Five people were killed Saturday in a boat collision along a popular river among sailors outside of Savannah, Georgia, authorities said.
Four others were injured, including Mark Christopher Stegall, who was accused of operating a boat while under the influence and was being held in Chatham County Jail, said Mark McKinnon, a spokesman for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. .
Mr. Stegall was one of two people discharged from a hospital. Mr. McKinnon said he did not know the condition of the other two injured people.
The injured were taken to Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah, Georgia. A hospital spokeswoman declined to comment on the patients’ condition. The U.S. Coast Guard and local emergency medical services said at least one person was in good condition.
Authorities were alerted around 10:30 a.m. the natural resources department said. The collision occurred just north of a marina in Thunderbolt, Georgia, southeast of Savannah on the Wilmington River, a popular destination for sailors.
Two people were pronounced dead at the scene. Divers recovered the other three victims Sunday morning in water about 14 feet deep, the department said.
Mr. McKinnon identified the killings as: Christopher David Leffler, 51; Lori Lynn Leffler, 50; Nathan Leffler, 17; and Robert Steven Chauncey, 37; all Savannah; and Zachary James Leffler, 23, of Alpharetta, Ga.
Six people were on one boat and three on another, authorities said. Each vessel was a center console vessel, a medium-sized vessel designed for day fishing and cruising.
Witnesses told officials the boats were traveling in opposite directions when they collided, the department said. The speed of the boats at the time of the collision was unclear.
By the time authorities arrived, some of the victims had already been rescued by other sailors and some were still in the water, said Phil Koster, chief of operations for Chatham County Emergency Services.
One boat was badly damaged and the other sank, said Mr. Koster. Mr. McKinnon said authorities had confiscated the two ships.