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Bass Lake has been hit with two fatal boating accidents this week, and as we go into the very busy Fourth of July holiday weekend, many are hoping to have fun, keeping safety as the first priority.
Two days ago, the Madera County Sheriff’s Office said a 14-year-old boy was killed after he hit a pontoon boat and was ejected into the water. This comes after another incident last Saturday, when a jet ski hit two teens swimming near a boat. One of those victims died.
Quinn Hubertz traveled from San Francisco to Bass Lake to spend the holiday weekend on a boat.
"I grew up around the lake. I got my boater safety when I was younger and I know how important it is and how it’s an outrageously dangerous recreation when you don’t know what you’re doing," said Hubertz on Friday.
Hubertz said he’s aware of the two recent fatal accidents. He said everyone is on high alert to stay cautious of their surroundings.
Hubertz commented, "We’ve got about 14 of us hoppin’ on a 16 person, 26-foot pontoon boat. So obviously safety’s a huge concern, especially Fourth of July weekend is going to be pretty high traffic."
Hubertz and his friends rented their boat from Bass Lake Water Sports near the Pines Resort at Bass Lake. Tom Tuso is the manager of Bass Lake Water Sports and said on Friday that there is extensive process to rent a jet ski or boat from them.
"They sign a contract which tells them about the rules of the lake, liabilities and so forth. And then at Bass Lake Watersports, we give them a personal one-on-one explanation of the lake rules and the operations of the craft with a full scale map so they can reference it as we’re speaking," said Tuso.
Tuso said renters hear the lake rules and operational procedures a second time when they go down to the dock. He said if you rent from him, you have to be 16 and older to ride a jet ski solo, and 18 and over for a boat. Tuso said he expected hundreds of boats to be on the lake through the weekend, and thousands of guests. He said the Madera County Sheriff’s patrol will be on extra alert this weekend as well.
Tuso ended, "I hope that us as well as all businesses have a safe Fourth of July, a prosperous one that brings these businesses from the red into the black."
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