Fla. Boy Dead, Brother Seriously Injured After Jet Ski Crashed Into Boat While They Were Fishing
The collision occurred on Florida's Manatee River on Saturday
Katie Shewbridge/ Go Fund Me
A collision between a jet ski and a boat in Florida's Manatee River ended in tragedy last week.
The incident occurred on Saturday when a jet ski operated by an unidentified 45-year-old Palmetto, Florida, resident crashed into a boat with two teenage brothers. According to FOX-13, the accident left 14-year-old Hunter Ganey dead and his 17-year-old brother James Ganey in critical condition.
Family relative Kenny Shewbridge told WFTS-TV that the boys "loved to fish" in the Manatee River and said that the boat was anchored when the tragedy took place.
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"The jet skis came around the corner fast, didn’t have time to react and hit the boat," Shewbridge said. The outlet reports that James remains hospitalized at Tampa General Hospital in a medically induced coma but "is expected to survive."
“He still doesn’t know what happened, that he’s been in a wreck or that his brother is no longer with him, still kind of up in the air with what the prognosis is," Shewbridge told WFTS-TV of James' condition.
While the case remains under investigation by the Manatee County Sheriff's Office and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the FWC extended their condolences to the victim's family in a statement shared with FOX-13.
"The FWC extends its deepest condolences to the families affected by this tragic event. This loss of life is profoundly felt by our agency and the entire Manatee County community. Our thoughts are with the victims, their family, and all those affected during this extremely difficult time," the statement read.
The MCSO and FWC did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.
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A GoFundMe campaign was created to help the brothers' family with funeral expenses and to assist with caring for James. The campaign has surpassed its $25,000 goal, leaving Shewbridge with "bittersweet" emotions.
“It’s bittersweet, you know, obviously, we don’t want the community to have to help in this way but to see them come together and people that you don’t know," he told WFTS-TV. "I mean, I looked on there, and there was people from Maine and New York donating. It’s very heartwarming to see people come together again. This is every parent’s nightmare as well; parents can kind of sympathize."
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