Crashes, capsized boat mar Memorial Day weekend in Lake Havasu area
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A 25-foot boat capsized Sunday on the Colorado River sending 14 passengers into the water, according to information from the Mohave County (Arizona) Sheriff’s Office.
No one was injured, and several people who were trapped under the boat were rescued by one of the other occupants, according to MCSO. The boat was described as a 25-foot Avalon tritoon, and it overturned near the Interstate 40 bridge just east of Needles, California.
An investigation determined the boat operator was inexperienced and weight was improperly distributed.
It was one of several incidents that the MCSO Division of Boating Safety responded to over the Memorial Day holiday weekend. Overall, five boats crashed, but only one resulted in serious injuries.
A Saturday crash involving a boat that was traveling over 50 mph injured six people on Lake Havasu, including three who were transported to Las Vegas with serious but non-life-threatening injuries, according to MCSO. Nine people were aboard a 30-foot Hallett boat with triple outboard motors when an apparent mechanical failure led to the boat going out of control, according to a preliminary investigation. No other boats were involved in the crash, which occurred in the Lake Havasu North Basin.
On Sunday, a boat burst into flames at the docks of the Lake Havasu State Park’s North Launch Ramp. The boat operator escaped injury, jumping into the water. The 20-foot Hardin boat was severely damaged and the courtesy dock was also heavily damaged.
Alcohol wasn’t a factor in the three incidents detailed by MCSO, officials said.
Deputies issued 38 citations and arrested one person for operating a watercraft under the influence, officials said.
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