A summer evening at Crystal Lake in Washington County turned tragic Saturday when a 40-year-old man was killed in a crash involving two personal watercraft at Woodland Lakes. Emergency crews pronounced him dead at the scene, and authorities say the incident remains under investigation.
According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the collision happened on June 13 at about 7:18 p.m. and involved a 2002 Polaris and a 2005 Sea-Doo. Both operators were adults. The report states that “drivers 1 and 2 were performing stunts, driving in a circular formation towards each other” when the front of one watercraft struck the other, ejecting the second driver into the water.
Victim and Other Operator
The patrol’s report lists the man who died as a 40-year-old from Arnold and identifies the other operator as a 39-year-old man from Imperial.
As reported by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Missouri Baptist Sullivan EMS personnel pronounced the victim dead at the scene, and the Washington County coroner transported his body to the county morgue. Authorities have not yet released his name.
What Investigators Documented
The state report notes that both watercraft were towed from the scene and lists the Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers and Washington County deputies who assisted. The incident report records the fatality as occurring after the rider was ejected from the personal watercraft and pronounced on scene by EMS personnel.
Boating Safety Reminder
Crashes between personal watercraft can happen in an instant, especially when riders are attempting stunts or circling close to one another. Being thrown from a craft at speed can cause severe or fatal injuries.
Boating safety resources consistently stress the basics: wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket, use an engine cutoff lanyard, keep a safe distance from other boats and personal watercraft, and skip the risky maneuvers. Those points line up with national guidance from organizations such as DiscoverBoating.
Authorities have released only limited details so far, and local coverage in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch provides additional on-the-ground reporting on the crash.
