ALLAMAKEE COUNTY, Iowa – On May 20, 2020 at approximately 4:50pm, Lansing first responders were dispatched to collision between two personal watercrafts (PWC) in the main channel on the Mississippi River, just north of Lansing.
Tyler Wild, 17, of New Albin, and Clayton Little, 17, of Lansing, were operating separate PWCs when Wild was coming out of a turn and Little was heading towards Wild down the channel. At that time, both PWCs collided head on. When Little’s PWC hit Wild’s it went up over the top of Wild’s, hitting Wild in the head and knocking him unconscious.
Wild was lying face down in the water until Little was able to assist him into a nearby boat. Wild was taken to shore where he was provided immediate medical attention. He was transported to Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center in La Crosse, WI where he is recovering from his injuries. Little was treated on the scene and released.
“Slow down and watch for other boaters or personal watercraft and have patience! Operating too fast and too close to other vessels is one of the leading safety violations we see in Iowa.” said Jared Landt, DNR Conservation Officer. “Fortunately, both Tyler and Clayton were wearing life jackets when this collision happened or this could’ve been much worse.”
The DNR Law Enforcement Bureau continues to investigate. The Lansing Police Department, Lansing Fire Department and Lansing EMS responded to the collision.