A Russian-national was killed at Pyramid Lake on Sunday in a tragic boating accident. Authorities say that the crash happened around 3:45 p.m. on Sunday when the teen’s WaveRunner personal watercraft went into the path of an oncoming 21-foot ski boat.
Alcohol has not been described as a contributing factor in this wrongful death case, although it appears that criminal charges may be filed.
“I will be presenting the case to the Los Angeles County District Attorney next week,” an LA County Sheriff told reporters from The Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
The 16-year-old has been alternatively described by local news agencies as a Russian tourist and as a Russian-national living in Hollywood. The teen’s father lives in Moscow and has reportedly been notified of his son’s death.
There was also a 30-year-old Russian on the WaveRunner who suffered severe personal injuries. The ski boat operator attempted to rescue the teen and his companion after the crash according to witnesses. The operator fished the teen and the 30-year-old from the water and then administered CPR.
Rescue efforts continued on the teen for about 40 minutes until he was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics. The 30-year-old was airlifted to a nearby hospital in critical condition.
SCV-TV reports that the ski boat operator also appeared to be from Russia and was vacationing with the WaveRunner riders.