OGALLALA, Neb.—Officials believe a mechanical problem may have caused a speedboat to flip at Lake McConaughy, killing a Colorado man and injuring his family.
Nebraska Game and Parks Boating Officer Scott Eveland says witness statements suggest the 28-foot boat experienced a mechanical failure before it flipped and broke apart Saturday afternoon.
The accident killed a Colorado man and injured his wife and two children, a 15-year-old girl and a 9-year-old boy. All four were thrown when the boat flipped.
The only person in the boat wearing a life jacket was the 9-year-old boy. The mother and daughter clung to floating boat seats to remain afloat after the accident.
Fisherman in the area reacted quickly and helped pull people from the water, but the father died at the scene from his injuries.
The injuries the mother and children sustained are not considered life threatening.
The family is from Parker, Colo., but their names are not likely to be released by the Keith County Attorney before Monday.
Investigators have ruled out alcohol and weather as factors in the accident at the Western Nebraska reservoir.
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Information from: KNOP-TV,
