9-year-old recovering from boat accident on Lake Tapps

9-year-old girl recovering from boating accident on Lake Tapps

9-year-old Kennedie was severely injured on an inner-tube around 8pm Monday. She has undergone surgery and is currently recovering in the hospital.

PIERCE COUNTY, Wash - A 9-year-old girl was severely injured in a boating accident at Lake Tapps Monday evening.

Another person was driving his boat when he ran over the towline of the girl's inner tube — snapping the line and causing her to hit the side of his boat.

The young girl, Kennedie, went into surgery after suffering several lacerations on her face and injuries to her cheek and orbital bones, according to Kennedie's grandfather, Kevin Terry, who witnessed the incident. Kennedie is still recovering in the hospital days after the incident.

"I think God was intervening here because this could have been a terrible thing. This could have been a death," said Terry.

According to Terry, the other driver initially stopped after the accident to ask if everything was okay but then took off. Witnesses were unable to see the boat license number.

Two neighbors on Lake Tapps, Nanci Lien and Jeff Lincoln did not witness the boat accident but have expressed their concerns over the safety and lack of oversight on the lake.

"We're not sure if the people don't understand the laws or they just are choosing to just disregard them," said Lien.

Investigators say the boat's driver has since come forward and contacted them through an attorney. He is cooperating and right now, it appears to have been an accident, investigators say.

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