MIAMI BEACH, FL. (THECOUNT) — Philanthropist Emma Afra, who plunged off a Florida ferry Tuesday along with her passenger, were found tightly holding each other in the back seat of the submerged Mercedes-Benz S560, according to a Friday report.
Emma Afra, 63, who resided in wealthiest area of Miami Beach, was found in the back seat of the submerged luxury vehicle while embracing 75-year-old Viviane Brahms of Harrison, N.Y., according to rescuers.
|
Advertisement |
Crews from the U.S. Coast Guard and Miami-Dade Fire and Rescue responded to calls of a submerged vehicle in the area of Government Cut, a shipping channel between Miami Beach and Fisher Island, an exclusive island community, around 5 p.m. Tuesday, the agencies said.
The two were discovered in an embrace in the car, according to multiple sources Friday morning. It is unknown if the woman embraced before or after the deadly incident.
The Coast Guard is investigating how the car fell from the ferry, but sources familiar with the investigation told reporters they believe Afra forgot to put the car in park and hit the gas pedal by accident when it began to roll, accelerating through a barrier and into the water, reports FOX32.
Fisher Island was named the richest ZIP code in the U.S. in 2019. Afra lived there, according to local reports, and had appeared at numerous high-profile events over the years.
DEVELOPING::
Geo quick facts: Miami Beach is a south Florida island city, connected by bridges to mainland Miami. Wide beaches stretch from North Shore Open Space Park, past palm-lined Lummus Park to South Pointe Park. The southern end, South Beach, is known for its international cachet with models and celebrities, and its early-20th-century architecture in the Art Deco Historic district with pastel-colored buildings, especially on Ocean Drive – wikipedia.