New details in boating accident that led to death of an Anchorage woman

WASILLA — An Anchorage woman is dead and a Palmer man is facing manslaughter charges following a boating accident near Big Lake.

According to an Alaska State Troopers dispatch release posted late Saturday night, Reagan Martz was operating a boat with seven total occupants on Flat Lake. The 26-year-old made a turn around an island as a second boat towing a raft with three passengers was in the same area. According to the release, each boat turned to try to avoid an accident, but the boat driven by Martz struck the raft. Jennifer Horazdovsky, a 35-year-old from Anchorage, was killed. Two others on the raft were seriously injured.

The incident was about 3 p.m. Saturday.

Martz fled the scene before troopers arrived, but was later seen on a jet ski and arrested for driving under the influence. Martz has also been charged with manslaughter and three counts of assault in the first degree according to troopers.

Alaska State Troopers, Alaska Wildlife Troopers and Alaska State Parks rangers were all on the scene.

Troopers arrived on scene alongside James Keel of the West Lakes fire station. There at the scene, one mile west of the boat ramp they found a man performing CPR on the shore of an island. Keel determined that the trauma was too severe to continue and pronounced Horazdovsky dead at 3:39 p.m.

Horazdovsky suffered deep lacerations to her chest and across her cheek. The man performing CPR had been in the boat that struck Horazdovsky and two other women in, who suffered serious injuries.

The man, Dale Woster, explained to trooper Patrick Simasko that he was sitting in the back of the boat and felt a bump. He then found himself in the water and attempted to get Horazdovsky to shore to try and save her life. Simasko noted that Woster smelled of alcohol. Woster and Ashleigh Owens, another occupant, stated that Martz, had been drinking and drove the boat that killed Horazdovsky and injured two others. Simasko removed the keys from the boat that Martz owned and had been driving, and spoke with Stephen Guttierrez who stated that the group of seven that were in the boat had all been drinking and having a good time, drove back towards the bay and turned the opposite direction of the boat driven by Andrew Horazdovsky, Jennifer’s husband, before the tube went under the boat.

Horazdovsky remarked that Martz’ boat came “flying around the corner,” toward theirs. Horazdovsky had cut the power to the engine and turned right, but Martz’ boat only turned to avoid at the last second, and could not stop from colliding with the floatation tube being towed behind Horazdovsky’s boat.

“They didn’t even stop,” said Andrew Horazdovsky.

Witnesses had seen Martz swimming away from the scene of the accident and as Simasko went to the cabin at which he had been staying, Shane Reishner noted that the jet ski was missing, but that it had been having mechanical problems Simasko got on an Alaska Wildlife Troopers boat and found Martz on a jet ski.

Martz refused troopers’ requests to get on the boat and was handcuffed. He did not comply with troopers’ requests to submit to sobriety tests or take a breathalyzer, but at 5:44 p.m., exactly two-and-a-half hours after the accident, Martz’ blood alcohol count measured .163, more than twice the legal limit. As he was leaning up against the police cruiser to keep his balance, his speech was slow and slurred, according to Simasko. His eyes were red and watery. Authorities received a search warrant for a legal blood kit an hour later. Of those on the float tube who were struck by Martz’ boat, one woman had a broken collarbone, and one who had been transferred by life flight, was on life support. Martz was taken to MSPT, charged with manslaughter, three counts of assault 1, and DUI. He was arraigned on Sunday and his next hearing is, June 20 at 1:00 p.m. for a preliminary hearing.