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WASHBURN - A decision is expected as early as next week as to whether or not charges will be filed as a result of a fatal accident that occurred on the water at Strawberry Lake on Saturday, June 9.
Killed as a result of the accident was 10-year-old Haley Sundsbak of Des Lacs. Abby Mikkelson, 10, Minot, was hospitalized in critical condition but survived. Both girls were flown to Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare Hospital in St. Paul, Minn., shortly after the accident. Sundsbak died a day later. Mikkelson eventually returned to Minot to recover from her injuries.
The two girls were riding on a tube being pulled by a boat when the unmanned jet ski slammed into them shortly before 2:30 p.m. on the fateful Saturday. Strawberry Lake is a popular recreation lake that was said to be very busy at the time of the collision.
Dean Bartsch, 41, Minot, was the operator of the jet ski. He had apparently become ejected from the jet ski many yards from where the accident occurred. However, witnesses say the rider-less jet ski continued at a high rate of speed until it struck the girls on the tube.
Jet skis and other watercraft are outfitted with "kill" switches. A tether is required to be attached to the kill switch and to the operator. The kill switch is designed to shut off the motor of the jet ski in the event the operator falls off or is ejected. In addition, the throttle of the jet ski is manually operated and generally rotates to idle when not under the control of the operator.
McLean County State's Attorney Ladd Erickson told the Minot Daily News late Tuesday that nearly all reports on the accident have been completed, including an on-the-water reconstruction.
"We're getting close to wrapping things up," said Erickson. "We have canvassed all cabin owners and everyone who was there. I'm still waiting for the overall case narrative."
Erickson said he expected to receive all final reports, including one from the North Dakota Game and Fish Department, later this week. In addition, he said, two additional interviews need to be completed.
"As for a timetable for all this, it's imminent," said Erickson.
The jet ski involved in the accident was a 2003 Kawasaki that was not owned by Bartsch but rather by another resident of Strawberry Lake. It is known that Kawasaki technicians were called upon for their analysis as part of the accident investigation.