Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
NORTH WEBSTER - A fall from a boat Tuesday evening resulted in serious injury to a North Webster teen.
Nick Hostetler, 17, of North CR 675E, North Webster, suffered extensive cuts to his lower right leg and a severe cut to the heel area of his left foot, according to a conservation officer who handled the accident. He underwent surgery at Kosciusko Community Hospital, Warsaw, and is listed in guarded condition there this morning.
The incident was reported at 5:52 p.m. and occurred on James Lake (also known at Little Tippy) just after Hostetler and two friends finished tubing.
According to information received from the Department of Natural Resources, Hostetler was kneeling on a seat and pulling in the ropes when a tow bar used for barefoot skiing shifted and leaned into the water, causing the 20-foot boat to tip to the right.
The boat was in gear at the time and, as Hostetler fell, he hit the throttle. He was then run over by the watercraft.
The other teens were in the boat and saw Hostetler fall overboard, then heard him scream, but did not actually see the boat strike him.
