Steven Posner killed in Biscayne Bay boat crash

[wiley]

Real-estate tycoon Steven Posner, whose family was known for living large and pushing the limits, died Monday the same way he lived: going fast.

Posner, 67, was killed in a high-speed boat crash on Biscayne Bay that took another man's life and critically injured Posner's cousin. Posner's 44-foot, high-performance boat was apparently trying to overtake a friend's vessel when they collided during an afternoon jaunt on a clear Miami day.

"Whenever he could, he loved to be out on the water," said Posner's daughter, Dr. Kelly Posner Gerstenhaber. "He liked boating and fast boats. He died doing something that he loved."

Posner's death added yet another tragic chapter to the Posner family history. Posner was the eldest son of corporate raider Victor Posner, who died in 2002, sparking a major will contest among his family members. Steven's twin sister Gail died earlier this year of cancer at her Miami Beach home.

Monday's collision happened a mile or two east of Matheson Hammock Marina just after 1 p.m. Witnesses tried to aid the men, radioing that help was urgently needed.

"It was a pretty horrific collision," said Jorge Pino, a spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. "Based on information from witnesses, the vessels were being operated at a high rate of speed and somehow collided with each other."

Both boats were racing catamarans, capable of rocketing across the water at more than 100 mph. They are so powerful that they require two people to safely operate at high speeds -- a driver at the helm and throttle man controlling the speed.

Larry Goldman, who owns Xtreme Marine, a performance dealer in Miami, said both of the boat owners were his customers. He had known Steven Posner since the mid-'80s.

"Steven loved to go fast," he said. "He loved boats. I don't think he could have picked a different way to go if he had to."

One of the vessels was called Mixed Emotions, a 46-foot Skater rigged with twin 1,200-horsepower engines, owned and operated by Fritz Eigelshoven. He suffered rib injuries and was taken to the hospital. At least one other person on board with him was not seriously injured.

Posner, his cousin Stuart Posner, and a friend were on Posner's MTI, another vessel. Posner had never named it.

Stuart Posner was critically injured in the crash and taken by helicopter to Jackson Memorial Hospital. The third, unidentified friend was thrown into the water and was pronounced dead on the scene.

About 20 minutes before the crash, Goldman got a call from Stuart Posner saying the boat was leaving Grove Harbor Marina headed back to Goldman's shop in North Miami. "Everything was fine. The boat was running great." Goldman said.

Eigelshoven's Mixed Emotions boat was heading out when he saw Posner's boat, Goldman said. The two men -- who had met through Goldman -- decided to go boating together.

Goldman spent Monday night trying to piece together what happened from looking at the boats, and talking to investigators and witnesses.

Goldman said it appeared the boats were traveling side by side when Posner's boat tried to overtake Mixed Emotions, sideswiping it. Posner's boat pierced the hull of Mixed Emotions, he said. A serious crack could be seen across the right side of its gleaming hull.

A witness estimated the Mixed Emotions was traveling at 80 to 90 miles per hour.

"I got a call from the driver of Mixed Emotions that there was a terrible accident," Goldman said."He told me one person was in the water and no one was moving on the boat that overtook him."

"It's a sad day for the whole boating community," said Neil Wobbe, the Mixed Emotions' regular throttle operator who wasn't on board the vessel Monday. "It's kind of a family in this industry. Everybody is affected when something like this happens."

[Special K III]

RIP... I knew him and his sister in better days...

[crash1371]

Wow RIP

[Mal de Mer]

although its sad and tragic that people died in this accident, the article made it sound like "hey, he died doing what he loves"...but his need for speed and poor judgement took someone elses life with him...I feel bad for the other family who lost their loved ones.