Man charged with manslaughter in Bass Lake jet ski crash that killed boy, 13

Madera County District Attorney David Linn said his office filed charges Tuesday against a man who crashed his jet ski into an innertube on Bass Lake, killing one teenager and injuring another.

Linn said that Phat Chau of San Jose was charged with misdemeanor manslaughter and a violation of the California Harbors and Navigation Code. The manslaughter charge stems from the death of David Flores, 13, of Fresno, while the harbor violation stems from the injuries suffered by his aunt, 16-year-old Julissa Valenzuela of Houston. Valenzuela was in a coma for several days at Community Regional Medical Center.

These charges are the maximum allowable under the current law, Linn said.

The accident occurred on June 27. Flores and Valenzuela were riding on an innertube behind a pontoon boat when a jet ski driven by Chau collided with them. Chau was cooperative with authorities during the investigation, Linn said.

If convicted, Chau faces up to a year in jail for the manslaughter charge and additional jail time for the code violation, Linn said.

This story was originally published July 28, 2015 at 4:30 PM with the headline "Man charged with manslaughter in Bass Lake jet ski crash that killed boy, 13."