MADEIRA BEACH, FL — A man from New York faces charges after allegedly injuring two children while racing a jet ski on Sunday afternoon. Daniel Grubert, 48, is charged with two counts of boating under the influence causing serious bodily injury and one count of reckless operation of a vessel.
The incident occurred at approximately 2:30 p.m. while Grubert was operating a rented 2024 Yamaha WaveRunner near Johns Pass. Grubert reportedly claimed to have consumed only one alcoholic beverage, a can of Twisted Tea Hard Iced Tea, prior to the crash. He admitted to drinking a single Twisted Tea, according to his arrest affidavit.
Grubert is accused of crashing into another Yamaha WaveRunner operated by 45-year-old Walter Wodzien, who had two children, aged 7 and 8, riding with him. All three were ejected from the jet ski during the collision. The sheriff’s office stated that Grubert was racing another jet ski and “took his eyes off his direction of travel.”
When Grubert realized a crash was imminent, he reportedly jumped off the WaveRunner, allowing it to move unmanned into Wodzien’s jet ski. The Madeira Beach Fire Department recovered the children from the water and transported them to a local hospital. One child suffered life-threatening injuries, while the other sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
Investigators noted signs of impairment in Grubert, including an odor of alcohol on his breath and red eyes. He performed poorly on field sobriety tests and was arrested on the scene. Grubert remains in custody at the Pinellas County Jail.
The incident has drawn attention to the dangers of reckless boating behavior.
A New York man faces serious charges after his jet ski racing led to injuries of two children in Florida.
