Dyersville Girl Dies from Injuries After July 4 Crash on Clear Lake

CLEAR LAKE, Iowa – A 14-year-old Dyersville girl has passed away from her injuries suffered when the personal watercraft she was riding on as a passenger was involved in a collision on Clear Lake, on July 4.

Around 5:30 p.m., two personal watercraft collided near the boat ramp at MacIntosh Woods State Park, on a part of the lake known locally as Little Lake. Passengers on a nearby pontoon immediately rendered aid. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) water patrol and conservation officers, Ventura and Clear Lake fire departments, Iowa State Patrol, Clear Lake Police Department and the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Office were quickly on scene.

Five individuals were on the two personal watercrafts and all five were transported to Mercy-One Medical Center in Mason City.

Chelsea Maxwell, 35, an 11-year-old female and a 12-year-old male, all from Greenwood, S.C., were treated and released on July 4. A 15-year-old female, from Mason City, was transferred to Mayo Clinic, in Rochester, Minn., and is in serious condition.

Investigation into what caused the two personal watercraft to collide is in its early stages, but officers with the Iowa DNR have ruled out alcohol or other impairments as a contributing factor. The investigation remains underway.