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Girl paralyzed after jet-ski crash on Lake Wylie

By Tina Terry, wsoctv.com
By Tina Terry, wsoctv.com

LAKE WYLIE, N.C. — One of two teens seriously injured after crashing their jet-ski in Lake Wylie is paralyzed.

On June 25, McKenna Woodhead and her friend were on a jet-ski when it crashed into a retaining wall. Her friend pulled her to the shore while keeping her head above the water.

Our news partner at The Herald reported McKenna is now paralyzed from the chest down because of a spinal injury.

Her youth soccer team, Carolina Rapids, has raised more than $60,000 to help with her medical expenses.

Lt. Shean Coates from the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (DNR) said both girls were rescued from the water following the incident.

Coates said both girls were taken to a Charlotte hospital for serious injuries, but one of them remains in critical condition.

The accident happened Monday night around 6:15 p.m. near the Allison Creek boat landing. Officials reported the girls crashed their personal watercraft into a retaining wall.

Family members, boaters, and emergency officials pulled the pair out of the water before law enforcement and DNR’s lake patrol arrived on the scene.

[RELATED: South Carolina Coroner: 3-year-old reported missing drowned]

Croates said it remains unclear what caused the girls to crash into the wall. There were severe weather warnings for the area, but weather did not appear to be a factor at the time.

“The watercraft hit the wall and we are investigating what happened and why,” Croates said.

This incident is the third accident in three days on Lake Wylie.

[RELATED: Body of missing boater found after 10-hour search on Lake Wylie]

Emergency officials responded to a 3-year-old boy, who died after being found in the lake. The second was a death by drowning incident involving a Charlotte man on the N.C. side of the lake.

The names and ages of the girls were not available.

The girls were wearing life jackets, but officials said that is not always the case.

DNR Lance Cpl. Jeff Vissage said people still aren't wearing life jackets despite repeated warnings.

“We've never recovered a drowning victim that's wearing a life jacket,” Vissage said.

Vissage has a warning before someone else gets hurt.

“Don't throw caution to the wind out here,” Vissage said. “Stuff happens quickly.”

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