According to police reports the accident occurred on Friday just west of the Cable Beach hotel strip. as a result of the collision, 21-year-old Jason Melon from New Jersey was killed and a 14-year-old American girl had to rushed to the hospital.
There is some confusion about the age of the person who was killed. According to police the dead man was 21 years old. However, persons at the scene claim that the persons involved in the accident were a brother and sister, one 14-years and the other 16.
Kurt Melnechuck was reported to have been the driver of the boat. Mr. Melnechuck said that he and three others were on the boat travelling to Sandyport when they were caught in a storm. It is understood they had left Hurricane Hole and were caught in a "blinding rain storm" between Cable Beach and Blackbeard's Cay, formerly Balmoral Island.
"Unbeknown to us, a jet ski came over on our blind side and then right in front of us. We struck the jet ski without even a chance to slow down because they came from behind us and they evidently weren't looking where they were going because of the wind and the rain," he said.
He said after hitting the jet ski he and his friends started looking for survivors.
Ispotted a body in the water, dove in and swam over to it and turned it over and made it back to the boat. She had a life jacket on and was face down in the water when I found her. She was not breathing nor did she have a pulse," said Mr. Melnechuck.
"W epicked up another two people on a neighbouring jet ski, they were all travelling together and eventually I got her pulse back. On the way back in the young man said that his brother wa s still back there. The girl was in critical condition at the time and the priority was to get someone in alive," said M
Luckily there was a vacationing doctor on the beach at Sandals resort and he assured the group that the young girl was breathing.
"We went back out to look for the young man, had no luck whatsoever and tried again. We waited for BASRA and the DEfencs Force and they came out. We showed them where the crash spot was. Withing five minutes BASRA found the body of the young man.
According to police reports Mr. Melon received critical head injuries.
Source: The Tribune
