Daniel Burkett - Update on fatal boating accident, community mourns

An arraignment date is set for the ski-boat operator, Steven Ettlin, 22, of San Juan Capistrano, who was charged with vehicular manslaughter with a vessel while intoxicated. Ettlin will be arraigned in Butte County Superior Court on November 17, and a preliminary hearing date will be determined later.

There were three young adults (two males and one female) on board the rented ski-boat and another young man on a wakeboard in the water when the accident happened. Ettlin was operating the boat, which was pulling the wake-boarder. Burkett was on vacation with his friends at Lake Oroville and they had rented a ski-boat.

When the wake-boarder fell, Ettlin cut the throttle, which abruptly slowed the boat when Burkett fell overboard and into the water, said Deputy District Attorney Christopher Carlos. The boat continued to move and ran over Burkett. "Alcohol was involved," Carlos said.

Dwayne