A 14-year-old girl from Dyersville has died from injuries sustained in a personal watercraft collision on Clear Lake on July 4. The incident occurred around 5:30 p.m. near the boat ramp at MacIntosh Woods State Park, in an area known as Little Lake.
Passengers on a nearby pontoon immediately provided aid, and multiple emergency services, including the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) water patrol, Ventura and Clear Lake fire departments, Iowa State Patrol, Clear Lake Police Department, and Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Office, quickly arrived on scene.
Five individuals involved in the collision were transported to Mercy-One Medical Center in Mason City. Chelsea Maxwell, 35, an 11-year-old female, and a 12-year-old male, all from Greenwood, S.C., were treated and released the same day. A 15-year-old female from Mason City was transferred to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and remains in serious condition.
The Iowa DNR is investigating the cause of the collision. Officers have confirmed that alcohol or other impairments were not contributing factors in the incident, and the investigation is ongoing.