New Details Emerge About Jet Ski Crash That Caused Death of Orioles Minor Leaguer

The Baltimore Orioles organization was rocked with the tragic news that their minor league player Luis Guevara had passed away at the age of 19 following a jet ski crash at South Lido Beach in Sarasota, Fla. on Father's Day this past Sunday.

In the initial story done here at Orioles On SI, there weren't many details to pass along about what took place to cause such a devastating incident.

However, Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Banner (subscription required) reported information that was told to him by Mariah Gonzalez, who was there to witness what took place.

She described a situation where two jet skis were driving "recklessly" around the beach area and were "extremely close to boats and the children that were in the water."

"I was worried about something happening," she told Kostka.

Gonzalez's story is a bit different from the police report.

In the police report, they describe that the jet ski ridden by Guevara and Keiver Jose Guillen Reatiga (relationship to Guevara unknown) was stalled out in the water. 19- and 20-year-old Orioles prospects Miguel Rodriguez and Jesus Palacios were riding the second jet ski, and they told police that they were riding toward Guevara and Reatiga when their jet ski hit a wave and they launched into the air.

"Control of the jet ski was completely lost, and they bailed off the jet ski. While the jet ski was in the air, it struck Reatiga and [Guevara], causing them to fall off their jet ski and into the water," the police report read.

However, Gonzalez has a different version of what happened.

To her vantage point, either Guevara or Reatiga were already in the water with their jet ski stalled out, while the other was standing up on the watercraft trying to get the attention of the other jet ski that was coming their way.

"He looked over and could see another jet ski coming almost full force, and was going extremely fast. The guy that was on the jet ski, he was waving his arms, yelling stop in Spanish — 'Para! Para! Para!' — and just yelling and waving his arms so the other person coming his way would see him," Gonzalez said, per Kostka. "He was screaming very loud, and he was standing up. I don't understand how that was missed."

She added, "That jet ski hit the guy in the head, almost directly hit the upper part of his body, and he went flying into the water."

Gonzalez said she immediately called 911 while others rushed into the water to assist those who had been involved in the crash, with two men being brought to shore.

In the incident report, Reatiga was described to have suffered "obvious severe trauma to his face" despite him being conscious and breathing. Additional information stated that he suffered facial fractures and lung damage.

The report also stated that Guevara suffered internal trauma and brain trauma, ultimately causing him to pass away at the age of 19.

Kostka notes the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission are still investigating this incident.

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