Body recovered, man charged in jet ski crash that sent teen into the Merrimack River
A 32-year-old Lowell resident is facing charges of operating a watercraft under the influence of alcohol and negligent operation of a motor boat related to a jet ski crash on the Merrimack River that may have killed a 16-year-old girl.Chelmsford police said Douglas Dematos was arrested Monday at Lowell General Hospital where he is being treated for non-life-threatening injuries related to the crash. A body believed to be the missing teenager was recovered on Monday from the water after an extensive search by law enforcement agencies.Police responded to a report of people yelling and arguing on the river Sunday around 10:34 p.m. Police said officers arriving on the scene learned that two jet skis had collided on the water and that a 16-year-old girl riding on one of the vehicles was knocked into the river. Dematos is also charged with operating a jet ski at night, operating an unregistered motorboat, operating at night without navigation lights, and operating a jet ski too close to another vessel. Police said he will be arraigned at Lowell District Court when he is released from the hospital.It was not immediately clear whether Dematos had an attorney.Ryan said the preliminary investigation indicates the teen was wearing a life-jacket when she went into the water. The DA said the young man driving the jet ski that the teen was riding on is not facing any charges at this time. Ryan said the investigation into the incident is “open and ongoing.”
