Five died in a collision with a boat in Georgia, officials say

Five people died in a collision with a boat on Saturday along a river popular with boatmen outside Savannah, Georgia, authorities said.

Four others were injured, including Mark Christopher Stegel, who was accused of driving a boat while under the influence and housed in Chatham County Jail, said Mark McKinnon, a spokesman for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

Mr. Stegel was one of two who was released from hospital. Mr McKinnon said he did not know the conditions of the other two wounded.

The wounded were taken to the Medical Center of the Memorial Health University in Savannah, Georgia. A hospital spokeswoman declined to comment on the patients’ condition. The U.S. Coast Guard and local emergency services said at least one person was in good condition.

Authorities were alerted around 10:30 a.m., the Natural Resources Department said. The collision occurred north of a marina in Thunderbolt, Georgia, southeast of Savannah, on the Wilmington River, a popular destination for boaters.

Two people were pronounced dead on the spot. Divers found the other three victims Sunday morning in water about 14 feet deep, the department said.

Mr McKinnon identified those killed as: Christopher David Lefler, 51; Lori Lynn Lefler, 50; Nathan Lefler, 17; and Robert Stephen Chauncey, 37; the whole of Savannah; and Zachary James Lefler, 23, of Alpharetta, Georgia.

Six people were in one boat and three in another, authorities said. Each boat was a center console boat, a medium-sized fishing boat and a day cruise.

Witnesses told officers that the boats were traveling in opposite directions when they collided, the department said. The speed of the boats at the time of the collision is not clear.

By the time authorities arrived, some of the victims had already been rescued by other boatmen, and some were still in the water, said Phil Koster, chief operating officer of Chatham County’s emergency services.

One boat was severely damaged and the other sank, Mr Koster said. Mr McKinnon said authorities had detained both boats.