KEY WEST, Fla. – The family of a 27-year-old tourist killed in a personal watercraft crash in Key West is speaking to Local 10 as the investigation continues.
Venkataramana Pittala was operating a rented Yamaha personal watercraft (PWC) that collided with another PWC operated by a 14-year-old boy from Boca Raton, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).
The crash happened on March 9 north of Wisteria Island near a floating playground where people operate rental boats and other watercraft. Workers in the area said Pittala was part of a tour group out that was out for the day, and after the crash, it was the tour company’s boat that brought his body back to the Key West Bight Marina.
According to cousin Vishnu Tunguturi, Pittala was a graduate student from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) and was in South Florida for Spring Break. He was set to graduate in May.
“It was his spring break and he just came here for a small vacation,” Tunguturi said. “I cannot believe he is not with us anymore.”
The PWCs are now in FWC custody.
The incident report lists the 14-year-old as uninjured and lists arrests as “pending.”
According to the FWC, 14 is the minimum age to operate a personal watercraft in Florida.
Key West Jetski Inc. is the reported operator of the rental personal watercraft and declined to comment.
Pittala had a background in medicine in India and was working to earn a master’s degree in the United States. Tunguturi said his mission was to help others.
“He actually wanted to grow his career in medicine and help people back in India, so he wanted to do more research than what he was actually studying,” he said. “We lost a good soul who was trying to help others. I can’t blame anyone and say they could have done better; I hope everyone did their job and tried reviving him.”
The family has organized a GoFundMe, which can be found by clicking here.