Police ID Venice Woman Killed While Kayaking

VENICE, CA – Police identified a woman Wednesday who was hit and killed by a power boat while kayaking in Marina del Rey on Labor Day. She was the chief of staff of the City of Los Angeles' Department on Disability.

Nicole Willett, 46, of Venice was fatally injured about 1:10 p.m. Monday near the south jetty, according to the coroner's office and Lt. Deryl Walker of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

Willett had been chief of staff of the Department on Disability since December 2014, according to her LinkedIn page.

The driver of the boat was not cited, and there was no indication that a crime occurred, Walker said.

Two people in their 60s were aboard the 50-foot vessel that struck Willett and at first didn't know what had happened until people in a nearby fishing boat alerted them, KCAL9 reported. They spoke to investigators for a couple of hours, but authorities said it appeared they were neither speeding nor under the influence of alcohol.

City News Service and Patch staffer Emily Holland contributed to this post; Image via Shutterstock