A boating accident with a tragic outcome that occurred in the early morning last Saturday on the Ohio River near Florence serves as a stark reminder of the dangers involved in boating when not every reasonable safety precaution is taken.

One person died in the accident -- a collision between two boats -- and four others were seriously injured. A spokesperson for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources ("DFWR") said that the fatality was the fifth on the Ohio River since 2006.

The collision occurred shortly before 1:00 a.m., when a nearly 40-foot vessel ran into an 18-foot craft. All five people in the smaller boat were sent into the water, with their boat quickly sinking. Investigators say that the four survivors, who were rescued by a DFWR rescue crew, were all seriously injured, with one of them sustaining a severe head injury. They were taken to a local hospital.

The victim -- a 17-year-old high school student -- was not found until later in the morning.

The accident was witnessed from the shoreline by a condominium owner, who stated that the smaller boat was running in the darkness without its lights on.

Investigators were not immediately able to determine whether the injured parties or fatal accident victim were wearing safety vests at the time of the collision.

None of the four passengers on the larger boat was injured.

Related Resource: Fox, "Funeral arrangements set for teen who died in boating accident" Aug. 22, 2011