Man on boat dies after jet ski collision on Colorado River in Arizona

PHOENIX – A California man died after a Phoenix-area teen crashed a rented jet ski into his boat in northwestern Arizona on the Fourth of July, authorities said Tuesday.

The incident occurred around 1:30 p.m. Sunday on the Colorado River, according to a Bullhead City Police Department press release.

Timothy Randall David Lee, 33 of Ontario, California, who was sitting on the boat’s swim deck, was seriously injured in the collision. He was taken to an area medical center before being airlifted to a Las Vegas hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said.

Lee’s baby and mother-in-law were knocked into the water by the personal watercraft’s impact but were not injured, police said.

Police said the jet ski left the scene, but Water Rescue & Safety lifeguards and boating officers tracked it down.

Two teenagers were operating the rented watercraft, police said. A 16-year-old from Avondale was cited for failing to use caution to avoid a collision and for violating the rental contract, police said.

The Mohave County Attorney’s Office is reviewing the case for additional charges, police said.

Follow @kstonezone