CLEAR LAKE — A 14-year-old Dyersville girl has died from injuries suffered in a July Fourth personal watercraft crash on Clear Lake, turning a holiday accident that injured five people into a fatal tragedy.
The crash happened around 5:30 p.m. Saturday, July 4, 2026, near the boat ramp at MacIntosh Woods State Park, in an area of the lake known locally as Little Lake.
According to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, two personal watercraft collided on the lake. The Dyersville girl was riding as a passenger on one of the watercraft.
Passengers on a nearby pontoon immediately rendered aid after the collision.
The Iowa DNR water patrol and conservation officers, Ventura and Clear Lake fire departments, Iowa State Patrol, Clear Lake Police Department and Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene.
Five people were on the two personal watercraft. All five were transported to MercyOne Medical Center in Mason City.
Chelsea Maxwell, 35, an 11-year-old girl and a 12-year-old boy, all of Greenwood, South Carolina, were treated and released on July 4.
A 15-year-old Mason City girl was transferred to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, where she remains in serious condition.
The Dyersville girl later died from her injuries.
The crash was first reported Saturday evening as a serious collision involving two personal watercraft on Clear Lake. NIT previously reported that one watercraft was carrying an adult and a minor, while the second was carrying three minors. To read NIT’s earlier story, please click here.
Investigators are still working to determine what caused the two personal watercraft to collide.
The Iowa DNR said alcohol or other impairment has been ruled out as a contributing factor.
The investigation remains underway.