(Spirit Lake)– A collision involving a personal watercraft and a boat Friday on West Lake Okoboji resulted in charges against the teenage operator of the PWC and sent four people to the hospital.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says 14-year-old Joshua James of Clive was operating a personal watercraft that collided with a 20-foot deck boat operated by 71-year-old Virgil Karstens of Spirit Lake.
Karstens and three passengers on his boat were taken to Lakes Regional Healthcare where they were treated for minor injuries and released.
No injuries were reported to James, who was cited for careless and reckless operation. James was also cited for failure to have operator certification, but will be given time to complete it. He was also issued a warning for having a discharged fire extinguisher.
The incident took place around 2:30 p.m. on Emmerson Bay of West Lake Okoboji.
The personal water craft operated by James sustained scratches; heavy damage was reported to the boat operated by Karstens.
The incident remains under investigation by the DNR, which was assisted by the Arnolds Park/Okoboji Fire and Rescue and Lakes Regional Healthcare ambulance.
