Young girl killed, man injured in boat accident on Bass Lake

Tuesday, September 4, 2018
Young girl killed, man injured in boat accident on Bass Lake
The Madera County Sheriff's Office says they received a 911 call that a 32-year-old man and a 7-year-old needed medical attention after being hit by a boat.

MADERA COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- A tranquil Labor Day weekend on Bass Lake ended with horrific news. Mike Martinez was in line getting ready to return his jet ski when he noticed a boat speeding through the slow zone with two frantically screaming adults.

"They just ran her over, they just ran her over. We had the orange flag and they just ran her over. Someone please call 911, someone please help her," said Mike Martinez, describing what the frightened people onboard were yelling.

The Madera County Sheriff's Office is still investigating what happened, but they say a 7-year-old girl and a 32-year-old man were run over by a boat. Witnesses tell us the girl appeared to be tubing when she was injured around 3 o'clock.

"They worked on her for quite awhile. I was just watching from a distance and she didn't seem very responsive."

Martinez says boaters and vacationing EMTs jumped in to help. Others started praying.

The girl was eventually airlifted to a local hospital where she later died. The accident is a sobering reminder for even the most experienced boaters.

'You shudder to think this could really happen a whole lot more if people weren't careful."

Deputies say the circumstances of the crash are still under investigation.

The 32-year-old who was injured, is still recovering at a hospital.