Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary broke his silence following the reports that he and his wife Linda were involved in a boating mishap. The accident reportedly happened Saturday night on Lake Joseph in Ontario, Canada.
The 65-year-old Shark Tank star told TMZ that he was a passenger on a boat his wife Linda drove that crashed into a larger boat at around 11:30 p.m. Saturday.
O’Leary breaks silence
The Canadian, who had earlier declined to comment, said he was following police protocol. O’Leary said the other boat did not have its lights on and immediately fled the scene after the crash.
TMZ reports that O’Leary’s boat was lifted into the air when it crashed into the larger boat and passed directly over its bow.
A rep for O’Leary also confirmed O’Leary’s wife Linda drove the boat, with Kevin in the passenger seat. There was also another woman on board the boat when the accident occurred.
The rep added that Linda passed a DUI test after the accident.
Kevin released a short statement about the incident:
“Late Saturday night I was a passenger in a boat that had a tragic collision with another craft that had no navigation lights on and then fled the scene of the accident. I am fully cooperating with authorities.
“Out of respect for the families who have lost loved ones and to fully support the ongoing investigation, I feel it is inappropriate to make further comments at this time. My thoughts are with all the families affected.”
Sources close to O’Leary said he has video evidence that the other boat did not have its navigation lights on at the time of the collision. Sources close to the owner of the other boat insists their lights were on. The source also contradicted O’Leary’s statement that the larger boat fled the scene of the accident, saying it was O’Leary’s boat that fled.
The source revealed that there were eight people on board their boat when the accident occurred.
Two people have died as a result of the crash
Two people have so far died as a result of the collision. The first was a Florida man identified as 64-year-old Gary Poltash. He died after O’Leary’s boat passed into the air over the bow of their craft and hit him in the head.
The second victim was a 48-year-old Ontario woman, identified as Suzana Brito. The Uxbridge, Ontario woman reportedly suffered brain damage as a result of physical trauma sustained during the accident. The woman went onto a ventilator but later succumbed to her injuries.
The third woman on board O’Leary’s boat also suffered minor injuries and received treatment at the hospital before they released her.
O’Leary’s boat was seized by investigating authorities and towed to the marina for forensic investigations. It was not clear which of O’Leary’s two boats was involved in the accident. A witness reportedly said the boat was a “wakeboarding boat.”
The Canadian millionaire owns two boats. He and his wife Linda have posted photos to Instagram in the past showing their boats on Lake Joseph.