A Central Texas man was arrested and charged after a four-year-old girl got entangled with his Houseboat’s propeller.
The man was charged with criminal negligent homicide. He was identified as Jason Bernal, 43. Bernal was initially held at the Bell County jail before he posted bail worth $150, 000 and was later released.
The victim was identified as Katlyn Oliver. The incident took place late last week at Temple Lake Park in Belton. According to the Temple Police Department spokesperson, Shawana Neely, Oliver died from her injuries at around 7:45 p.m.
on Friday. She suffered from lacerations all over her body from the propeller of the houseboat.
She was still taken to Scott & White Hospital before she was pronounced dead. An autopsy is pending to determine the cause of death.
Officers from Core of Engineer, Morgan’s Point Resort Diver Team, and the Police Department, the Temple Fire Department, and Texas Parks and Wildlife helped during the aftermath of the incident. The park remained open for the people who were already there but authorities did not allow newcomers, U.S. News shared.
Victim’s father seriously injured
The 37-year-old father, who was not identified, was also taken to Scott & White Hospital. He remains in serious condition. He tried to save his daughter and his legs got amputated while trying to get his daughter out of the way.
The aunt of the father, Christine Alfonso, said that her nephew is still in the hospital awaiting the second surgery for his injuries. Doctors with Scott & White Hospital are reportedly hopeful that they could save enough of his legs in order to make prosthetic limbs for him to enable him to walk despite the amputation.
It remained unclear what happened as to how Oliver and her father were run over by the houseboat.
Details were not released by the police as they noted they could not comment yet since it is a pending investigation. Police also did not say whether it was Bernal who was driving the houseboat at the time of the accident.
GoFundMe page set up to help pay medical bills, funeral expenses
A GoFundMe page was also set up by family and friends to help with the funeral expenses for the girl and with the medical expenses for the father.
As of writing, $26,900 have been donated out of the $250,000 goal.
In the GoFundMe page, it said that the father was in the process of changing jobs so he had no insurance. They also described the girl as deeply loved by her parents as they asked for financial assistance.
