5 Injured When Speeding Boat Flips In Colorado River, Investigation Underway

Authorities are investigating after five people were injured when their boat flipped in the Colorado River over the weekend, with high speed believed to be a factor.

The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office in California said Marine Enforcement deputies responded to a report of a boat accident on the Colorado River near Blankenship Bend, near the California–Nevada–Arizona borders, shortly after 5 p.m. Saturday. Dispatchers said the boat had flipped and was floating in shallow water, with multiple injured people in the water.

Three passengers with minor injuries were transported to Havasu Regional Medical Center in Lake Havasu City, Ariz. A female passenger who sustained “major” injuries was transported to University Medical Center in Nevada. The operator of the boat also sustained major injuries, and was transported to Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center in Nevada.

The sheriff’s office said witnesses reported that the boat was traveling at a high rate of speed during a “turning movement.” The port sponson caught a chine, or a ridge between the side and bottom of the hull, causing the boat to flip.

The accident remains under investigation. The sheriff’s office is asking anyone with information about the incident to contact Deputy Bradley Whitmer at (760) 326-9200 or leave an anonymous tip by calling the We-Tip Hotline at 1-800-78CRIME (27463), or visitng the We-Tip website at www.wetip.com.