Woman Ejected, Fatally Struck By Propeller As Driver Charged With Boating Under The Influence, Authorities Say
MAYS LANDING, N.J. (CBS) -- A woman is dead after a boating accident in New Jersey. State police are handling the investigation and can't exactly say at this time what caused the woman to go overboard. The driver and the owner of the boat are both facing charges.
The family of 39-year-old Iesha Thies are reeling from the loss after the Mays Landing woman died in a boating accident around 7:30 p.m. on Sunday.
State police say Thies was ejected and struck by the propeller of an 18-foot powerboat in the Intracoastal Waterway between Brigantine and Galloway Township.
The men she was with brought her to the Coast Guard station in Atlantic City, where first responders were unable to save her life.
"Her loss is really hitting home. Everybody is taking it pretty hard, obviously," said brother-in-law Nick Thies. "She was 39 years old, had a lot of life ahead of her and had an 8-year-old son to live a life for."
Authorities say 42-year-old Arthur Lesbirel, who was driving the boat, was arrested and charged with operating under the influence of alcohol.
The boat's owner, Robert Pruchnicki, was charged with allowing a person to operate his vessel under the influence.
Eyewitness News had no luck tracking down Lesbirel.
A woman's at Pruchnicki's house promptly shut the door when asked about the accident.
"I'm sorry, you know that's under investigation. He can't talk to you," the woman said.
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State police say when it comes to drinking on a boat, whoever is driving and whoever is in charge must be sober.
"As an operator or master of a vessel, you're responsible for every soul onboard," New Jersey State Police Marine Police Sgt. Robert Albano said. "You have to take action to get that person out of harm's way, out of the water and back into that boat safely."
All boaters in New Jersey are also required to have life jackets onboard and children 12 years and younger are required to wear them.
It'll be up to the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office to decide if criminal charges are appropriate in the case.
