Wednesday, March 25, 1998 | 9:53 a.m.
Michael Yost has told National Park Service investigators that he made "a wrong turn" during a late night excursion on Lake Mead that ended when his 47-foot powerboat slammed into the shoreline, killing his wife and three other passengers, authorities said.
The seven adults on board had gone to Hoover Dam and were making their way back shortly before midnight Sunday when the "Underestimated" ran aground about six miles upstream, northeast of Burro Point, said Karen Whitney, National Park Service spokeswoman.
A statement issued by the park service did not elaborate on what Yost, who claimed to have been driving, meant by a "wrong turn." Lake officials and friends have commented that the 44-year-old Henderson resident was an experienced boater who had owned the high-performance Fountain craft since June 1997.
Investigators from the Mohave County, Ariz., sheriff's office estimated the vessel was traveling about 50 mph when it hit the rocky shoreline at a 45-degree angle, destroying about 20 feet of its front end.
"Park rangers say that this accident proves that accidents can happen even to people who are experienced operators and who may be familiar with the lake," Whitney said.
"Because the lake levels fluctuation in elevations, shorelines and landmarks change during the course of the year. With nearly 1,000 miles of shoreline and over 150,000 surface acres of water, Lake Mead is the largest man-made lake in the United States ... Even for those who are familiar with the lake, it is easy to lose one's bearing."
Still unanswered is whether alcohol played a factor in the crash.
Late Sunday afternoon, Aaron Niquette, 25, of Las Vegas, was arrested for allegedly being drunk when he piloted the "Underestimated" and hit another boat, causing minor damage.
Whitney said the Nevada Division of Wildlife officer who made the arrest had been in a boat in the Lake Mead Marina harbor when the report was broadcast of an intoxicated boater who had just caused an accident.
The officer stopped the "Underestimated" and, after determining that Niquette, who was at the helm, was intoxicated, got the boat back to the marina where Niquette failed a field sobriety test and was taken into custody, Whitney said.
"The officer asked if there was anyone on board who had not been drinking, and everyone in the group (of about six people, including Yost) pointed to an 18-year-old man," she said. The young man's name has not been released.
Whitney said the officer permitted the 18-year-old to take the helm because he exhibited no sign of intoxication and passed a field sobriety test. The young man was directed to motor the boat back to the Callville Bay Marina, where she said the group was seen having dinner later that night.
A party of visitors was the first to report the wrecked boat to authorities at 9:53 a.m. Monday -- about 10 hours after the accident. Whitney was unaware of any tests that might have been performed on the victims' blood to determine if they may have been intoxicated. She added that the amount of time that passed before the victims were found most likely would have rendered the results useless.
Investigators met with Yost at University Medical Center Tuesday, where his condition was upgraded from serious to fair, a nursing supervisor said. Authorities were still waiting to interview Richard Reynierse, 24, who was listed in fair to serious condition, and Ron Surls, 27, who was released Tuesday.
Killed in the crash were Yost's wife, Camille, 41; Eugene C. Cason III, 27, of North Las Vegas; Michael J. Kelley, 26, of Las Vegas; and Pearl E. Ewens, 47, of Henderson.
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