Jet Ski Accident Kills One Teen, Leaves Another Critical
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Two teenagers riding on a personal watercraft Saturday collided with a small boat in the Jacksonville area waters. The 19-year-old man was killed and an 18-year-old woman seriously injured. No one in the boat on Durbin Creek was injured.
When a boater tried to come to the rescue of the two victims, he went to the Julington Creek boat ramp, about two miles from the accident. But the young man was dead at the scene. The young woman was air lifted to Shands-Jacksonville in critical condition.
Both of the young people were wearing life vests.
"It's a hard time right now, especially for the parents of those kids," said Ken Johns, who was boating nearby. "It's just heartbreaking, to tell you the truth."
It's always possible in these cases that charges will be filed. Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission officers say that a blood sample was taken from the teenager, which is standard practice.
Whether the speed in a narrow and winding part of the creek played a part in the collision or simply the inability to steer the jet ski skillfully will have to be determined.
Jet skis are fun but they require skill and frequently people do not realize that you often need to apply speed to have the ability to adequately steer away from a hazard, which seems counterintuitive. We wish the young lady a speedy recovery.