Deshka boat collision injures six

WILLOW — A collision on the Deshka River Saturday afternoon injured six people, including a 2-year-old who was ejected from a boat, Alaska State Troopers report.

Two boats collided on the river at about 1:45 p.m., according to an AST report. A 2000 Harborcraft driven by Bobbie L. Houser, 54, Chugiak, and a 2009 Phantom Sport driven by Joshua R. Lebhart, 28, Wasilla, impacted in what the report calls “an angle head-on collision.”

The accident resulted in a total of six injuries, none of which immediately seemed life-thratening, said AST spokeswoman Megan Peters. The boats were navigating a narrow curve in the river and apparently didn’t see each other until too late, she said, adding there was no information yet about how fast the boats were traveling.

Upon impact, a 2-year-old was ejected from one of the boats, but was quickly recovered from the water, the report says. Also, one of the passengers in the Harborcraft was transported to the hospital by a medical helicopter.

Officials don’t believe alcohol was a factor in the accident and the investigation continues to determine the status of personal floatation devices on the boats. No citations have been issued and damage to the boats is estimated to be more than $10,000.