A Bakersfield mother was seriously injured when a boat struck her while she floated on an inner tube in the Colorado River, leaving her family scrambling to save her as the operator disappeared. The collision happened near the Needles Bridge during a busy summer evening on the water. Now investigators believe they may have identified the boat involved.
The collision occurred around 7 p.m. on June 20, just north of the Needles Bridge, according to the New York Post. San Bernardino County sheriff’s officials said Nikki Wittine suffered major leg injuries, received treatment from paramedics at the scene and was airlifted to a Las Vegas trauma center.
Wittine’s husband, Ronald, told ABC23 that the boat’s propeller caught her legs, while their 15-year-old son, Bentley, rushed in to help pull her free. The family has since launched a fundraiser as Wittine faces what officials described as significant injuries, the New York Post reported.
Video Review Gives Investigators A Fresh Lead
Investigators reviewed video recorded on the day of the crash and believe they have identified the boat, according to the latest update. The operator has not been publicly identified, and authorities have not announced any arrest or criminal charge.
The search is being handled by the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department’s Colorado River Station, which says its Marine Enforcement Unit patrols about 90 miles of river from the Nevada state line to the Riverside County line. The station also says the area draws nearly 17 million visitors annually, with the busiest boating season running from spring break through after Labor Day.
The river has seen heightened enforcement before. During a four-day Fourth of July operation in 2024, Hoodline previously reported that deputies conducted 203 boating stops, made 10 arrests for boating under the influence and issued 79 citations for other violations.
Anyone with information about the June 20 collision is asked to contact the Colorado River Station at 760-326-9200. Anonymous tips can be submitted through the WeTip hotline by calling or texting “Report” to 844-909-3006, according to authorities.
