The Latest: Texts raised worry before Fernandez boat crash


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MIAMI (AP) — The Latest on Marlins-Fernandez Killed (all times local):

4:30 p.m.

A friend of one of the men who died in a boating accident with Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez raised concerns in text messages before their fatal late-night trip.

Will Bernal says he sent several texts to 25-year-old Eduardo Rivero after midnight Sunday, urging him not to go out on the water.

The texts, which Bernal posted on social media, asked Rivero turn on his "find iPhone" application and to try to get Fernandez to keep the boat close to shore.

Fernandez, Rivero and 27-year-old Emilio Jesus Macias died shortly after 3 a.m. when the baseball star's 32-foot boat crashed into a rock jetty off South Beach.

A local bar is confirming Fernandez was there before the crash.

Authorities are investigating the cause.

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4:10 p.m.

The Miami Marlins have scheduled a Wednesday public memorial service for pitcher Jose Fernandez, who died in a weekend boat crash along with two friends.

The team said in a news release that fans can gather along the west side of Marlins park by for the departure of a funeral motorcade at 2:16 p.m. Fernandez wore No. 16 on his jersey.

A public viewing will be held at St. Brendan's Catholic Church from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. A private funeral mass will be held Thursday for family and Marlins players and personnel.

Instead of flowers, the Fernandez family is asking people to make charitable contributions to the JDF16 Foundation, which can be found online at www.MiamiFoundation.org/jdf16 .

Authorities are investigating the cause of the crash early Sunday into a rock jetty off South Beach.

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2:15 p.m.

Authorities say they have no record of any previous citations for the boat owned by Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez, who died with two friends when the boat crashed into rocks.

A Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokesman said in an email Tuesday that the boat named "Kaught Looking" had no citations or warnings, nor did Fernandez or either of the other two men aboard. The spokesman said boat stops usually are not documented unless a citation or warning is issued.

The 24-year-old Fernandez died when the boat slammed early Sunday into a rock jetty just off South Beach. Twenty-seven-year-old Emilio Jesus Macias and 25-year-old Eduardo Rivero also died.

The wildlife commission is investigating.

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1:25 p.m.

Florida's two U.S. senators have introduced a resolution on Capitol Hill honoring Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez, who was killed along with two friends in a weekend boating accident.

Republican Marco Rubio and Democrat Bill Nelson said Tuesday the Senate resolution is intended to honor Fernandez's journey from communist Cuba to Major League Baseball star and his contributions to the community.

The resolution notes that the 24-year-old Fernandez was jailed in Cuba after unsuccessful escape attempts and once saved his mother from drowning after she fell from a boat. Fernandez finally made it to the U.S. at age 15 and rose to baseball stardom after he was drafted by the Marlins in 2011.

Investigators are trying to determine what caused the boat to crash into a rock jetty just off Miami Beach early Sunday.

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10:40 a.m.

A Miami bar and restaurant is confirming that Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez was a patron at the establishment before he and two friends were killed in a boat crash.

A spokeswoman for American Social Bar & Kitchen confirmed Tuesday in an email that Fernandez was there before the accident. The statement did not say whether Fernandez had been drinking or what time he left. The bar is along the Miami River and allows boats to dock alongside.

The 24-year-old Fernandez died when the boat he owned slammed early Sunday into a rock jetty just off South Beach. Twenty-seven-year-old Emilio Jesus Macias and 25-year-old Eduardo Rivero also died.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is investigating the crash. The Miami-Dade County medical examiner has not yet released toxicology results.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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