A father from New York is facing charges after allegedly operating a jet ski under the influence and colliding with another vehicle, resulting in serious injuries to two children in Florida, according to law enforcement officials.
Daniel Patrick Grubert, a resident of Piermont, Rockland County, was reportedly racing a rented Yamaha WaveRunner in Madeira Beach, near St. Petersburg, on Sunday when he took his eyes off the path, as stated by the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.
Realizing a collision was imminent, he abandoned the jet ski, which subsequently crashed into another jet ski operated by a 45-year-old man who had two children, ages 7 and 8, with him, authorities reported.
The children were thrown into the water but were rescued by the Madeira Beach Fire Department.
They were transported to a local hospital — one of the children suffered life-threatening injuries, while the other sustained injuries that were not life-threatening.
Grubert displayed signs of intoxication and “performed poorly” during field sobriety tests, according to the sheriff’s office.
He was subsequently arrested and charged with two counts of boating under the influence causing serious bodily injury and one count of reckless vessel operation.
He was booked at the Pinellas County Jail and released on Tuesday morning after posting a total bond of $100,500, according to jail records.
The operator of the other jet ski, Walter Wodzien, 45, was thrown into the water but fortunately did not sustain any injuries, law enforcement stated.
