OVIEDO, Fla. – A 47-year-old Geneva man died after his airboat went airborne and overturned Sunday on Lake Jesup in Seminole County, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said.
The FWC said Bradley Jelkren died in the crash, which was reported around 12:30 p.m. Sunday near the State Road 417 bridge.
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Wildlife officers said a witness was driving north on the S.R 417 bridge and saw a 12-foot airboat go airborne. The witness called 911 when they saw that the boat was overturned in the water and no one was near it, according to an FWC report.
The witness called over another boat, and the victim was found near the overturned airboat, officials said.
The good Samaritans took the man to the Lake Jessup boat ramp in Sanford, where Jelkren was pronounced dead.
An investigation is ongoing.
An online fundraising campaign has been set up through GoFundMe to help Jelkren’s family cover funeral expenses. Nearly $17,000 was raised in less than 24 hours.