COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa -- On September 15, 2019, at approximately 7:30 pm at Lake Manawa, a boat and a personal watercraft (PWC) were leaving a 5 mph zone and gaining speed, going in the same direction, when the PWC made an abrupt right turn and collided with the front of the boat, according to witnesses.
The PWC was driven by Olum Sandel, 20, of Offutt Air Force Base, and the boat was operated by Rodney Smith, 23, of Plattsmouth, Neb.
Smith was take to the Pottawattamie County Jail and charged with Boating While Intoxicated, first offense. Sandel was taken by the Council Bluffs Fire and Rescue to UNMC in Omaha where he is being treated for injuries sustained during the crash.
The crash is under investigation by the Iowa DNR Law Enforcement Bureau, and was assisted by the DNR Parks Bureau and the Iowa State Patrol during the initial investigation.