One dies, two injured, in separate South Lake Tahoe boating incidents

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - There were two boating incidents on Lake Tahoe Tuesday, one that resulted in a laceration to a foot by a propeller and the other that resulted with the death of a Southern California man.

At 2:30 p.m. July 13, a group in a rental boat were just south of Emerald Bay when one of those on board went swimming, with no life jacket. He was in distress in the water so another person on board turned on the engine to go get the man out of the water, according to South Lake Tahoe Police Lt. Travis Cabral. As the boat was turned on its propeller struck the foot of a female who had gone into the water to assist. By the time the group was guided to the Ski Run Marina, South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue and JPA ambulances were waiting. They rendered aid to both. The woman struck by the propeller was transported to the hospital with a non-life threatening injury. The man who was originally in distress was checked out, and then went to the hospital, Cabral said.

A couple of hours later, at 4:58 p.m., first responders were called to the Tahoe Keys Marina after a 36-year-old man from Southern California was found in the water. A family had rented a boat and were outside the Keys channel when a man on board jumped into the water without a life vest. He began to go into distress and not able to swim, Cabral said. They family members on board were unable to operate the boat and were getting further away from the man in the water. They radioed the marina to say they couldn't get the boat started. Upon arrival, Keys personnel saw the man having difficulty in the water and got him onto another nearby boat where they started CPR. He was transported on the El Dorado County Sheriff's boat and life saving measures were used as the man was transported shore, and then to Barton Hospital, but it was too late, and he passed away according to Cabral. The name and hometown has not been released pending official notification of next of kin, and the cause of death will be determined by the coroner.

The South Lake Tahoe Police boat crew were still working on the first incident and the sheriff's boat responded.

Lt. Cabral said it was probably not cold water shock that affected the victim due to the warm temperature of the water near the Keys. The boat had been in water just deep enough where the victim could not reach the bottom.

Just as this story was being compiled Wednesday there was another water rescue underway. A 21-year-old person had their foot lacerated by a propeller and was on their way to the Lakeside Marina on a pontoon from Emerald Bay. First responders were waiting on the shore.

The two most common issues on Lake Tahoe that emergency personnel respond to area drownings from people not wearing life vests, and propeller strikes, said Cabral.