Masuria water accidents highlight rising boating safety concerns

Recent water accidents in the Masuria region of Poland have highlighted growing safety concerns on local lakes. A witness has recounted details regarding the 2019 death of film producer Piotr Woźniak-Starak on Lake Kisajno. During a night excursion in a motorboat styled after a James Bond vessel, Woźniak-Starak fell overboard. Investigations previously determined he had a blood alcohol level of 1.7 permille at the time of the incident.

In a separate recent tragedy on Lake Jagodne, a 16-year-old riding a jet ski died following a collision with a motorboat near Kozin. Jarosław Sroka, president of the Masurian Volunteer Search and Rescue (MOPR), described jet skis as a “plague” in recent years. He noted that many young operators lack an understanding of high-speed risks, often attempting to jump waves created by the wake of larger motorboats, which leads to frequent and dangerous collisions.