Family of girl killed after being struck by jet ski in Mission Bay files wrongful death lawsuit – NBC 7 San Diego

The family of a 12-year-old girl who was fatally struck by a jet ski in Mission Bay last year has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against, among others, the operator of the watercraft and the City and County of San Diego.

The lawsuit stems from a July 29, 2023, car crash that killed a girl identified in court documents only as Savannah P.

The victim was paddleboarding in the De Anza Cove area when she was struck by the watercraft around 2 p.m. She was taken to the hospital where she died from her injuries, which included blunt force trauma to the head.

In her family’s lawsuit in San Diego Superior Court, not only the alleged jet ski driver, Arsanyous Refat Ghaly, but also the city’s lifeguards are accused of allowing Ghaly “to drive the jet ski at excessive speed and without control in the direction of the deceased until the incident occurred.”

The lawsuit alleges that lifeguards saw Ghaly and others in his circle of friends riding jet skis at high speeds and warned them to slow down. However, the lawsuit alleges that the riders were not further monitored and less than 10 minutes later, the girl was struck.

The complaint alleges that “lifeguards and other personnel responsible for safety at Mission Bay” were not adequately trained or supervised.

In addition to Ghaly, the city and the county, the lawsuit names several other people as defendants, including two people who allegedly rented the jet ski to Ghaly and his friends. The lawsuit alleges that the jet ski was unlawfully provided to Ghaly and his friends because they did not have the California boater’s license required for people who operate motorized boats in the water.

The lawsuit also notes that the jet skis were rented through the website OfferUp, which also names OfferUp as a defendant for allegedly allowing its users to facilitate unlawful, unlicensed, and/or otherwise dangerous use of the rental equipment.

In July 2023, a 12-year-old was killed by a teenager on a jet ski in Mission Bay. NBC 7’s Allison Ash was present in the courtroom for the preliminary hearing in that case, where the teen now faces charges alleging his recklessness and excessive speed were to blame.

In a statement, the family wrote: “Our daughter was a bright, healthy 12-year-old who loved her family and friends, played soccer, and dreamed of her future. She is a light in our lives and our hearts have broken every day since we lost her. Her death was a senseless, preventable tragedy for our family, including her younger brother, and for our community. We are focused on making sure no other family is forced to endure the loss we live with every day. We filed this lawsuit to hold people and facilities accountable, to create and maintain safe spaces, and to uphold and enforce the laws designed to protect us all. We are steadfast in our commitment to making Mission Bay a safe place for families and will work to ensure this preventable tragedy sparks the changes needed to achieve that goal.”

Ghaly, who was 18 at the time, was arrested last November in connection with the fatal accident. He is charged with involuntary manslaughter and his trial is pending.

At a preliminary hearing earlier this month, a police officer testified that data captured by the jet ski indicated the speed at the time of the collision was between 75 and 85 km/h.

Prosecutors claim the accident occurred in an area where watercraft speeds are restricted to less than 8 km/h. However, Ghaly’s defense disputed that claim, arguing that a marine surveyor measured the accident site to be about 15 meters beyond the area where watercraft are restricted to traveling at low speeds.