Driver inattention may be blamed as a major factor in a two-boat collision that occurred Saturday night.
One person was seriously injured when a 27-foot Fountain and a 29-foot Envision collided near the 10.5-mile marker. The impact of the collision caused the Fountain to go up and over the Envision, throwing the driver and three passengers into the lake. Passing boaters apparently stopped to assist.
The Fountain sank in about 65 feet of water.
According to Captain Matt Walz, charges have not been ruled out but will depend on the outcome of the investigation.
So far, evidence indicates the night-time running lights on both boats were on and excessive speed doesn’t appear to be a factor, he said. The drivers of the Fountain and the Envision told officers they didn’t see the other approaching boat in time to turn.
In another incident on Monday morning at the 5.5-mile marker on the Little Niangua Arm of the lake, an 18-foot Bayliner pulling two personal watercraft exploded. The cause of the explosion is undetermined, according to officers who said there wasn’t enough of the boat left to pinpoint the cause.
Two passengers sitting in the bow and the driver managed to jump overboard and swim to shore.
The driver said she was running at idle speed when she heard some noises coming from the engine compartment, followed by the explosion.
Contact this reporter at joycem@lakesunleader.com
Lake of the Ozarks, Mo. —
