WPLG 10 A WPLG 10 photo shows Emma Afra (left) and Viviane Brahms.
Emma Afra and Viviane Brahms have been identified as the two women who drowned in a tragic accident off Fisher Island, Florida. The two women were sitting in a Mercedes-Benz on a ferry traveling from Fisher Island to the mainland when the car rolled off the ferry and sank. The car with the two women’s bodies was recovered later the same day.
Just after 5 p.m. yesterday, #MFR assisted other agencies such as @MiamiDadeFire @MiamiDadePD @MiamiPD @USCGSoutheast in searching for a vehicle that may have fallen from a car ferry off Government Cut. After multiple searches, the vehicle was found with 2 unresponsive females.
According to the Miami-Dade Police Department, an investigation is taking place in conjunction with the U.S. Coast Guard. They were advised of the incident by the ferry operator. Divers from Miami-Dade Fire Rescue and Miami-Dade Police Department located the blue 2019 Mercedes-Benz which was “submerged in the area of Government Cut, near Fisher Island.”
WPLG 10An image from WPLG 10 shows the Pelican ferry with a spot missing in the back and a damaged barrier.
It is still unclear how the vehicle was able to roll off the ferry. Police have also said that the causes of death are pending a Medical Examiner’s report. The Miami Herald has reported that “sources familiar with the investigation told the Miami Herald on Wednesday that they believe Afra forgot to put her Mercedes in park and hit the gas pedal by mistake when the vehicle started rolling.” This has not yet been confirmed by the authorities.
Viviane Brahms Was a Guest of Emma Afra, Who Lived on Fisher Island
Emma Afra was a 63-year-old resident of Fisher Island and the driver of the vehicle at the time of the incident. According to the Miami Herald, Viviane Brahms was the passenger of the vehicle, a 75-year-old woman from Harrison, New York.
Emma Afra was involved in Kristi House, an organization “dedicated to eradicating child abuse and child sex trafficking,” according to its website. She chaired events for them and fundraisers, including a dinner in 2012 which raised a record $500,000 for the organization. Emma graduated from the University of Miami in 1985 and became involved with Kristi House in 2002. The Miami Herald reported that Emma was married to Siavash “Sia” Afra, who died several years prior.
Brickell MagazineEmma and Sia Afra pictured in Brickell Magazine.
Both women were close friends, photographed together at different events, including in 2019 Glenn Ligon’s art lecture at Miami Design District and in 2017 at a gallery reception.
According to the New York Post, Viviane Brahms lived in New York in a $1.8 million Harrison mansion. When they knocked on the door, the woman who answered the door did not give her name but said “It’s a terrible tragedy, she was an amazing woman.”
Fisher Island Is an Exclusive Private Island and the Richest Zip Code in the U.S.
The ferry ride between the island and the mainland is only 7 minutes long according to the Fisher Island Club website. Fisher Island is a private island full of “exceptional luxury and pleasures,” according to its website.
The exclusive Fisher Island community is seen with Miami in the background.
The accident has been described as a freak accident. NBC News reported that Roberto Sosa, the president and CEO of the Fisher Island Community Association, issued a statement saying “It is with heavy hearts that we share the news of the tragic loss of life of Emma Afra and Vivian Brahms who perished on Tuesday, Feb. 18, when the car they were riding on the ferry ended up in the water for reasons still to be determined.”
He continued, “The entire Fisher Island community mourns their loss and our hearts and prayers go out to their families and loved ones at this very difficult time.”
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