Delegate, 8 others injured in boat collision; Del. Don Dwyer instable condition

Investigators are looking into the cause of a collision on Wednesday evening between two boats on the Magothy River in Pasadena. Nine people, including a state delegate, were injured - many of them seriously.

Del. Don Dwyer, R-Glen Burnie, was rushed to Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore and was reported in stable condition, according to a hospital spokeswoman. Dwyer's condition this morning remained serious but stable, hospital officials said.

The other eight victims included four children, all of whom reportedly were wearing life vests. Two were taken to local hospitals.

A 5-year-old girl was flown to Johns Hopkins Children's Center with potentially life-threatening injuries.

One of the powerboats was the One N Done, owned by Randy and Barbara Harbin. Randy Harbin and another man were aboard, as were the Harbins' three grandchildren Dylan, Drew and Taylor.

Also in the group was Nicholas Everett, 12, who was in a water tube when the crash happened. He later complained of neck pain and was taken to Johns Hopkins for treatment.

"Nicholas has been on the water all his life, all the children were wearing life vests. We are just grateful he's going to be OK," said Teresa Taylor, Nicholas' stepmother.

The two powerboats collided on Eagle's Cove in the Magothy River at 7 p.m. By 7:53 p.m., all the victims were on land and accounted for, said Maryland Natural Resources Police Sgt. Brian Albert.

Witnesses reported that the speedboat Dwyer was aboard was traveling rapidly before the crash.

"You could really hear the engine, it was going pretty fast," said Allen Woytowitz, who lives on the watershed.

Woytowitz said those aboard the other boat had been spending the afternoon tubing.

He added that the instant the boats collided, two of the victims where tossed into the air.

There was no indication which boat was at fault, said Lt. Keith Hamilton of the Anne Arundel County Fire Department.

After the collision, area residents helped with the rescue efforts.

Andrew Wendell was steaming crabs Wednesday evening when he heard the crash of fiberglass hulls from the water behind his Pasadena home.

Then came screams.

He saw a neighbor running toward the edge of the Magothy. There, near Sillery Bay, he saw two boats, one listing and broken. On the other, children shouted for help.

Frantic now, he ran to the end of his pier and started his own boat. Neighbors joined him, and they formed a rescue party and went out to the injured children.

"It was gut-wrenching to see them," he said.

Some of the children had cuts on their faces, he said. One child appeared to have a broken arm.

Standing on his dock hours after the crash, Wendell shook his head. He said boaters often appear reckless on this part of the Magothy.

"I've seen some close calls," he said. "But never anything like this."

But he was grateful for his neighbors, who acted quickly.

"I think we saved some lives," he said. "This could have been a lot worse."

Dwyer's legislative aide, Louisa Baucom, said that when she spoke with the delegate Wednesday night following the crash, he expressed concern for the other boaters.

"He has some injuries - nothing life-threatening," Baucom said. "I don't know when he's going to be allowed to go home."

Woytowitz said major damage was done to both vessels. The speedboat sunk, while the One N Done suffered damage to the bow and was later towed to shore.

The county fire department, the Maryland State Police and the U.S. Coast Guard participated in the rescue.

Staff Writer Ben Weathers contributed to this story.