CHARLOTTE -- Three people are dead after two separate boating accidents Saturday in Charlotte-area lakes.
One of the two accidents happened on Mountain Island Lake near Abernathy Road. Medic reported two people died. They have been identified as 60-year-old Daniel Schmidt from Charlotte and 29-year-old Jennifer Schmidt from out of town, visiting family in Charlotte.
Investigators say they were killed when their boat hit a large rock near the shore and came to a sudden stop between 11 and midnight Saturday night.
There's no word on if alcohol was involved or if they were wearing life vests. Two others were taken to Carolinas Medical Center with life-threatening injuries.
Around 8 p.m. a boating accident on Lake Norman killed 17-year-old Sheyenne Marshall from Concord. Authorities said the girl was run over by a boat while kneeboarding near Little Acorn Lane in Mooresville, not far from Lake Norman High School.
North Carolina Wildlife officers confirm 49-year-old Keith Owen Cerven was charged with boating while intoxicated. Officers say more charges are pending.
Cerven was released from the Iredell County jail Sunday. It wasn't known if he had a lawyer.
Both of these accidents happened on the Fourth of July when there are a lot of people out on the lakes, and officers say, there's a bigger risk.
"The possibility definitely increases. That's why we want to encourage boaters to be safe, be responsible at all times, wear your life jacket. And above all, just keep a proper lookout, whether you're boating in the daytime or nighttime, it's important to always be aware of your surroundings,where you are and always pay attention," said Sgt. William Laton, NC Wildlife Resources Commission.
Despite safety warnings from officers, they say deaths on North Carolina lakes are up this year. Since January, 21 people have been killed on the water so far this year. That's compared to 23 deaths on the water in all of last year.