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4 Injured In Boating Accident

GLEN BURNIE, Md. (WJZ) -- Four people are recovering after a dramatic boating accident along Marley Creek in Glen Burnie.

Derek Valcourt explains a boat struck something and tossed all the passengers on board into the water.

That accident happened around 5 p.m. Tuesday. Some of the people who love along Marley Creek saw it all.

From Sky Eye Chopper 13, you could see medics trying to help an injured woman still in the water. She was one of four people riding in what police describe as a small speed boat.

A witness who asked not to be seen on camera saw the accident as she sat on her front porch.

"All of a sudden, I heard a slap and I looked up and I saw this boat fly up and it tilted and I saw people go flying," she said.

A nearby jet skier rushed to help the four people in the water. That woman was the only one who needed medical attention.

DNR police are now investigating.

"There is no speed limit but they obviously were going fast. They hit something, either the ground or a floating object under the water and all four persons on board flew out of the boat," said DNR Police Captain Jerry Kirkwood.

Already, there have been multiple boating accidents this year on the bay and just a couple of years ago, there was another tragic accident in this same area of Marley Creek.

Rick Hynson, 47, was beloved by many throughout the small waterfront community. He died in 2009 after his boat collided with another.

Police say speed is a factor in most boat accidents, as it was when a 40-foot Sea Ray slammed into a concrete pier earlier this summer and seriously injured three of the four passengers on board.

"Slow down. Know the waters and know the limitations of your experience," said Kirkwood.

DNR police say the cause of this most recent crash is still under investigation. They'll be looking at whether speed and perhaps alcohol played a role.

DNR police say so far, there have been at least 50 boating accidents in Maryland this year, killing six people.

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