Two Women Found Dead After Car Reportedly Plunged Off Fisher Island Ferry Near Miami

Police said Wednesday two women were found dead after their car fell off a ferry headed to a private island off the coast of Miami.

Coast Guard and the Miami Fire Department said they were called Tuesday by a ferry operator about a car that fell off between Miami Beach and Fisher Island. The car reportedly went off the ferry around 5 p.m. while passing through the Government Cut channel.

The island is described as a “private luxury community” and “consistently ranked as one of the wealthiest zip codes in the U.S.” The island hotel’s official website says guests “require prearranged security clearance, guaranteeing security and exclusivity.”

The Fisher Island ferry is the only way to and from the private resort and community.

Coast Guard and Miami Fire dive crews searched for several hours before being joined by search crews from the Miami-Dade Police Department. Crews found the car submerged in the Government Cut channel with the two women inside and unresponsive.

The car was identified as a blue 2019 Mercedes Benz. The women were identified as Fisher Island resident Emma Afra, 63, and Viviane Brahms, 75, from New York.

Miami-Dade Police and the Coast Guard said they would be investigating the reported accident and would not announce a cause of death until medical examiners completed the autopsies.

“Shortly before 5 p.m. today, a vehicle on the Fisher Island ferry ended up in the water for reasons still unknown at this point in time,” Fisher Island Community Association President and CEO Roberto Sosa said in a statement Tuesday. “Fisher Island Community Association is actively assisting the various agencies involved in the ongoing recovery efforts. Our thoughts are with all those affected. We cannot confirm any additional details at this point in time.”