BarryMac
08-03-2004, 12:16 PM
Very Sad for all families invloved, my thoughts and prayers are with all of them...
gjb
__________________________________________________ _
The father of a 17-year-old California girl who died of injuries suffered in a boating accident on the Colorado River on Saturday wanted to thank those who worked to save her.
Melissa Sajtar, of Lakeside, Calif., sustained fatal injuries when the personal watercraft she was riding collided with a boat near Zoo Island on the Colorado River.
Melissa's father, Dan Sajtar, profusely commended the rescue personnel, hospital staff and those at the scene.
"I'm very impressed with the people of Yuma," he said.
Melissa and her mother, Carra Sajtar, were at the river as part of a group of mothers and daughters who were having a "girls' weekend out."
According to Dan Sajtar, around 2 p.m., Melissa was a passenger on the watercraft that was being driven by Cindy Erickson, 43, of Escondido, Calif.
Sajtar said the craft was riding beside a boat where the channel narrowed. Another boat came from the other direction, necessitating evasive action.
Sajtar said both the personal watercraft and the oncoming boat swerved toward each other and collided.
"Both drivers thought the same thing," Sajtar said.
Melissa sustained internal injuries and a compound fracture of her leg. She was transported by helicopter to Yuma Regional Medical Center.
Sajtar said Melissa was coherent and speaking on the flight to the hospital, but her internal bleeding would not stop.
She was kept on life support until she died at 11:55 p.m.
Erickson was severely injured as well, losing her left leg below the knee. She was taken by ambulance to YRMC.
Sgt. Mark McNay of the Imperial County Sheriff's Office said his department was still investigating the accident. He said numerous witnesses were being interviewed.
"It will take some time. There's a lot of pieces to the puzzle," he said.
He did not know what speeds the watercraft were traveling.
Sajtar said his daughter's positivity found its way to everyone around her.
"She was very infectious," Sajtar said. "Anybody she came in contact with loved her."
Melissa was going to be a senior at El Capitan High School in Lakeside. She was an A-student, captain of the cheer squad and president of her class, Sajtar said.
Sajtar wanted to thank the Imperial County boat patrol, the emergency medical technicians and the chaplain staff and doctors at YRMC.
"They were fast getting them out of there," he said.
McNay said deputies from ICSO were on the water at the time of the accident, and that they responded immediately when they received the call.
"We have no ill feelings toward anyone," Sajtar said. "It was just an unfortunate acci- dent."
Sajtar said the driver of the boat, whose name he did not know, repeatedly called the hospital Saturday night to try to get updates on the condition of the women.
A hospital spokeswoman said Erickson was in stable condition Monday.
Sajtar said many people involved with the accident were wracked with guilt, but there is no reason for blame.
"I believe everybody did as much as they possibly could," he said.
A fund has been set up in Melissa's name with an out-of-area bank. Funeral services will be 10 a.m. Saturday in Lakeside.
gjb
__________________________________________________ _
The father of a 17-year-old California girl who died of injuries suffered in a boating accident on the Colorado River on Saturday wanted to thank those who worked to save her.
Melissa Sajtar, of Lakeside, Calif., sustained fatal injuries when the personal watercraft she was riding collided with a boat near Zoo Island on the Colorado River.
Melissa's father, Dan Sajtar, profusely commended the rescue personnel, hospital staff and those at the scene.
"I'm very impressed with the people of Yuma," he said.
Melissa and her mother, Carra Sajtar, were at the river as part of a group of mothers and daughters who were having a "girls' weekend out."
According to Dan Sajtar, around 2 p.m., Melissa was a passenger on the watercraft that was being driven by Cindy Erickson, 43, of Escondido, Calif.
Sajtar said the craft was riding beside a boat where the channel narrowed. Another boat came from the other direction, necessitating evasive action.
Sajtar said both the personal watercraft and the oncoming boat swerved toward each other and collided.
"Both drivers thought the same thing," Sajtar said.
Melissa sustained internal injuries and a compound fracture of her leg. She was transported by helicopter to Yuma Regional Medical Center.
Sajtar said Melissa was coherent and speaking on the flight to the hospital, but her internal bleeding would not stop.
She was kept on life support until she died at 11:55 p.m.
Erickson was severely injured as well, losing her left leg below the knee. She was taken by ambulance to YRMC.
Sgt. Mark McNay of the Imperial County Sheriff's Office said his department was still investigating the accident. He said numerous witnesses were being interviewed.
"It will take some time. There's a lot of pieces to the puzzle," he said.
He did not know what speeds the watercraft were traveling.
Sajtar said his daughter's positivity found its way to everyone around her.
"She was very infectious," Sajtar said. "Anybody she came in contact with loved her."
Melissa was going to be a senior at El Capitan High School in Lakeside. She was an A-student, captain of the cheer squad and president of her class, Sajtar said.
Sajtar wanted to thank the Imperial County boat patrol, the emergency medical technicians and the chaplain staff and doctors at YRMC.
"They were fast getting them out of there," he said.
McNay said deputies from ICSO were on the water at the time of the accident, and that they responded immediately when they received the call.
"We have no ill feelings toward anyone," Sajtar said. "It was just an unfortunate acci- dent."
Sajtar said the driver of the boat, whose name he did not know, repeatedly called the hospital Saturday night to try to get updates on the condition of the women.
A hospital spokeswoman said Erickson was in stable condition Monday.
Sajtar said many people involved with the accident were wracked with guilt, but there is no reason for blame.
"I believe everybody did as much as they possibly could," he said.
A fund has been set up in Melissa's name with an out-of-area bank. Funeral services will be 10 a.m. Saturday in Lakeside.