Names Released Of 2 Jet Skiers Who Died In South River

EDGEWATER, MD — The names of two jet skiers out on the water in the early morning hours of July 3 who were found dead by emergency responders have been released. A 911 call came in to the Anne Arundel County Fire Department reporting two jet skiers missing on the South River north of the Route 2 South River Bridge near Edgewater.

Witnesses told officials that a man and a woman left a home in the 200 block of Edgewater Drive about 1:30 a.m. Witnesses also reported hearing a collision just 15 minutes later and called 911 shortly before 2:30 a.m. when the two jet skiers had not returned.

Rescue workers found a partially submerged jetski and damage to a navigational aid in the South River. The Annapolis Fire Department, Maryland Natural Resources Police, Maryland State Police Aviation Command and United States Coast Guard assisted in searching for the two jet skiers. Their bodies were found about 5:15 a.m.

The victims have been identified by authorities as Elizabeth Howle, 48, and Jeffrey Sessions, 53. The victims were not wearing life jackets, and it is not known whether alcohol was a factor.

The U.S. Coast Guard reminds all people enjoying time on the water that wearing a lifejacket could save their lives. There are specific lifejackets marked for water skiing and similar activities. There are lifejackets designed for use when operating personal watercrafts and for white water boarding activities and sailboarding, too.

Furthermore, operating a water vessel while drinking should be avoided for several reasons. The U.S. Coast Guard states that alcohol is even more hazardous on the water than on land.

"The marine environment motion, vibration, engine noise, sun, wind and spray accelerates a drinker's impairment. These stressors cause fatigue that makes a boat operator's coordination, judgment and reaction time decline even faster when using alcohol," the Coast Guard noted.