BRADENTON, Fla. — A boating accident last week in Bradenton took the life of a 14-year-old boy, while his brother is in the ICU at Tampa General Hospital.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said the boat with two teenage boys on board collided with a 45-year-old on a Jet Ski.
The family of the two boys said the teens loved to fish. Kenny Shewbridge is their father's cousin and said he is like an uncle to the boys.
He says the boys were always out on the boat.
"Fishing was their passion. Any spare moment, that’s where they were at," Shewbridge explained.
That’s what they were doing when their boat collided with a Jet Ski. At just 14 years old, Hunter Ganey died from his injuries. His 17-year-old brother, James Ganey, is still at the hospital and their parents haven’t left James' bedside.
"They’re pretty broken right now. Distraught, lost. [They] can’t sleep, can’t eat. You got one child in the hospital and one in the morgue," Shewbridge said.
The extent of James’ injuries is unclear. Shewbridge said James was knocked unconscious during the accident. Shewbridge said he has injuries to his head and the right side of his body.
"I don’t even think he knows he has been in a wreck at this point," Shewbridge said.
The brothers have two other siblings. Shewbridge said the entire Ganey family is heartbroken.
He explained people need to follow the rules of the water.
"When you see channel markers or no wake zones, there are rules and regulations in place for a reason," Shewbridge said.
Shewbridge's wife has created a GoFundMe for the family in this time of need. Both parents are out of work for the time being as they stay by James' bedside.
FWC has not said if anyone was at fault for the accident. It's still unclear of the condition of the 45-year-old who was on the Jet Ski. 10 Tampa Bay was told the FWC can’t provide any more information as they continue their investigation.