A 32-year-old Buckley man was pronounced dead Saturday at Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia after his hydroplane crashed during the 38th annual Black Lake Regatta, according to the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office.
Race officials identified him as Ryan Butler.
His super-modified hydroplane crashed violently about 12:45 p.m., during the second lap of the second heat, Sgt. Cheryl Stines said.
“Witnesses said he was going just fine and just crashed,” she said.
It took deputies already on the scene about 10 minutes to recover the man, who then was transferred to a boat launch where fire personnel were on hand. He was transferred to the hospital and pronounced dead, she said.
The super-modified hydros have a top speed of 120 mph, Stines said. The boat is at the bottom of the lake, and racing continued after the incident, she said.
Thurston County Coroner Gary Warnock said the cause of death won’t be known until Monday.
Rolf Boone, staff writer
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