PWC Driver Lossess Control
On June 29, 1997, a 25-year-old male lost control of a rented personal watercraft (PWC)1 while operating at Four Bear Water Park near Shelby Township, Michigan. The vessel entered a lifeguard-supervised swimming area and struck six children, ages 5 to 12. It hit a seventh person on the beach before coming to a stop. One child sustained severe lacerations to the head, bruising of the upper torso, and remained in a coma for 3 days.
Injuries to the other children included a serious laceration above the right eye; loss of two front teeth and facial bruising; lacerations to the head; bruising of the upper torso; abdominal laceration; and abrasions to the leg, arm, and chest. The investigating officer concluded that the accident was caused by excessive speed and an inability to control the vessel. The PWC operator had never previously driven such a vessel and had been riding less than 1 hour on the day of the accident.
The rental agent had provided verbal instructions but had not required the operator to demonstrate any ability to handle the 55-hp, 580-cc Bombardier Sea-Doo.2 The rental agent provided verbal instruction in English on how to operate the vessel, which was translated for the Spanish-speaking operator.
