2 Socialites Traveling from Upscale Island Killed After Their Car Falls Off Ferry & Sinks Near Miami

Two well-known socialites who were traveling toward Miami from an upscale island were tragically killed on Tuesday after a car they were in fell off the ferry and sunk.

Emma Afra, 63, of Miami, and Viviane Brahms, 75, of Harrison, New York, were in a 2019 Mercedes-Benz that was being transported across the water by the Fisher Island Ferry around 4 p.m., the Miami-Dade Police Department said in a news release.

Investigators said that as the ferry was making its way to the mainland, its operator reported that the Mercedes had fallen overboard, police said.

Divers from Miami-Dade Fire Rescue and the Miami-Dade Police Department started searching for the car in the waters below and found it submerged near Government Cut, a manmade shipping channel between Miami Beach and Fisher Island.

Police said the vehicle was recovered, and Afra and Brahms were found dead inside.

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Fisher Island is an “exclusive island community off Biscayne Bay,” according to the Miami Herald. The island, which boasts one of the wealthiest zip codes in the country, uses a 24-hour ferry service to take residents and their cars to the Miami Beach mainland, its website says.

The search for the submerged car went on late into Tuesday night, long enough for the operation to switch from a rescue mission to a recovery mission, the Herald reported.

According to the outlet, Afra was the driver and Brahms was her passenger.

Afra was reportedly involved in local charities like Kristi House, a nonprofit fighting child abuse and child sex trafficking, and even co-chaired its annual dinner and auction in 2012.

The pair also attended several exclusive events together, including a private opening at the Mnuchin Gallery in New York City in 2017 and Glenn Ligon’s art lecture at the Miami Design District in 2019.

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The U.S. Coast Guard is conducting a maritime incident investigation, and the death investigation will be handled by the Miami-Dade Police Department.

The women’s causes of death are pending a Medical Examiner’s report, police said.

“Shortly before 5:00 p.m. today, a vehicle on the Fisher Island ferry ended up in the water for reasons still unknown at this point in time,” Roberto Sosa, president and CEO of Fisher Island, told the Herald in a statement.

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“Fisher Island Community Association is actively assisting the various agencies involved in the ongoing recovery efforts,” Sosa added. “Our thoughts are with all those affected. We cannot confirm any additional details at this point in time.”