Man jumps off his WaveRunner just before it crashes into 2 children, FL cops say
A WaveRunner race on Florida’s Gulf Coast turned horrific when one of the watercraft slammed into a man jet skiing nearby with two small children, according to investigators.
Both of the children were hospitalized, including one suffering life-threatening injuries, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
The crash happened around 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 12, near Madeira Beach, and one of the adults is accused of being intoxicated, the sheriff’s office said.
“Daniel Patrick Grubert was operating a rented 2024 Yamaha WaveRunner near Johns Pass. Grubert was racing another jet ski, was not looking ahead of him, and took his eyes off his direction of travel,” the sheriff’s office said.
“Grubert turned around, realized a crash was about to occur, and jumped off the WaveRunner. Grubert’s jet ski crashed into another rented Yamaha WaveRunner, operated by 45-year-old Walter Wodzien.”
Wodzien was riding with two children, ages 7 and 8. The collision sent all three into the water, and they were rescued by the Madeira Beach Fire Department, officials said.
“The juveniles were transported to a local hospital, one with life-threatening injuries and one with non-life threatening injuries. Walter was not injured,” the sheriff’s office says.
A field sobriety test was performed on 48-year-old Grubert, resulting in him being arrested and charged with two counts of boating under the influence causing serious bodily injury and one count of reckless operation of a vessel, the sheriff’s office said.
WaveRunners can reach speeds of 67 mph, and some models can weigh more than 960 pounds, experts say.
Grubert is visiting Florida from Piermont, New York, officials said.
Wodzien, 45, is also a tourist, visiting from Mt. Prospect, Illinois, officials said.
Identities of the two children and their conditions were not released.
An investigation is ongoing.
Madeira Beach is about a 30-mile drive southwest from Tampa.
This story was originally published October 13, 2025 at 12:34 PM with the headline "Man jumps off his WaveRunner just before it crashes into 2 children, FL cops say."