MOHAVE COUNTY (KTNV) — Memorial Day weekend is in the books and it was a busy weekend for the Mohave County Sheriff's Office and the Division of Boating Safety.
Over the weekend, deputies responded to several boat crashes, issued 38 citations, and made multiple arrests.
On Saturday, a single vessel crashed on Lake Havasu in the North Basin area. Authorities said a 30-foot Hallett boat had nine people on board and was going 50 miles per hour when it suddenly lost control. Several people were thrown into the water.
Six people were injured, stabilized on the scene, and taken to a local hospital by ambulance. Deputies said three of the six were later flown to a Las Vegas trauma center with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
During the course of the investigation, authorities said they discovered an apparent mechanical failure in the watercraft's steering system. Alcohol was not a factor in that incident.
On Sunday, a boat fire was reported at the docks of the Lake Havasu State Park's North Launch Ramp.
A 20-foot Hardin boat had just pushed away from the docks when the operator started the engine. That's when the boat burst into flames.
Deputies said the operator was able to jump into the water and was okay.
The San Bernardino County Fire Boat responded and put the fire out.
The boat was severely damaged as well as the courtesy docks.
Another incident on Sunday was on the Colorado River near the Interstate 40 bridge.
When deputies arrived, they found a 25-foot Avalon tritoon boat that had completely capsized and ejected all 14 passengers into the water.
During the incident, several people were rescued after being trapped under the boat. However, no one was injured.
Authorities said the operator was inexperienced and improper weight distribution on the watercraft caused the incident. Alcohol is not believed to be a factor.
