PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — A New York man is now facing felony charges after a serious jet ski crash that happened near Johns Pass. Those charges include boating under the influence and reckless operation. He was released from jail on Tuesday on a surety bond.
Deputies tell us the two injured children are now in stable condition. Your safety is important to us, so we spoke to deputies and people who work on the water about critical safety skills.
Kristen Lynch works at Jet Ski Adventures in Indian Rocks Beach. As a mom, she said Sunday's jet ski crash hit home.
WATCH: Officials stress safety after jet ski crash leaves two children injured
“I was heartbroken when I heard about this crash. I am a mom, my youngest daughter is 9, and from what I understand, the kids were 7 and 8, so yeah, it kinda hits home hard for me,” Lynch said.
According to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office, the crash happened when a man was racing another jet ski and not paying attention. Investigators say he jumped off at the last second, and his jet ski slammed into another, which had the two children on board.
Deputy Stephan Hole with the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office spoke about general jet ski safety.
“If you are not paying attention to where you are going, jet skis don’t have brakes. There is nothing to slow you down other than another vessel,” Deputy Hole said.
For Kristen Lynch, safety is non-negotiable. She said she will refuse rentals and even pull riders off the water if they are not following safety guidelines.
“If I’m out there and they’re horsing around and being unsafe, I will pull them… I won’t allow it, and if it is a whole group, I will bring the whole group right back,” Lynch said.
Tampa Bay 28 also spoke to Spence Trick, who runs Wake Surf Tampa. He explained that hundreds of kids come through his camps every year. He said safety is his top priority, and he wants to remind other boaters how critical it is to be cautious on the water.
“You need to stay a minimum of 100 feet away from everybody when they’re operating. I exacerbate that, and I say 100 yards from anyone operating with someone in the water,” Trick said
He said it is a group effort to keep the water safe.
As far as Sunday's crash, the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office said the investigation is ongoing.
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