Man avoids serious injury when jet skis collide on Clearwater Lake

PIEDMONT, Mo. -- A Cedar Hill, Mo., man escaped serious injury Saturday afternoon when his jet ski collided with another jet ski on Clearwater Lake, the Daily American Republic newspaper reported.

The crash happened at about 1:40 p.m. between Piedmont Park and Bluff View Marina and involved first-time operators, Jeffrey Brengard, 44, and his 39-year-old wife, Donna Brengard, according to Missouri State Water Patrol Cpl. Terry Richardson, who described boating traffic to be moderate to heavy at the time.

The Brengards were with a group of people on a pontoon boat and were among those taking turns riding on the jet skis, Richardson explained.

"(The Brengards) had been driving up and down the lake," Richardson said. " ... They were coming back, when a boat passed in front of them and both jet skis slowed down."

Jeffrey Brengard actually shut down his Yamaha personal watercraft, which caused it to stop, Richardson said.

"Mrs. Brengard was looking at the boat; by the time she looked back and she released the throttle" on her Seadoo personal watercraft, the momentum of the jet ski caused it to glide on, striking her husband in the left hip, Richardson said.

According to Richardson, there was no damage to either vessel. "She didn't hit him really hard," he said. " ... She just hit him with a glancing blow."

The Brengards went to a nearby marina, where the Water Patrol was contacted, Richardson said. Jeffrey Brengard, he said, declined medical treatment.

"Even though this accident right here was a very minimal accident, it could have been more severe had she been going faster," Richardson explained. "It's just a good thing she shut down when she did."

Richardson encouraged anyone operating a personal watercraft to "be sure and keep a sharp lookout for where they are going and most of all remember that these jet skis/personal watercrafts will only respond and turn under power."