A 19-year-old Campbell River woman who was aboard one of the boats involved in a fatal collision on Osoyoos Lake on the evening of Aug. 16 said the family and friends of the victim are in her thoughts.

The woman, who asked not to be named, said she was on the 15-foot Stingray boat driven by a 27-year-old Alberta man which struck a tube occupied by three 18-year-old Mission men that was being towed along by a 20-foot Bayliner Karavan Bowrider at about 9 p.m.

The collision happened near Haynes Point Provincial Park and killed one of the three Mission men.

The other two men, although ejected from the tube, were uninjured.

The woman said she was on the boat with her two sisters, a family friend, the driver and another man and they were partaking in an evening of swimming, boating and wakeboarding when the crash happened.

“We don’t really know what happened… it was all so fast… out of nowhere a big boat cut in front of us without lights on and we got really scared, realizing how close we came to hitting the boat and out of nowhere a big red tube hit the front of the boat,” the woman said in an email. “We didn’t see anyone on the tube at the time but decided to make sure everyone was alright anyways and sure enough it was an 18-year-old guy.”

The woman said she immediately jumped in the water, swam to the other boat and began to perform CPR and the man, adding that she did not stop until the boat reached the Safari Beach Resort on the west side of the lake.

She said she found out from police later that the man did not survive.

“We’re all very upset; it was a very traumatic moment none of us were expecting to happen. We’re all in counselling now, trying to deal with this, hoping it gets better but each day is a struggle. We have our good days and our bad days but we take it a day at a time.

“We send full condolences to the victim’s friends and family and many thanks to all the kind people at Safari Beach that helped us that horrible night.”

Police are still considering charges against the driver of the Stingray and the driver of the boat pulling the tube, another 18-year-old man from Mission.

The driver of the Stingray is facing charges of dangerous operation of a vessel causing death while the driver of the Bowrider also faces charges as it appears that he was allegedly operating the boat without a licence, without lights and without a required spotter.
Both drivers have been released from custody.
Police are also looking into whether alcohol was a factor in the crash and both boats are being inspected for mechanical deficiencies.

The Osoyoos Times has learned that the name of the deceased is Marco Richard Corbin.

According to an online obituary, he graduated this year from Heritage Park Secondary School in Mission.

He was a “multitalented musician, performer, scholar and athlete. He will be cherished forever as a stellar son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin and friend to all. He has impacted this community by bringing music, leadership and compassion, and by setting an example of youth actively contributing and making a difference in the world,” the obituary reads. “As the oldest sibling of the Corbin Brothers, he led the group, playing for numerous charities, fundraisers, talent shows, school functions, private and professional events.”