CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — A 17-year-old is dead after a boating accident on the James River.
According to the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, on the afternoon of Saturday, July 2, two juveniles were floating on the river on an inflatable tube being pulled by a boat when they fell into the water.
The operator of the boat turned it around to get them, and in doing so created a wave that changed the trajectory of the boat. The boat went over one of the teens, a 17-year-old girl, and she was struck by the propeller. She was taken to a nearby hospital where she was pronounced dead.
The victim is presumed to be 17-year-old Julia Budzinski, a student at Glen Allen High School and daughter of Toronto Blue Jays first base coach Mark Budzinski. It was reported that Budzinski would be taking some time away from the team due to his daughter’s death. Before their game against the Tampa Bay Rays today, there was a moment of silence in Julia’s memory.
