Off-duty San Bernardino County sheriff's sergeant arrested after fatal boat crash on Colorado River
NEEDLES, Calif. (KABC) -- A San Bernardino County sheriff's sergeant who was once honored for heroism is now under criminal investigation, accused of piloting a boat while intoxicated in an off-duty crash that killed a father of two on the Colorado River.
Weston Stewart, 38, of La Verne, was killed Friday after a 22-foot Cheetah deck boat collided with the vessel he was on, authorities said. The crash occurred around 5:30 p.m. south of the Needles Bridge, near the California-Arizona border.
Stewart was aboard an 18-foot Sanger boat that was adrift on the water when it was struck by the larger vessel, operated by Sgt. Bruce Southworth, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.
Deputies and fire personnel began CPR at the scene. Stewart was taken to Colorado River Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead.
"Alcohol appears to be a factor in this incident," the Sheriff's Department said in a statement. Southworth was arrested at the scene and booked on suspicion of negligent use of a watercraft while intoxicated causing injury, a felony under the California Harbors and Navigation Code. He has since been released on bond.
The crash marks a dramatic turn for Southworth, who in 2018 received the Presidential Medal of Valor for helping rescue a wounded officer during the 2015 mass shooting at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino.
Now, he is on administrative leave as the investigation continues.
Stewart is being remembered by family as a loving husband and father of two boys, as well as a devoted son and brother. A GoFundMe page set up for his family describes him as someone with a big heart and a fun-loving spirit.
Anyone with information about the crash is urged to contact Deputy William Poe at the Colorado River Station/Needles Police Department at (760) 326-9200. Anonymous tips can be submitted through the We-Tip Hotline at 1-800-78CRIME or at wetip.com.
