The son of a billionaire Venezuelan banker was killed by a boat propeller while desperately trying to save his fiancée during a Florida Keys fishing event.
Juan Carlos Escotet Alviarez — the 31-year-old son of Venezuela-based Banesco president Juan Carlos Escotet Rodriguez — died Saturday afternoon after jumping into waters about six miles off north Key Largo as he and fiancée Andrea Montero, 30, tried to snag sailfish from a 60-foot boat, the Miami Herald reported.
Alviarez Jumped into the Water After Montero Fell Overboard
Alviarez dove into the water to try to save Montero after she fell overboard, but was maimed by the vessel's propeller and died from his injuries, according to a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission report obtained by the newspaper. The boat was had been moving backwards at the time of the accident.
Montero, 30, managed to stay clear of the propellers and avoid serious injury before she was safely pulled from the water. Journalist Angela Oraa of Venezuela said Montero was able to get out of the water "without consequences," according to a translated tweet. She suffered a head injury but apparently has no memory of the accident.
"Rough as it was, she couldn't say whether it was when she went over or coming back in. She doesn't remember when it happened," Officer Jason Rafter, an FWC spokesman, told the outlet on Monday.
Alviarez and Montero were Scheduled to Wed in November
The couple was taking part in a fishing tournament organized by the Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo. Alviarez was the youngest of Rodriguez's sons, Venezuelan newspaper El Nacional reported. According to Forbes, 62-year-old Rodriguez has a net worth of $3.5 billion and is the founder of the Caracas-based banking group, Banesco. The group operates out of Panama, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Colombia and the U.S.
The son graduated from the University of Miami and was a member of the board of directors of Banesco USA, the American division headquartered in Miami, according to the company's
Alviarez appears to have been a fan of competitive fishing, according to an Instagram account that documented his hobby. He and Montero were scheduled to tie the knot in November.
