Officer cleared in fatal Seadoo crash on Okanagan Lake

B.C.’s police watchdog has cleared an RCMP officer involved in a fatal Seadoo collision on Okanagan Lake.

The Independent Investigations Office of B.C. was tasked with investigating the collision near Sun-Oka Beach on August 5, 2021 after one of the riders died as a result of injuries from a crash.

The investigation found that the officer was off-duty when he and his teenage son, along with a friend, rented Seadoos around 10:30 a.m. in Penticton.

At around 11:12 a.m., the officer called emergency services and reported the collision, saying both he and his friend were travelling at high speeds when his friend abruptly slowed down and turned into his path.

The victim was transported to hospital with serious injuries and underwent surgery, but later died. An autopsy confirmed the cause of death as blunt force trauma.

The IIO notes a statement from the officer through his legal council, claimed that his friend was ahead of him and to the right when he suddenly slowed and turned left, directly into the path of the officer. He said he attempted to slow and avoid the other vessel, but still t-boned the victim.

A technical collision analysis was conducted by the RCMP’s West Coast Marine Section, under IIO supervision. That process found that the mechanical damage patterns aligned with the claim that the officer struck the other Seadoo at roughly a perpendicular angle, then went up and over the other near the seat. The engine data was also analyzed, which showed both vessels were travelling at a high rate of speed when the victim suddenly slowed right before the impact.

The IIO noted that the Seadoos were not equipped with braking systems. Instead the machine throttles down and slows, and it slows especially quickly if turned sharply.

The investigation also found that none of the individuals was intoxicated at the time of the incident.

The IIO did note that it is up to an overtaking vessel to ensure they allow enough space to other watercraft they are passing, and that it is up to a vessel to yield to any vessel approaching from ahead and to the right.

The IIO said while it was the officer’s duty to avoid the other Seadoo, it did appear that he tried to do so, though without the ability to brake quickly and with little space to manoeuver, he could not avoid the collision.

After analyzing all the information, the IIO concluded that the officer was not at fault for the collision or the death.