BEND, OR -- A 50-year-old man was thrown from a jet boat on the Deschutes River and seriously hurt, Saturday afternoon. The boat crashed at around 3 p.m. near La Pane State Recreation Park. Deschutes County Search and Rescue helped get him from the site of the boat crash to a La Pine ambulance. He was then driven to a waiting helicopter and flown to St. Charles Bend.

Investigators say the crash occurred when the boat struck a submerged tree. Alcohol was not a factor, however the boat was operating in an area closed to motorized watercraft. The driver was cited for the violation.