Accident at Lake Camanche: Watercraft gets caught in victim’s arm

(FOX40.COM) — A person’s arm was injured in a boating accident Monday afternoon in Calaveras County after he was pulled toward and became entangled in a watercraft, according to the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office.

The agency said the accident occurred around 1 p.m. on Lake Camanche near the Moccasin Campground.

Officers found that a watercraft was pulling a person on an inflatable tube and that the rope was not fully attached to the watercraft, which is why the rope had come loose several times.

The person in the water was in the process of “wrapping the rope around their arm” as another person on the watercraft came back toward them and the watercraft sucked the rope into its propulsion system. The victim’s arm was “pulled to the bottom of the watercraft and became entangled,” according to the sheriff’s office.

The victim was able to stay afloat while his friends called 911 and a lake manager came to help cut the rope. The victim was taken to a hospital.

The Sheriff’s Office reminds the public to be safe on boats and in the water and offers the following marine safety tips:

• Take a boating safety course
• Pay attention to your surroundings
• Do you know the nautical traffic rules
• Wear a life jacket
• Never drive a boat under the influence of alcohol
• Be aware of where lines are in the water and avoid walking over them.
• Use buoyant water sports lines when towing people
• Always wear a life jacket
• If you feel something being sucked into the jet of a water ski jet, turn it off immediately or pull the emergency stop switch