Shelton man charged with boating hit-and-run after Aug. 3 collision that sliced kayak
A 20-year-old Shelton man has been charged with boating hit-and-run with injury after hitting an occupied tandem kayak with a power boat on Aug. 3.
Prosecutors charged David Josiah Seymour with the alleged crime on Wednesday. The crash occurred in Squaxin Passage between Carlyon Beach and Hope Island, east of Steamboat Island.
The collision nearly sliced the kayak completely into two parts and left two occupants floating in the water, the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office posted on social media. Jet skiers reportedly helped the kayakers back to shore where medics treated them for cuts and bruises.
Deputies arrested Seymour on Aug. 16, nearly two weeks after the incident.
Thurston County Judge Mary Sue Wilson found probable cause for the alleged crime and set bail at $5,000 on Monday, according to court records.
A Sheriff’s Office bail receipt shows Seymour was released later that day. Court records show Seymour has no known criminal convictions.
A probable cause statement describes the investigation into the boating incident from the perspective of law enforcement.
The incident occurred at 2:23 p.m. Aug. 3. A witness told dispatch that a boat hit a kayak and took off. The boat was described as having an aluminum bottom with a maroon stripe and a tan Bimini top.
On Aug. 6, Chief Barry Hagmann of the Squaxin Island Police Department told the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office that Island Enterprises, a Mason County company, owned a boat fitting that description.
Staff at Island Enterprises told a deputy that Seymour was scheduled to work by himself on Aug. 3 and no staff had reported any recent incidents on the water, according to the statement.
The deputy inspected the boat owned by Island Enterprises. It matched the previously given description, however the tan Bimini top had been removed and placed in the hull of the vessel. An employee reportedly told the deputy that this was “odd.”
Island Enterprises also informed the deputy that Seymour did not show up for his shift on Aug. 4 and did not call to inform them of his absence.
The deputy later contacted Seymour at his home. Seymour allegedly described his Aug. 3 shift as a regular day, according to the statement.
When questioned further, Seymour allegedly said he hit a sandbar and an explained a crack in the windshield as being caused by a hanging speaker.
The deputy reported that Seymour admitted to hitting the kayak after the deputy explained the case to him. Seymour allegedly said he was looking at his phone while he was working, the statement says.
He allegedly went on to say he “turned around” and didn’t see anyone, so he returned to the dock. When pressed further, he allegedly said he circled the island before returning to the area and still didn’t see anyone.
The statement indicates Seymour denied taking the Bimini top off the boat to conceal the boat when it was docked. He said he did not tell anyone about the collision, according to the statement.
The deputy contacted the two kayakers, a father and son, on Aug. 7 and arranged to meet with them on Aug. 12. The kayakers told the deputy they observed an aluminum boat approaching them fast, the statement says.
They said they yelled and waved their paddles to gain the boater’s attention, but were unsuccessful and jumped out of the kayak to avoid getting hit.
The son initially emerged and feared his father had been hit by the boat, he told the deputy. However, the father eventually emerged and both attempted to swim back to shore with the kayak. Another kayaker and a pair of jet skiers then came to their aid.
The father and son told the deputy that the boater did not return to the scene or slow down after the collision to help them “despite their calling and obvious signs of distress,” according to the statement. Another witness reportedly corroborated the pair’s account of the collision.
The deputy saw the kayak and noted it had been struck in the stern. A water bottle that the pair carried had an 8- to 10-inch lateral indentation and one of their life jackets had a 12-inch slice through the back.
The deputy arranged to meet Seymour on Aug. 16 in Olympia and arrested him.
This story was originally published August 22, 2024 at 11:46 AM.
