Lake Cumberland boat crash: 2 teens killed in southern Kentucky boating accident 

On Friday, July 14, a boat crash led to the deaths of two teenage brothers in Southern Kentucky's Lake Cumberland. According to Fox 19, the victims were riding a jet ski together when they collided with a boat. The victims, whose names have not been released, were 14 and 18 years old, respectively.

The results of their autopsies have not yet been processed.

Authorities are still investigating the circumstances behind the fatal Lake Cumberland boat crash. As per WKYT, authorities do not suspect foul play, nor the involvement of substance abuse. Both victims were wearing life jackets at the time of their deaths.

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What exactly happened at Lake Cumberland?

As per Kentucky Fish and Wildlife officials, the two teenagers were jetskiing near Bronston, South of the Woodson Bend Boat dock, when the incident occurred.

At approximately 1 pm on Friday, the two brothers, who were aboard the same jet ski collided with a boat that had twin engines and was approximately 40 feet long, as per Fox 19. The names of the boat's occupants have also not been released yet. Soon after the crash, the teenagers bodies were recovered, before being transported to Frankfort, Kentucky, for an autopsy report.

Pulaski County Coroner Clyde Strunk speculated upon the circumstances of the crash. He said that from memorial day to labor day, the large amount of tourists in the area and strong currents create an environment where people need to be cautious of accidents.

"The water narrows up south fork. To a point that sometimes it’s not very wide. If you have multiple crafts in that area, it makes the passing lanes somewhat narrower," Strunk said.

Strunk also added:

“We live in one of the most beautiful places in the world, especially in Kentucky. We’re blessed, but at the same time, it’s a very dangerous place."

Speaking about the death of the two teenagers at Lake Cumberland, Strunk expressed his grief:

“My heart breaks. My heart grieves for them, but summertime in our part of the world here, our lives are sometimes filled with grief because of what takes place on the lake."

The Lake Cumberland crash came on the heels of another July 1 Kentucky watercraft accident. Early this month, Senator Roy Herron was gravely injured in a jetskiing accident on Kentucky Lake. On July 9, it was announced that he had passed away from the injuries sustained in the incident.

According to Brett H Oppenheimer LPC, the large number of lakes and waterways in Kentucky make it a hotbed for boating accidents. The website reported that on an annual basis, there are between 50 and 100 boating accidents in the area.

The top reasons for these accidents included operator inattention, speeding, bad weather and alcohol abuse. Water safety officials reported that in several cases, victims could have survived if they were wearing life jackets.