The family of a man run over by a speed boat near Boston Harbor Marina on Sunday has started a fundraiser to cover the costs associated with his long road to recovery.
Jack Edwards, 21, of Olympia, was reportedly on a 10-foot fishing boat with his friends when a 30-foot speedboat struck them at 35 to 40 mph, according to information provided by his mother, Jessica Edwards.
Jack was ejected from the fishing boat and run over by the speedboat.
“We are truly blessed that Jack is still alive. A couple of more inches and his head would have taken the hit,” Jessica wrote in an update posted to an online fundraiser for Jack’s medical costs. Jack “does not swim very well,” Jessica said, but despite that and his serious injuries, he managed to tread water until another boater got to him.
Jack’s has since been transported to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle for treatment.
His injuries include a lung puncture and open fractures of the scapula and elbow.
“He will need to have several surgeries and it will be months and months of recovery,” Jessica wrote, adding that he loves the outdoors, skate boarding, his brothers and his job.
“Jack will not be able to return to work in the foreseeable future. This will be a huge burden on him especially as he tries to recover,” Jessica wrote.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the online fundraiser for Jack’s medical fund had raised $9,045 of a $16,000 goal.
For more information or to donate, visit https://gofund.me/d43d0442b
The operator of the speedboat, identified in court documents and jail records as 51-year-old Justin James Erickson, reportedly did not stop after striking Jack’s boat.
He allegedly thought he had struck a log, but later realized it was another boat and returned to the scene, according to information from court documents that were first reported by other news outlets.
After an investigation found that Erickson had operated his boat recklessly, Erickson was arrested and booked into the Thurston County Jail on suspicion of watercraft assault.
He was released on his own personal recognizance following a preliminary hearing in Thurston County Superior Court on Monday, May 4. His conditions of release include provisions prohibiting him from operating any marine vessels and from contacting the victim.
The Thurston County Prosecutor's Office has until the end of the week to file charges against Erickson. Arraignment is scheduled for May 8.
