Boston Harbor-area boat crash victim is home from hospital, mother says
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Jack Edwards was released from the hospital late Friday and is now home.
- Edwards suffered significant injuries including a broken right femur requiring a rod.
- A Go Fund Me campaign has raised about $30,000 of a $35,000 goal.
A 21-year-old man who was injured in a boat wreck earlier this month near Boston Harbor Marina has been discharged from the hospital and is now home, his mother told The Olympian on Wednesday.
Jack Edwards was one of five people aboard a 10-foot boat the evening of Sunday, May 3, The Olympian previously reported. Another boater in a 25-foot boat crashed into it – sending Edwards and the others into the water and seriously injuring Edwards, according to court records. Edwards was later taken to Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia and then to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.
The operator of the larger boat, who has since been identified as Justin Erickson, 51, was arrested on suspicion of assault by watercraft. He has not been charged.
Edwards’ mother, Jessica Edwards, said her son was released from the hospital late Friday afternoon, and he is now home in west Olympia.
She said he is facing a long recovery because his injuries were significant, including a broken right femur, which required that a rod be inserted into it.
“Emotionally and physically he is pretty traumatized,” she said.
She said the right side of his body suffered the worst injuries. He is using crutches, but can only take a few steps at a time, she said.
A GoFundMe website has been launched to help Edwards. The fundraising campaign has raised about $30,000 of a $35,000 goal.
Jessica thanked the community for being so supportive and praised the work of the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office, which responded to the incident. She also said she was pleased that the Thurston County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has recused itself from the case.
Prosecuting Attorney Jon Tunheim said he recused his office because he’s known Erickson for about 20 years and Erickson has previously supported his campaigns for Prosecuting Attorney, The Olympian reported.
The Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office is now handling the case. They are reviewing it before deciding whether to file charges, The Olympian reported.
What happened?
Olympia resident Austin Sutherland was the fist person to get to Jack Edwards that evening, he told The Olympian Wednesday.
Sutherland said he had just returned to the marina in his boat when he heard screaming and looked up in time to see the incident. He got into his motorized dinghy and drove out to the crash, which he described as taking place within a few hundred yards of a log boom that floats near the marina.
Once there, he said he tried to determine who was injured and who wasn’t, then heard the 21-year-old, saying, “Help, I can’t swim.”
“I’m here, buddy,” Sutherland said he responded. Then he saw the injuries to the 21-year-old’s elbow, shoulder, his back and his right leg, he said.
Sutherland said about that time, Erickson, the operator of the larger boat, had appeared, and there was screaming for a medical kit. Sutherland then flagged down another boat in the area, he said, which had a swimming platform and ladder. They were able to transfer Jack onto that platform and that boater transported him back to the marina, he said.
Sutherland then checked to make sure everyone was accounted for, he said, and towed the damaged, smaller boat back to the marina. He added that Erickson’s boat headed back to the marina, where they met with the authorities.
“It was definitely an impactful event,” he said.
One of the people aboard the towed boat was throwing up, so when they reached the marina he said he directed that person to a paramedic.
Sutherland expressed his gratitude to the emergency responders who showed up and went about their jobs in a level-headed manner and kept their composure.
He said there was a lot of screaming and yelling directed at Erickson, and that the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office arrived and injected order into the chaos.
“I’ve seen a lot in my day, but it was pretty rough,” Sutherland said about the incident, adding that first responders “see it every day.”
Witnesses allegedly told investigators Erickson was speeding and boating recklessly, and Erickson allegedly refused field sobriety tests and told investigators that he initially thought he struck a log, according to court records.
Erickson told The Olympian in a statement last week: “My heart is with Jack and everyone affected by this tragic accident. I’m keeping them and their loved ones in my thoughts and remain hopeful for a full and timely recovery. This has been an incredibly difficult time for everyone involved. Out of respect for their privacy, I will not speculate or comment beyond the information shared by local authorities. Right now, my focus is simply on supporting those affected with compassion, care and respect during this difficult time.”
Olympian archives contributed to this report.
