Four E.O. Smith students were injured on Sunday when the rowing shell they were in was hit by another boat on Coventry Lake, according to officials from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
DEEP says the students, all members of the E.O. Smith girls crew team, were in a 56-foot rowing shell when they were struck by a 14-foot SeaDoo driven a 45-year-old Tolland man.
Several departments responded to the Coventry Lake boat launch off Cross Street around 3:15 p.m., according to emergency dispatchers and found nine students were thrown from the shell.
Four female students were transported to Windham Hospital with non life-threatening injuries.
The SeeDoo driver was not injured and is cooperating with police.
Sgt. Chris Dwyer, of the State Environmental Police, said this could have been far worse.
"It's a miracle that no one was seriously injured or killed," he said. "This time of year, we have warm air and we have very cold water temperatures. So, we urge everyone that if they need to go out on the water at all for any water sports to please wear the life jackets."
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The cause of the crash is under investigation at this time and no charges have been filed. Police said drugs and alcohol do not appear to be a factor.
Ambulances from Coventry, Mansfield, Andover and Columbia all responded as well as crews from North Coventry Fire, Coventry police, and DEEP.
