MOABI REGIONAL PARK, Calif. (CBS/AP) — Two recreational boats collided head-on Saturday (Sept. 1) in a stretch of the Colorado River marking the California border with Arizona that was crowded with people enjoying the Labor Day weekend, sinking one boat and leaving 13 people injured, authorities said. Another four people were missing.
None of the boaters were wearing life vests when the collision occurred, said Anita Mortensen, a spokesperson for the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office.
The crash happened in Moabi Regional Park, a popular water recreation area along the border about 290 miles east of Los Angeles.
Eric Sherwin, spokesman for the San Bernardino County Fire District, said one person sustained life-threatening injuries and was transported to University Medical Center in Las Vegas. Nine others were transported to local hospitals with less serious injuries. Another six had minor injuries and only one of them requested to go to a hospital.
Sherwin said the depth of the water on the river can range from shallow to 30 feet deep. Rescuers had to call off the search for the missing until Sunday morning because it was too dangerous to put divers in the flowing water after dark. Some of those onboard the boats apparently were thrown into the water by the force of the collision or jumped, and were swept down the river.
“We had victims of this collision that were located 3 to 5 miles downstream from the original point of impact,” said Sherwin.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department posted video Sunday (Sept. 2) afternoon showing one of its helicopters hovering above as the search for the victims continued.
Sonar of the submerged boat did not appear to show either of the missing persons on board, he said. The other boat was badly damaged by the impact, but remained afloat.
Other recreational boats had converged on the scene and further downstream to help rescue victims, said Sherwin.
