Jose Fernandez, Miami Marlins Pitcher, 2 Others Killed in Boating Accident

Jose Fernandez, the Miami Marlins pitcher who has been one of the brightest young stars in all of baseball, has died in a boating accident off Miami Beach along with two others, officials said. He was 24.

The Marlins have canceled Sunday's game with the Atlanta Braves. The team has released a statement.

"The Miami Marlins organization is devastated by the tragic loss of Jose Fernandez," the statement said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this very difficult time."

Three people were killed in the crash off Miami Beach Sunday morning, the U.S. Coast Guard and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission confirmed in a press conference. Officials have confirmed Fernandez is among the dead but have not yet released the names of the other two on board the boat.

The capsized 32-foot SeaVee center console boat was first spotted by the U.S. Coast Guard around 3:15 a.m. Sunday, officials said. When first responders arrived on the scene, they found two victims under the boat and one in the water nearby, said Lorenzo Veloz, FWC spokesman.

Veloz and other officials gathered at the press conference were visibly shaken at the loss.

"He was a pillar to our community," Veloz said of Fernandez. "He was involved in everything he could to give back."

Many details related to the crash remain under investigation. Veloz said speed is believed to have been a factor. Alcohol and drugs, however, do not appear to have played a role, he added. A final determination will be made by the Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner's Office.

"They were coming at full speed when they encountered the jetty," Veloz said.

An official with Miami-Dade fire rescue said the vessel apparently hit rocks.

The names of the other two people killed have not been released, pending next of kin notification. Veloz said the other two people were friends of Fernandez and are not professional athletes. The oldest person on board was only 27. None of the three were wearing life jackets, Veloz said.

The vessel did not belong to Fernandez or to another Marlins player but to someone closely associated with the team, Veloz said. It had previously been stopped for safety inspections and knew the area well, he said.

Marlins manager Don Mattingly fought back tears in remembering Fernandez's joy.

Tony Clark, executive director of the MLB players association, issued the following statement.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott offered his condolences to Fernandez's family and shared a photo from 2014 when he met the pitcher.

Fernandez, a Cuban-born righthander with an electric fastball, was a two-time National League All-Star and National League Rookie of the Year with the Marlins when he came up as a 20-year-old in 2013.

Fernandez was 16-8 this year with a 2.89 ERA and 253 strikeouts in 29 starts. For his career, he was 38-17 with a 2.58 and 589 strikeouts in 76 starts.

The sporting world came together Sunday to honor the memory of the star who is gone all too soon.

By Sherri Lonon, Mike Carraggi and Feroze Dhanoa

The MLB community reacted to the news on Twitter.

Image Credit: Arturo Pardavila III via Flickr Creative Commons