Teen celebrating her graduation killed in tragic Jet Ski accident
A teenage girl celebrating her middle school graduation in Florida was tragically killed when the jet ski she was on lost control and slammed into a concrete dock.
Rachel Aliza Nisanov, 13, of New York, was enjoying a surprise family trip to Fort Lauderdale this week to celebrate her eighth-grade graduation when she boarded a jet ski with her 16-year-old sister, Aviva, at the controls, according to NBC 4 News.
But as they made their way back to shore, the Yamaha personal watercraft suddenly veered out of control and slammed into the dock – launching both girls into the air before they struck the concrete structure themselves.
Rachel tragically succumbed to her injuries shortly after the accident, while Aviva remains in critical but stable condition in the hospital.
‘My father doesn’t even know how to swim,’ Yonah Nisanov, the girls’ brother, told the outlet. ‘He jumped in. My sisters were unconscious.’
‘We don’t understand why it happened, but we believe that this is what’s meant to be,’ he added. ‘And God is gonna give us the strength to go forward and to strengthen ourselves.’
The fatal accident occurred around 3.30pm Tuesday on the Intracoastal Waterway near the 2800 block of Northeast 24th Court, as Rachel and her older sister cruised together on a personal watercraft, with their parents riding nearby on a separate one.
Florida law permits a 14-year-old to be on a personal watercraft as long as someone aged 16 or older is driving – which was the case with Aviva at the helm.
Rachel Aliza Nisanov (pictured), 13, of New York, was celebrating her middle school graduation in Florida on Tuesday when the jet ski she was riding on with her older sister lost control and slammed into a concrete dock – tragically resulting in her death
The personal watercraft, driven by Rachel’s 16-year-old sister, Aviva, jumped the wake of a passing vessel and lost control before colliding with the dock – launching both girls into the air before they struck the concrete structure themselves
But moments later, the girls lost control and collided violently with the dock – all while their parents watched in horror.
The sisters’ father, Rabbi Shlomo Nisanov of Queens’ Bukharian Jewish community, didn’t hesitate to jump into the water to get to his daughters faster – despite not knowing how to swim.
‘Their life jackets were on. They were lying flat,’ Yonah told NBC. ‘My father jumped in and scraped up his hands, feet, his back, all over to save them, and he did what he could.’
Nearby residents quickly sensed something was wrong as paramedics hurried to the dock.
‘I saw one of the girls being taken in a stretcher,’ resident Renée Beninate told WSVN News.
‘I didn’t know it was a young girl at the time, but my heart still broke,’ she added.
Both girls were rushed to Broward Health Medical Center with life-threatening injuries. Rachel tragically succumbed shortly after, while Aviva remained in critical condition as of Wednesday evening.
Rachel’s body was swiftly flown back to New York, where she was honored with a funeral held Wednesday night at the Bukharian Jewish Community Center in Queens, according to the outlet.
Rachel (right) tragically succumbed to her injuries shortly after the accident, while Aviva (left) remains in critical but stable condition in the hospital
Rachel’s brothers spoke at her funeral about how their 13-year-old sister (pictured) lived fully in the moment, all while tragically expressing their longing for just one more minute with their youngest sibling
Emotions ran deep during the ceremony, as the girls’ father tearfully told grieving family and friends that their lives had been shattered after just a few moments on the water.
‘You have no idea how everything turned upside down,’ Shlomo said, according to WSVN.
The teen’s brothers spoke to the crowd about how their 13-year-old sister lived fully in the moment, all while tragically expressing their longing for just one more minute with their youngest sibling.
‘She was just a kind person,’ Yonah told NBC. ‘A spiritual person. Kindhearted, always going the extra mile.’
Around 9pm Wednesday evening, Rachel’s body was flown to Israel, where she is set to be laid to rest in Jerusalem on Thursday, as reported by the outlet.
According to the preliminary report obtained by the outlet, the watercraft lost control and collided with a concrete dock while the teens were on ‘a guided tour.’
During the ride, the sisters ‘jumped the wake of a passing vessel, lost control, and collided with a concrete dock,’ according to the report.
An investigation launched by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) remains ongoing.
Jon Rosen, owner of Jet Ski Fort Lauderdale FL – whose company was not involved in Tuesday’s crash – explained the standard safety measures for operating a personal watercraft, according to NBC.
‘Proper training and education is everything,’ Rosen told the outlet.
‘One of the most important things about avoiding collisions is scanning around constantly, being in your own space, staying at least 100 feet away from boats, sea walls, docks,’ he added.
‘We’re praying for them, sending our love to them during this difficult time and we’re going to go do everything we can to prevent anything like that from ever happening again.’