SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY, Calif. — Investigators are still working to figure out what led up to a boat crash on the San Joaquin Delta just after 7 p.m. on Saturday.
The crash killed a 24-year-old woman and left at least five others injured.
Just as the sun was setting on the water in the San Joaquin Delta, the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office got a frantic call that two boats had just collided and one may have taken off.
"Initially, this was reported as a possible hit-and-run, but we received information that the driver of the boat that fled, fled to Contra Costa County, maintained contact with our office and he was seeking medical attention for his boaters on board," said Andrea Lopez, a spokesperson for the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office.
Investigators said 24-year-old Kelly Blake from Discovery Bay was killed. Five others were sent to the hospital. The Coast Guard spent most of the day Sunday working to get the partially submerged boat out of the water.
"I do want to make it clear that we don't know if alcohol was a factor. We don't know if speed was a factor. It's all part of the investigation that we are looking into," Lopez said.
No one has been charged in this case because investigators are still looking into how the crash even happened in the first place and who was responsible.
Witnesses in the area told investigators the crash happened along a narrow curve, leaving what's left of the remaining boat tucked in the weeds.
"A lot of these waterways...have different kinds of connecting waterways that, if you're not careful, you have to make sure to stay to the right. So, if you're not staying to the right and another boat's coming the other way, they can collide, especially if they don't see each other [until the] last minute," said boater Chris Sommerfield.
"The sloughs out here are narrow on the turn. So, when you're turning, the sloughs tend to narrow up. So, when they're going on the bend, it's crucial to go wide or stay as close to the shore as you can," said boater Phil Miller.
And boaters told ABC10 it's possible the sunset may have played a factor, too.
"It all depends on the sun, you know. If the sun is going down in the evening, for Pete's sake, slow down on the turn because your visibility is going to be almost non-existent," Miller said.
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With a few more warm weeks ahead, the sheriff's office is encouraging extra safety before getting out on the water.
"Make sure that you are on a boat with a sober driver and realize your area around you. Look for people around you. Definitely wear a life jacket... Keep in mind, even on a boat or a vehicle, how...fast that boat or vehicle is going, that is how fast your body is going," Lopez said.
The San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office is still looking for any other boaters or Good Samaritans that saw the crash Saturday night. If you have any information, you are asked call 209-468-4400.
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