1 dead, 2 hurt in personal watercraft accident near Pace Picnic Island

Jorge Rizo, 25, pronounced dead at Jackson Memorial Hospital

MIAMI – A 25-year-old man was killed and two other people were injured in a personal watercraft accident Sunday near Pace Picnic Island.

Jorge Rizo was in Biscayne Bay near Pace Picnic Island, just north of the Venetian Causeway, when he ran into trouble out on the water.

"According to the witnesses, they were going in circles at a high rate of speed, and after about four or five circles or loops, as they're called, they didn't realize where they were and they hit a channel marker," Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Officer Lorenzo Veloz said.

Nearby good Samaritans saw it happen, jumped in and pulled Rizo out, but he was unconscious and had no heartbeat.

"He lost control. That's what they said, that he (lost) control on the Jet Ski," friend Marlon Fajardo said.

According to an incident report, Rizo had a laceration on the left side of his head.

Miami paramedics were able to get Rizo's heart pumping, but he had a heart attack and died at Jackson Memorial Hospital's Ryder Trauma Center.

Rizo's mother was seen with relatives who tried to comfort her. A close relative told Local 10 News that her son's death is too much for her and the family.

The other two victims were taken to the hospital but were expected to survive.


About the Authors

In January 2017, Hatzel Vela became the first local television journalist in the country to move to Cuba and cover the island from the inside. During his time living and working in Cuba, he covered some of the most significant stories in a post-Fidel Castro Cuba. 

Troy Blevins is a Digital Content Editor who has been with Graham Media Group since 2012.

Recommended Videos