Man arrested after 2 children injured in Florida personal watercraft crash

Bea Anhuci, Tampa Bay Times on Oct 13, 2025

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TAMPA, Fla. — A New York man was arrested on boating under the influence charges Sunday afternoon after he caused a personal watercraft crash in Madeira Beach that injured two children, deputies said.

Daniel Grubert, 48, of Piermont, New York, was operating a rented Yamaha WaveRunner around 2:30 p.m. Sunday near John’s Pass when the crash happened, according to a news release from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.

Grubert was racing another personal watercraft and wasn’t looking in front of him, the release stated. He jumped off the WaveRunner when he realized it was about to crash into another WaveRunner, investigators said.

Grubert’s vessel crashed into a watercraft operated by Walter Wodzien, 45. Wodzien and two children riding with him, ages 7 and 8, were thrown into the water and rescued by the Madeira Beach Fire Department.

The children, one of whom had life-threatening injuries, were taken to a hospital, according to the sheriff’s office. Both children were in stable condition Monday.

Wodzien was not injured.

Grubert showed signs of impairment and performed poorly on field sobriety tests, investigators said. He was booked into the Pinellas County Jail Sunday night on two counts of BUI causing serious bodily injury and one count of reckless operation of a vessel. He was being held in jail without bond Monday ahead of his first court appearance.

BUI causing serious bodily injury is a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

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