(Des Moines, IA) – Officials with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Friday (July 31), identified the victim of a boating collision that occurred Thursday morning, on Clear Lake. The DNR says Dennis Ritter, 59, of Meservey, died from injuries suffered during the collision.
Ritter, and passenger Billy Carlton, 68, of Dows, were fishing in the Little Lake portion of Clear Lake in Ritter’s 16-foot Alumicraft fishing boat when it was struck from behind while trolling, by an Excel flat bottom boat operated by Logen Conklin 35, of Muscatine, around 8:30 a.m. Ritter and Carlton were transported to MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center, where Ritter was pronounced dead. Carlton was treated for injuries and released earlier today.
Passengers in the other boat were not injured. Alcohol has been eliminated as a contributing factor in the incident. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) conservation officers, Ventura and Clear Lake fire departments, Clear Lake Police Department and the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene.
