Father and Son Crash in Tragic Boating Accident

18-year-old hurt in Mission Bay accident

A father and son racing each other in Mission Bay were involved in a tragic accident on Monday afternoon, according to lifeguards.

San Diego lifeguards said the man and his son were racing in the eastern part of Mission Bay at about 2:30 p.m. when the father's 25-foot boat rear-ended the son's 18-foot speedboat, striking the son. Apparently the boats were running side-by-side when one vessel reduced speed, lifeguards said, but the father didn't detect that his son's boat had slowed and ran up and over the back of his boat.

The son suffered severe head and neck injuries in the wreck.

The second boat with the injured driver went out of control and crash landed on the beach.

β€œIt’s real fortunate this beach isn’t a real populated place today," said Lt. Andy Lerum of the San Diego lifeguards. "Yesterday, there were hundreds, if not thousands, of people right here,” Lerum said.

Lifeguards tried to maintain an open airway for the victim and control the bleeding,  sadi Lerum. Rescuers had a very difficult time removing the unconscious 18-year-old from the boat, according to lifeguards. He was then taken to a local hospital for treatment.

Speeding is one of the most common violations on Mission Bay, according to Lerum, who would not say exactly how fast he thought the boats were moving, just describing their speed as "high."

Contact Us