Reward offered in boating hit-and-run case
LAKEWOOD, Wash. - Police here are offering a $1,000 reward and asking residents around American Lake if they can identify the boat that hit a kayaker and fled the scene.
14-year-old David "DK" Ross is in critical condition after he was struck by a boat Sunday afternoon while kayaking between Silcox Island and the shores of American Lake.
His father David Hermansen says he and DK had just set off from shore in separate small boat. They were heading to their vacation home on Silcox Island.
"I met him in the middle of the lake and asked him if everything was okay and everything," Hermansen said.
The father went on ahead... a half hour later, he found DK's brightly painted kayak damaged floating upside down, and no sign of the 14-year-old.
The boy was found unconscious and floating in the water around 1:40 p.m. by a passing fisherman, who towed him to shore. There, witnesses performed CPR until medics arrived and rushed him to Madigan Army Medical Center, where he was said to have life-threatening injuries.
No one saw it happen... but police believe a speed boat hit DK.
"He's got a 3 inch square removed from his head skull," Hermansen said. "He had a laceration from here all the way down his throat, a broken rib and they removed his spleen. So he got hit pretty hard."
The boat that struck the boy fled the scene. Police are looking for a white 19-20 foot cuddy-cabin style boat seen racing around the lake earlier in the day.
Lakewood Police say so far, they haven't heard from anyone who witnessed the actual crash. They are now canvassing the area looking for boats that match a description or have any damage that could connect them to the accident.
In the meantime, Hermansen hopes the boater does the right thing.
"Turn yourself in. If you've got a conscience, put some closure to this for us," he said.
If you have any information on the incident, contact Lakewood Police.
14-year-old David "DK" Ross is in critical condition after he was struck by a boat Sunday afternoon while kayaking between Silcox Island and the shores of American Lake.
His father David Hermansen says he and DK had just set off from shore in separate small boat. They were heading to their vacation home on Silcox Island.
"I met him in the middle of the lake and asked him if everything was okay and everything," Hermansen said.
The father went on ahead... a half hour later, he found DK's brightly painted kayak damaged floating upside down, and no sign of the 14-year-old.
The boy was found unconscious and floating in the water around 1:40 p.m. by a passing fisherman, who towed him to shore. There, witnesses performed CPR until medics arrived and rushed him to Madigan Army Medical Center, where he was said to have life-threatening injuries.
No one saw it happen... but police believe a speed boat hit DK.
"He's got a 3 inch square removed from his head skull," Hermansen said. "He had a laceration from here all the way down his throat, a broken rib and they removed his spleen. So he got hit pretty hard."
The boat that struck the boy fled the scene. Police are looking for a white 19-20 foot cuddy-cabin style boat seen racing around the lake earlier in the day.
Lakewood Police say so far, they haven't heard from anyone who witnessed the actual crash. They are now canvassing the area looking for boats that match a description or have any damage that could connect them to the accident.
In the meantime, Hermansen hopes the boater does the right thing.
"Turn yourself in. If you've got a conscience, put some closure to this for us," he said.
If you have any information on the incident, contact Lakewood Police.