Jet ski racing incident injures two children in florida

Jet ski racing incident injures two children in Florida

Posted by
1 min read
October 14, 2025

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.

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

Readers can submit story tips, corrections, public records, or media inquiries through the official Shore News Network website or its verified social media channels. Shore News Network welcomes corrections and updates when new information becomes available as part of its ongoing commitment to accurate and transparent journalism.

Don't Miss

Exit mobile version