A funeral service 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 ballerina.
Adler, a student at Miami’s Ransom Everglades School, was described as a hard worker, a magnificent dancer, and someone overflowing with kindness and warmth.
‘In her 15 years on this earth, she dazzled us with her light. She emanated love and joy. She was beautiful. When she walked into a room, everyone was drawn to her,’ her family said.
Adler lost her life on Saturday afternoon waterskiing 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 is still at large, authorities are ‘hoping to get help from the community so we can locate whoever is responsible for this.’
Pictured: Ella Riley Adler, 15, who was killed by a speeding boat while she was waterskiing off the coat of Miami’s Nixon Beach
Ella’s casket is seen being carried by members of the temple
Friends and family attended Ella’s funeral Monday morning Temple Beth Sholom in Miami Beach
Adler’s funeral was held on Monday morning at Temple Beth Sholom in Miami Beach.
The teenager was a high achiever, involved in many different organizations and clubs, including her school’s Jewish Student Association, the debate team and the Miami City Ballet.
‘Ella Adler was not just a beloved student and a magnificent dancer who graced our stage in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker; she was an integral part of our family,’ said Billy Zavelson, a spokesperson for the Miami City Ballet.
Rachel Rodriguez, the Head of School at Ransom Everglades, 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. Ella shined in our classrooms and on our stages,’ Rodriguez said.
‘In this time of unspeakable pain, we have been moved by the outpouring of kindness and compassion from the Ransom Everglades community.’
Ella Riley Adler is pictured (center) with her immediate family, from the Facebook page of her father Matthew Adler
Ella (pictured center) was described as having ‘a big posse of friends’ and someone who was proud of her Jewish heritage. Ella was also a celebrated local ballerina who was cast in performances of The Nutcracker, performing over 100 times for the Miami City Ballet
A fellow student, Myles Gilber, said Adler had lots of good friends.
‘I mean, I can’t even imagine the pain that they’re going through,’ Gilber said.
Gilber also called the boater who hit Adler and sped off ‘evil.’
‘How can you not have a conscience to want to help the girl that you just hit with your boat?’
A friend of the Adler family was also interviewed by NBC’s local affiliate after Adler’s death.
‘Special little girl. She was a great dancer. She was my daughter’s best friend. It’s a tremendous loss. She had such a bright future. Very sad, very sad,’ he said.
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 in her memory be made to the Greater Miami Jewish Federation or the Miami City Ballet.
The teen’s obituary went on to characterize her as a relentlessly dedicated student who loved to celebrate life.
‘Ella worked hard at everything she did. She had a precocious discipline and focus that belied her age. She did not know what it was to work at half-speed. She gave everything her all and because of that, her energy made her stand apart. She worked relentlessly at school where she excelled,’ loved ones wrote.
The talented teenager’s school said she ‘shined in our classrooms and on our stages’
Police canvassed the marinas near the scene of the hit and run on Monday, but they haven’t yet located the boater. Authorities are offering a $20,000 reward for anyone who can provide information about the person who struck the teenage girl with their boat and sped off
Adler, who was celebrating a friend’s birthday on a family boat, was wearing a life vest 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 white outboard engines.’
Police canvassed the marinas near the scene of the hit and run on Monday, but they haven’t yet located the boater.
There is a $20,000 reward for information about the boater and the vessel itself, 7 News Miami reported Monday.
A crime stopping organization in Miami-Dade and the Florida Keys is offering an additional $5,000 reward.