a beloved student and magnificent dancer who graced our stage in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker; “She was an integral part of our family,” said Miami City Ballet spokesman Billy Zavelson.
Ransom Everglades School Principal Rachel Rodriguez also shared the school community’s collective grief over Adler’s untimely death.
‘Our hearts are broken and our community has been devastated by this tragedy. She shone in our classrooms and on our stages,” Rodríguez said.
“In this time of unspeakable grief, we have been touched by the outpouring of kindness and compassion from the Ransom Everglades community.”
Ella Riley Adler is pictured (center) with her immediate family, from her father Matthew Adler’s Facebook page.
She (pictured center) was described as someone who had “a great group of friends” and was proud of her Jewish heritage. She was also a celebrated local dancer who participated in performances of The Nutcracker and performed more than 100 times for the Miami City Ballet.
A fellow student, Myles Gilber, said Adler had many good friends.
“I mean, I can’t even imagine the pain they’re going through,” Gilbert said.
Gilbert also called the boater who hit Adler and sped away “evil.”
‘How is it possible that you don’t have the conscience of wanting to help the girl you just hit with your boat?’
A friend of the Adler family was also interviewed by Local NBC affiliate after Adler’s death.
‘Special girl. She was a great dancer. She was my daughter’s best friend. It is a tremendous loss. She had such a bright future. Very sad, very sad,’ she stated.
Ella is survived by her parents, Amanda and Matthew, along with her siblings Jaden and Adalynn. She was also the great-granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor.
Adler’s family has requested that donations be made in his memory to the Jewish Federation of Greater Miami or the Miami City Ballet.
The teen’s obituary characterized her as a tirelessly dedicated student who loved to celebrate life.
‘She worked hard at everything she did. She had a precocious discipline and focus that belied her age. She didn’t know what it was like to work at half speed. She gave it her all and that’s why her energy made her stand out. “She worked tirelessly in school, where she excelled,” her loved ones wrote.
The talented teen’s school said she ‘shined in our classrooms and on our stages’
Police searched marinas near the hit-and-run scene on Monday, but have not yet located the boater. Authorities are offering a reward of $20,000 to anyone who can provide information about the person who ran over the teenager with her boat and fled.
Adler, who was celebrating a friend’s birthday on a family boat, was wearing a life jacket and water skis at the time of the collision, according to George Reynaud, Public Information Officer for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Reynaud described the boat that hit Adler, which was last seen in the Nixon Beach area heading west, as “white to light blue in color, with a blue or dark blue bottom paint and possibly having two to four engines.” white outboards”.
Police searched marinas near the hit-and-run scene on Monday, but have not yet located the boater.
There is a $20,000 reward for information about the boater and the ship itself, 7 News Miami reported Monday.
An organization that stops crime in Miami-Dade and the Florida Keys is offering an additional $5,000 reward.
