GLOUCESTER COUNTY, Va - News 3 is learning more about a boating crash that killed a 16-year-old boy Sunday on the York River in Gloucester County.
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Gloucester teen dies after jet ski & boat collide on York River
The teen was on a jet ski when police said he collided with a pontoon boat.
"A Yamaha personal watercraft was being operated by a 16-year old Gloucester resident that struck a Pontoon boat that was operating in the same vicinity," said Zach Widgeon, with Virginia Marine Police.
Police say the teen’s jet ski and the boat collided near Machicomoco State Park.
"The 16-year-old operator went under the Pontoon boat. He was quickly recovered from the water by the occupants of the Pontoon boat," Widgeon said.
News 3 has confirmed the 16-year-old is Brycen Wermter, a student at Gloucester High School.
Police say Wermter’s family who were on the pontoon boat gave him CPR and immediately alerted Coast Guard and first responders. Wermter was pronounced dead on the scene.
"All evidence points to a tragic accident. The operator of the boat was known to the 16-year-old, family relations. The 16-year-old’s mother was on the boat," Widgeon said.
Gloucester High School football team’s Facebook page says Wermter was a hard-working football player.
"A fun day in the water in a couple of seconds, things can happen that last a lifetime. In this tragic situation, family and friends had to watch a loved one be fatally injured," Widgeon said.
Wermter's family says there will be a vigil at Gloucester High School Thursday evening to honor his life.
