According to the local pd that responded the operator/deceased had recently obtained the vessel on ebay and had gone out on the lake with his girlfriend's two young daughters 10 and 13.  There was no safety equipment on board including lifejackets and no one on board was wearing a pfd.  He experienced a problem with the battery but managed to get the vessel underway when he made a sharp turn.  The young girls were sitting on seats that were even with the gunwale but it was not equipped with sufficient rail to prevent a person from falling overboard.  The 10 yr girl fell off the boat into the water.  The operator/deceased went into the water to retrieve the girl.  The girl was saved by a vessel with some men who had been fishing who brought her to shore and performed CPR on her and saved her life.  A passing kayaker jumped aboard to help the 13 yr old sister who as still on board the vessel which was idling and in gear.  The operator/deceased never re-surfaced.  His body was found by divers later in that evening.  The lack of safety equipment and lack of guardrail are significant factors in this case.  The 10 yr old was required by law to be wearing a pfd and there was none on board.
Southwick                     