SAN DIEGO, Calif. (KGTV) — Police say an 18-year-old man on a jet ski collided with a 12-year-old girl on a paddleboard in the De Anza Cove area of Mission Bay over the weekend.
The girl ultimately died from her injuries.
ABC 10News spoke with Amy McCoy, the operator of Adventure Water Sports, a legal rental business on Mission Bay.
“It is just so sad that a family goes down to enjoy a day on the bay and has…the ultimate tragedy,” said Amy McCoy.
McCoy says there are several rules and regulations in place to prevent injuries – including clearly marked 5 mph zones.
“Once you cross that buoy that says 5 mph, anything motorized must travel at 5 mph or under. De Anza is sort of bordering…so it could have been on either side of that buoy line,” she explained.
Police haven’t released which rules, if any, the jet skier involved violated. But McCoy tells us if you’re traveling over 5 mph, you must stay 100 feet away from any other craft whether it’s motorized or not.
“If they were following that simple rule, that’s going to give them time to react to make sure there’s no collision at all,” she said.
McCoy added that’s why those interested in renting should go through a legal company. She showed 10News the safety video and training they require of all of their renters prior to their departure.
“It’s made a huge impact on us having a great record of safety,” she said.
SDPD says alcohol is not believed to be a factor in the incident, but they are actively investigating the cause of the collision. They are asking eyewitnesses or anyone with video of the incident to come forward.
“None of that is going to bring back this 12-year-old girl. But it’s important for us to figure out what happened, if it could have been prevented, and if it’s appropriate for criminal charges to be filed,” said Lt. Adam Sharki, SDPD.
Lt. Sharki says SDPD’s Harbor Unit is investigating.
