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Spring Lake Township—a Labor Day weekend turned tragic after a teenage boy was killed after his Sea-Doo personal watercraft collided with a powerboat in Stahl’s Bayou on Saturday evening. One of the boy’s passengers on the personal watercraft has reportedly lost her leg as a result of the collision and is in critical condition. The second passenger is reportedly doing well and suffered only minor bumps and bruises.

15-year-old Robert Jack Jervosek of Spring Lake was driving his 2007 GTX Sea-Doo personal watercraft with 23-year-old Kaitlin Van Dam and another 16-year-old girl riding on the back when he collided with a 2005 MasterCraft Ski Boat. None of the five teenagers riding in the boat were injured.

The powerboat was apparently making a large turn, when it struck the personal watercraft from behind. Rescuers were called at approximately 7:10 p.m. to the scene of the accident, where Jervosek was pronounced dead. According to investigators, the 15-year-old driver of the powerboat had his boating safety certification. Furthermore, alcohol is not believed to be a factor in the accident, although the accident is still under investigation.

One Comment

  1. Wayne Parsons

    I remember growing up in Michigan and marveling at the many lakes where we all had so much fun in the summer. Water skiing was so much fun I couldn't believe it. As I got older I started to see the other side of boating safety and particularly the injury and death caused by ski boats and other watercraft that increasingly filled the confined spaces on the lakes. You see the results of these tragedies as families come into your Lansing offices in shock and sadness. Boating accidents take the young. This tragedy on Stahl's Bayou sounds innocent. No alcohol. The 15-year-old had his certification. How did happen? And more importantly, how can the next one be prevented?

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