6-Year-Old Boy Dies After Being Hit by Sea-Do When Man Loses Control of Watercraft

A young Oregon boy died on Wednesday in a tragic Sea-Doo accident that occurred on Monday.

Around 2 p.m. on Monday, the Linn County Sheriff's Office responded to a 911 call of a personal watercraft accident at Lewis Creek Park, the sheriff's office said in a press release Monday.

A 23-year-old male, whose identity has not been revealed by law enforcement, was making an adjustment to his equipment while operating a 2020 Sea-Doo in the swimming area of the creek when he fell off the vehicle, which ended up speeding off on its own to hit several people, including two children, before crashing into the creek's bank.

The children have been identified as Zachary Maynard and Kennedy Swenson, both 6. Zachary and Kennedy were both taken to Legacy Emmanuel Hospital in Portland, Oregon, about 93 miles north of Sweet Home, with life-threatening injuries. Another person was injured and taken to Lebanon Community Hospital closer by.

On Wednesday, the sheriff's office shared the tragic news that Zachary died as a result of his injuries sustained in the accident. Kennedy "is continuing to undergo medical treatment on her path to recovery," the sheriff's office said.

Zachary's mother, Rachel Maynard, told local Fox news station KPTV that Zachary and Kennedy were friends and swimming together at the time of the accident.

A GoFundMe campaign has been created for Zachary's family to go toward "any and all financial expenses incurred as a result of this unexpected tragedy."

The sheriff's office said that the operator of the Sea-Doo has been cooperating in the investigation, which is ongoing. Anyone with information, video, or photographs related to the investigation is encouraged to call Detective Colin Pyle at 541-967-3950.

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