Key West Injury Lawyer Blog
A 23-year-old disappeared after he flipped on a jet ski in a Utah lake with his cousin, according to reporting from The Miami Herald.
The man, whose name had not been released as of Wednesday afternoon, was last seen around 5:30 p.m. on June 22 near a marina, officials with the Utah County Sherrif’s Office Search and Rescue team said via a Facebook news release. The man was riding the jet ski with his cousin, who was rescued by someone in a nearby boat.
The search continued until at least 1 a.m. on June 23. Some witnesses reported seeing waves between 2 and 3 feet high.
Authorities did not say whether or not the two were wearing lifejackets.
Leesfield & Partners
Every summer, hundreds of tourists and locals will flock to the water and fuel up their favorite watercrafts. Whether they are carving through Florida’s white-tipped waves on a boat, a jet ski, or another watercraft, Leesfield & Partners attorneys know the harsh reality — at least one family will be shaken by tragedy. Water-related accidents happen in droves every year, with spikes during the summer months, according to data from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
In 2024, the year with the most up-to-date numbers available, Miami-Dade County was the area in the state with the most boating accidents. There were more than 650 boating accidents recorded for that year, 22% of which involved personal watercrafts like jet skis. There were 113 people injured in jet ski accidents in 2024 and at least 12 people were killed.
In all, there were 81 deaths and nearly 400 more injuries.
Those deaths, said officials with the FWC, could have been prevented.
“Many of the deaths were due to victims falling overboard and drowning,” officials explained in the FWC annual report. “Many fatalities may have been prevented if the victims had worn life jackets.”
At least 65% of all boaters involved in fatal Florida boating incidents did not have formal boater education.
Ensuring the use of proper safety equipment, such as life jackets, and promoting adequate training and education for vessel operators are two critical prevention strategies that Ira Leesfield, the Founder and Managing Partner of Leesfield & Partners, has consistently championed over the years. Mr. Leesfield regularly posts safety advisories, speaks to the media, and posts online to promote boating safety and awareness around this tragic issue.
“The dangers from boating incidents are entirely underestimated as South Florida becomes more congested, drinking on the water becomes more prevalent and distractions from cell phones and other devices increases,” he said. “Important safety standards must be enforced on all watercrafts.”
The firm’s dedicated attorneys have decades of experience handling accident cases for clients injured in all manner of water-related incidents. Leesfield & Partners attorneys have previously secured numerous record and historic results for injured clients and their grieving families throughout Florida. Our attorneys consistently work to secure the best possible outcome in every case.
Previous Jet Ski Cases
Jet ski crashes have resulted in more fatalities and injuries than any other water-related recreational activity seen by Leesfield & Partners, Partner Justin B. Shapiro explained in a previous Daily Business Review article. He explained that the reason is twofold: Many people underestimate the physical strength required to handle these watercrafts in rough conditions, and despite being marketed as “beginner-friendly,” the reality is far more demanding.
“Unfortunately, little can be done to mitigate the danger of these death machines short of banning them,” he said. “As the summer months yield their inevitable slew of injuries, prospective renters should be aware of the life-threatening dangers of jet skis, and their attorneys should be intimately familiar with the many regulations that were enacted to keep them safe.”
In the last several years alone, the firm has secured more than $10 million in verdicts and settlements for clients injured as the result of jet ski crashes in the state.
One avoidable death that altered the life of a couple forever resulted from a Key West rental company flouting necessary safety training requirements, as mandated by law. The company failed to ensure that every one of their renters understood the safety tutorial and knew how to operate the personal watercraft that day. A French-speaking renter, who they did not adequately prep, fatally collided with the wife of a Leesfield & Partners client. The company failed to provide their customer with the translation he needed to understand how to use the jet ski.
Leesfield & Partners attorneys were able to secure a multi-million-dollar settlement for the family in that case.
In another jet ski crash, a man visiting from California with his family was seriously injured when he violently crashed into a concrete bridge piling. The man was on a guided jet ski tour with his family at the time. The guides, who are required to prep their customers for the strong currents they would face, led them through a narrow bridge opening and sped far away from them throughout the tour the day the man crashed.
Leesfield & Partners previously represented a jet ski crash victim who suffered serious injuries and obtained a $1 million recovery for that client.
The firm secured a $935,000 recovery for a client involved in a jet ski collision with a boat.
A $900,000 recovery was obtained for a client injured in an accident involving a jet ski company.
A jet ski crash case involving a rental company resulted in a six-figure settlement amount obtained for an injured Leesfield & Partners client.
Previous Boating Cases
Previously, the firm secured a substantial settlement in a case involving a minor who lost a leg while not being supervised on a vessel.
The firm previously handled the case of a family whose young son was snorkeling when he was hit and killed by a passing boater. The boater in that case was also a minor who should never have been given permission to operate the vessel without supervision. Not only did this minor not stop, but he attempted to cover up evidence and lied to police when questioned.
Neighbors later testified that this minor regularly operated the boat in a reckless manner.
The firm represented the family of a young woman, 20, who tragically died when the vessel she was on crashed into a concrete dock. The firm secured over $1.3 million for the family when it was revealed that the boat operator had been drinking and speeding the night of the crash.
In a jet ski and boat crash, Leesfield & Partners attorneys secured $935,750 for their client.
In a boat case involving a foreign resort, the firm secured an $800,000 recovery for the injured client.
Another boating accident involving a negligent operator resulted in a $500,000 recovery.
In addition to boating accident litigation, Leesfield & Partners has represented the victims of various water-related accidents, including drownings, jet ski crashes, parasailing, and other recreational activities.
The firm represented the widow of a man who drowned while on a boat tour at the Dry Tortugas National Park. The company’s tour guides instructed the man where he should go to snorkel and, within minutes, his body was found unresponsive.
The firm secured a six-figure recovery in that case.
Bernardo Pimentel II, a Leesfield & Partners Trial Attorney, represented the family of a young man and father-to-be who was lobster diving when he was killed by a law enforcement officer who negligently failed to adhere to divers-down flag laws.
