MARYLAND

16-year-old airlifted to PRMC after jet ski crash in Assawoman Bay

Ryan Marshall

The Daily Times

In this file photo, the Route 90 bridge is shown. A jet ski crash injured a 16-year-old boy Friday, July 21. The crash occurred north of the Route 90 bridge on the western shore around 2 p.m.

A 16-year-old boy was airlifted to Peninsula Regional Medical Center after he and a friend crashed a jet ski Friday, officials said.

The preliminary investigation has led officers to believe the two teenagers ran aground in the marsh area near the Links at Lighthouse Sound in the Assawoman Bay at about 2 p.m., said Candy Thomson, public information officer for Maryland Natural Resources Police.

ALSO NEAR OC: Boat runs aground in Assawoman Bay, injuring man

The other teenager's age was unknown, but was uninjured. The extent of the 16-year-old boy's injuries is unknown at this time.

Officers are still trying to understand how the crash happened, but investigators have been stalled due to low tide in the bay, Thomson said.

As for the summer season so far, Thomson noted it was a quiet Fourth of July holiday and the statistics are trending down, after 17 fatal boatings accidents throughout Maryland in 2016.

"We've been lucky so far," Thomson said. "We feel that people have been doing the right things — wearing lifejackets and not bow riding as much."

Water officials held a safety conference in Ocean City before Memorial Day raise awareness of safety in the bay and ocean.

Maryland officials offered boating safety tips

Make sure everyone on board has a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket. Children under the age of 13 are required to wear a life jacket aboard a boat less than 21 feet long.

Designate a sober skipper to stay at the helm and be responsible for returning the boat and its passengers safely to shore.

Don’t overcrowd the boat. Heed the boat’s capacity plate on the transom or by the helm, or look up the passenger capacity in the boat’s manual.

Chart a safe course and let someone on shore know where you are going and when you expect to return.

Check the weather and tides before you leave and use a weather radio or smartphone app to stay on top of local conditions.

Carry a cellphone in a waterproof pouch or have a marine radio and monitor VHF Channel 16.