Marcell Ozuna was among the Miami Marlins players who declined an invitation to join pitcher Jose Fernandez on a boat the night he was killed in a fatal crash.
According to the Associated Press’ Curt Anderson, Ozuna was one of at least three Marlins teammates who who opted against going on the boat with Fernandez, 24, Emilio Jesus Macias, 27, and Eduardo Rivero, 25, shortly before they crashed into a jetty.
“That night I told him, ‘Don’t go out,'” Ozuna said, per the Miami Herald‘s Andre C. Fernandez. “Everybody knew he was crazy about that boat and loved being out on the water. I told him I couldn’t go out that night because I had the kids and my wife waiting for me.”
“It was a bad decision for him,” Ozuna added, per Anderson. “He heard everybody say, ‘No, go back to your house and take it easy.’ Then you wake up and see the news.”
According to Anderson, Will Bernal, who was a friend of Rivero‘s, also expressed concern about his decision to take the boat out after midnight on Sunday and posted their text message correspondence on social media:
“Yo please be careful bro,” Bernal texted at 12:07 a.m.
“I will bro,” Rivero said.
“Try to keep him close to shore if you go out,” Bernal wrote back.
“Trust me,” Rivero wrote, “it’s not my time yet.”
Bernal then asked Rivero to turn on his “find iPhone” application and to “keep Jose cool.”
A public memorial will be held for Fernandez on Wednesday, according to USA Today. The procession will reportedly begin at 2:16 p.m. ET as a way to honor Fernandez, who wore No. 16. A private funeral will also be held for Fernandez on Thursday.
Monday, Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria announced the team will retire No. 16, per the Palm Beach Post‘s Hal Habib.
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