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NEED TO KNOW
- The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said a 12-year-old girl was airlifted to a nearby hospital for treatment after crashing a Sea-Doo jet ski onto a causeway in Alabama
- The pre-teen had been towing another 12-year-old who let go of the rope prior to the crash and was unharmed, the agency said
- The agency said that no one under the age of 12 is allowed to operate motorized watercraft on Alabama waterways without supervision
A 12-year-old girl was injured after the jet ski she was operating in a lake crashed in Alabama.
The pre-teen, who has not been identified by officials, was driving a 2024 Sea-Doo 300 when she crashed into the causeway on Wake Robin Road around 1:00 p.m. local time on Sunday, Sept. 31, according to a statement from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) that was obtained by PEOPLE.
At the time, the 12-year-old girl had been towing another girl of the same age on a knee board, but the second child, who let go of the rope prior to the crash, was not injured.
After crashing into the Lake Martin causeway, the 12-year-old girl who was injured went airborne and landed in the roadway. She was then airlifted to a nearby treatment via helicopter.
In an update, officials said that the jet ski was registered to 43-year-old Jennifer F. Hartsfield of Alexander City and that she was issued an Alabama Uniform Boating Traffic Citation for Giving Permission to Operate a Vessel Without a License. Her relationship with the 12-year-old girls is not immediately clear.
Hartsfield did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Neighbors who rushed to the girl’s aid told local news station WTVM she had sustained a serious leg injury, with one witness recalling that they saw she had a deep gash on her leg.
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ALEA told PEOPLE that no one under the age of 12 is allowed to operate motorized vessels like watercraft including a Sea-Doo or Waverunner on Alabama waterways. The agency noted that 12-year-olds can apply for a vessel operator’s license, but cannot operate the vessel alone until they turn 14.
They also noted that operators who are 12 or 13 years old can only operate a vessel if “there is someone 21 years old or older on board, who also has a vessel operator’s license in possession, and is seated in a position to take immediate control of the vessel if necessary.”
An investigation is ongoing.
