Luke Nelson, 5-years old, of Riverside County died in a boating accident on May 23, 2010, around 2:41p.m. in Lake Elsinore close to Crane Lakeside Recreational Vehicle Park when the watercraft he was riding in was overturned due to windy waters.

According to the Riverside County Coroner’s Office, Luke Nelson was wearing a life jacket when the accident happened.  However, onlookers who rushed to aide the overturned vessel were questioning whether he in fact was wearing a life preserver. The other two boaters, Ken Nelson and Ricky Gillmaster, also flipped over due to unknown reasons and have sustained injuries.

Witnesses said that the boat had been crossing the lake in the high speed zone and was coming back when the vessel hit a wake and overturned.  In a telephone interview, the boy’s aunt, Jodie Drysol, reported that the boat was travelling at a safe rate of speed and that neither Ken Nelson or Ricky Gillmaster had been drinking.

We offer our deepest condolences to Luke Nelson’s family for this devastating loss and hope that the injured will recover completely soon.  Little Luke was formerly known as Lucas Garrison, but was about to be adopted by Ken Nelson and had changed his name.

Ross Jurewitz is a Riverside County boating accident lawyer and the managing attorney of the Jurewitz Law Group, a California law firm dedicated to representing people seriously injured and the families of people killed in a boat accident.  If you or a loved one has been killed or injured in a boat accident in California, please order your free copy of Mr. Jurewitz’s book, The Ten Biggest Mistakes that can Destroy Your California Accident Case. It is full of helpful information that will help you protect your legal rights and it is free to all California residents.