A New Jersey man was killed and another critically injured when two Jet Skis slammed into each other on the Hudson River over Memorial Day weekend, state police said.
Charles Sanchez, 48, of Belleville was in the passenger seat of a 2017 Yamaha Jet Ski when it crashed into another watercraft near Newburgh, NY, around 2:50 p.m. Saturday, throwing him and his driver into the water, police said in a press release.
Boaters at a nearby Riverfront Marina rushed to the scene and help pluck the two injured men out of the water.
Sanchez and his Jet Ski operator, 49-year-old David Torres of Lodi, were rushed to St. Luke’s Hospital in Newburgh, where Sanchez was pronounced dead and Torres was listed in critical condition, troopers said Tuesday.
Police identified the operator of the second Jet Ski as Jorge Arribasplata, 48, of Saddlebrook, NJ. His passenger, also from Jersey, was not identified.
Police said neither driver was intoxicated at the time of the crash.
The investigation into the fatal incident is ongoing.