Water recreation poses problems over long weekend

Three-boat collision, cliff jumper injury among accidents

GRANT COUNTY — A three-boat collision in the south end of Moses Lake was apparently caused by a man jumping the wakes of two different powerboats while on his personal watercraft, according to the Grant County Sheriff's Office.

Oscar A. Serrano, 38, of Yakima, was cited for negligent operation by marine patrol on Sunday afternoon near the Moses Lake sand dunes area for driving his personal watercraft illegally.

According to the GCSO, witnesses saw Serrano cut between two power boats that were paralleling each other, leading one driver to change direction to avoid hitting Serrano's personal watercraft which caused a collision with the other boat.

The damage to the boats is unknown at this time.

In the Turtle Rock area of Banks Lake, a 16-year-old female from Puyallup was injured Sunday afternoon while apparently cliff jumping with friend. The extent of her injuries is unclear, but she was transported to Coulee Community Hospital where she was treated, the GCSO said.

A fisherman had two motors stolen off the back of his 14-foot aluminum boat while it was beached overnight in the Mardon Resort area of O'Sullivan Dam.

David Baxter, of Seattle, returned to his boat Sunday morning to find he had lost a five horsepower Johnson boat motor and a Minkota short shaft motor worth a combined $600 dollars, he told marine patrol for the GCSO.

The GCSO encourages fisherman to make sure any property left on boats is secure as there have been several stolen boat motors in the remote areas of Grant County.