A young man was hospitalized after being pulled unconscious from the waters near Liberty State Island shortly after the Jet Ski he was riding collided with a small boat. While the exact details of this particular boating accident in New York City are under investigation, what is clear is that the two watercrafts collided just before noon on June 25th.
The NYPD harbor unit responded within minutes of receiving the emergency call. They arrived to find a 26-year-old male (Michael Colini) unconscious and unresponsive. He had been pulled from the river by passengers on the boat with which he collided. The rescue crew took the victim ashore where he was rushed into a waiting ambulance and taken to a nearby hospital. He was initially listed in serious condition. Tragically, he did not recover.
These types of boating accidents in New York City involving small personal watercraft are increasing in frequency as the number of these fast, maneuverable recreational vehicles grows. Adding to the congestion are the dozens of businesses along NYC’s waterfront that rent these watercraft to inexperienced and unskilled amateur operators.
These inexperienced operators are at the mercy of speedboats and other watercraft like barges, ferries and other oncoming vessels who may fail to get out of the way of an inexperienced boat or jet ski operator. In the waterways around NYC, these accidents are becoming more and more common. In this particular boat accident near the Statue of Liberty, it appears as if Colini and the other boat were trying to cut in front of each other – leaving as little as 20 feet between the two-when something went horribly wrong.
If you’ve been injured in a boating accident or on a Jet Ski or any other personal watercraft in NYC, contact an experienced New York City boat accident attorney today.