UPDATE: Second and third of four missing victims located after deadly Colorado River boat collision

MOABI REGIONAL PARK, Calif. — As the search for two more missing women continues, sheriff’s officials have announced that another of the four originally missing victims, ejected from two boats after colliding on the Colorado River, has been found deceased.

The deadly accident happened Saturday evening, Sept. 1, along the California and Arizona border, between Pirates Cove and the Topock Marina, north of Lake Havasu. A total of 16 people were on board the two boats – a Hallet with 10 passengers and a Sleek Craft with 6 occupants – when they smashed into each other as darkness was falling.

Mohave County Sheriff’s Office announced this morning that members of MCSO’s Division of Boating Safety had located and recovered the body of 50-year-old, Tulare, California resident, Brian Grabowski.

The victim’s body was found around 9 a.m. this morning on the Colorado River according to officials, who did not specify where along the river the victim’s body was found.

About five hours later MCSO officials announced locating the body of the third missing boater, identified as Kirra Drury, 24 from Ventura, California. Her body was pulled from the Colorado River at 12:35 p.m.

Officials yesterday morning found the body of one of the four missing victims. Her body was found around 7: 30 a.m. Authorities later identified the victim as Christi Lewis, 51, from California.

“At this time, 1 victim is still missing, MCSO wrote this afternoon in a social media release, after recovering the third victim. “The Mohave County Sheriff’s Office will continue to patrol the Colorado River until all the unaccounted for passengers are located.”

Officials have still not stated who was at fault in the collision or what may have led to and caused the deadly crash.

This is a developing story that will be updated as new information is available.

UPDATED: Monday, Sept. 3, 12 p.m.

See original story, all updates, and photos below.

UPDATED: Monday, Sept. 3, 11 a.m. UPDATE: 1 of 4 missing, CA woman, 51, located after Colorado River head-on boat collision

See original story and photos below.

UPDATED: Sunday, Sept. 2, 4 p.m., Missing count climbs to 4 after Colorado River head-on boat collision

See original story and photos below.

MOABI REGIONAL PARK, Calif. — As the search for four missing victims continues, officials are providing more details about two boats that collided on the Colorado River Saturday night, Sept. 1. A total of 16 people were on board the two boats – a Hallet with 10 passengers and a Sleek Craft with 6 occupants – when they smashed into each other as darkness was falling.

Search efforts covering a 2-mile circumference are continuing today along the California and Arizona border, between Pirates Cove and the Topock Marina, north of Lake Havasu, sheriff’s officials said during a 3 p.m. press conference this afternoon.

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According to Mohave County Sheriff Doug Schuster, all 16 of the boats’ occupants were either ejected or leaped from the boats as they plowed into each other. Nine of those victims suffered various injuries, with two of those listed in critical condition.

Officials are continuing to search for two more victims who have not been located or accounted for on Sunday morning. SBSO photo

Additionally, the missing count rose to four and the those missing include one man and three women.

None of the victims were from the local area, according to Schuster, and none of the boats’ occupants were wearing life jackets or other flotation devices at the time of the collision.

Officials are still working to determine if alcohol or drug intoxication were contributing factors in the accident.

“Top water and shoreline searches have been conducted and continue to be conducted at this point, Schuster said during today’s press conference. “In addition, dive operations have been underway for several hours. These efforts will continue until all of those who are missing and are unaccounted for have been located.”

Schuster declined to answer questions about how the tragic accident happened, saying, “At this point that would be speculation on my part.”

“Clearly the investigation is underway,” Schuster continued, “and we will search to determine fault at a later date once all the information’s been gathered.”

During the press conference Schuster was cautious to call the incident a search and rescue and not a body recovery; however, the sheriff explained, “This is technically a dive mission looking for potential drowning victims.”

“I don’t want to give the interpretation that there isn’t the remote possibility that they made it to the shore,” Schuster explained. “That’s why we do our top water searches and shoreline searches but we are actively treating this as a potential drowning.”

“We’ll stop operations by nightfall if we’re not successful by that point, and we’ll resume in the morning” Schuster said.

The river remains closed in the area of the search while dive operations continue.

Dive and air operations are ongoing as officials continue searching for three women and a man who are still missing. SBSO photo

This is a developing story that will be updated as new information is available.

ORIGINAL STORY: Head-on boating crash on Colorado River injures 13, 2 still missing – search continuing

MOABI REGIONAL PARK, Calif. — A search for victims continues today after two boats crowded with people enjoying the Labor Day weekend collided head-on Saturday evening, Sept. 1.

The crash, which officials say happened on the Colorado River along the California and Arizona border – between Pirates Cove and the Topock Marina, north of Lake Havasu – left 13 people injured. Another two people are still missing and “presumed submerged,” according to San Bernardino County Fire officials who are assisting with the search.

Based on the circumstances, numerous area agencies mobilized and responded to the area by water, land, and in the air. Mohave County Sheriff’s Division of Boating Safety also responded to the area and has assumed command of the search and collision investigation.

When officials arrived they learned a northbound Hallet boat occupied by 10 people and a southbound Sleek Craft boat occupied by 6 people collided head-on.

“During the collision, all subjects from both boats were ejected into the water, and both boats sank,” Mohave County Sheriff’s office explained in a social media release shortly after the crash.

As the search and rescue was getting underway, “deputies and an onboard AMR paramedic located a critically injured female that was in a good Samaritan’s boat,” MCSO later explained.

Rescuers were able to stabilize the critically injured victim and transport her to shore. She was then air-lifted from the scene and flown to University Medical Center’s trauma center in Las Vegas. Her condition was listed as critical. Officials have not yet specified the nature or extent of the woman’s injuries but have said her injuries are “life-threatening.”

Eric Sherwin, spokesman for the San Bernardino County Fire District, said the depth of the water on the river ranges from shallow to 30 feet deep and the strength of the current was hampering search efforts.

As darkness fell, rescuers were temporarily forced to call off their search as it was too dangerous to continue searching for victims in the dark.

As rescue efforts resumed Sunday morning, San Bernardino Fire Department confirmed  that one victim was airlifted the previous day with life-threatening injuries, six people had been transported to local hospitals, and six others were triaged for minor injuries. Five additional victims who sustained minor injuries were treated and released at the scene.

“Helicopters from Care Flight, Arizona DPS Air Rescue, and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department were deployed in the area shortly after the initial call, and were unable to locate any of the missing subjects,” MCSO later reported.

Dive and search operations are continuing in the area of the crash and officials are holding a press conference today at the Topock 66 Marina at 3 p.m., where MCSO Sheriff Doug Schuster and Sergeant Kyler Cox from the Division of Boating Safety will provide updates and answer any questions.