Orioles Minor League Baseball player dies after jet ski crash in Lido Key

Orioles minor league player dies from jet ski crash

Kailey Tracy reports.

LIDO KEY, Fla. - A professional baseball player in the Baltimore Orioles' minor league system has died following last Sunday's head-on jet ski crash in Lido Key, team officials confirmed.

The backstory:

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), two jet skis with two people each on board collided head-on, sending all four occupants into the water.

Luis Guevara, 19, an infielder with the Orioles' Florida Complex League affiliate, later died at the hospital.

Photo of Luis Guevara. Courtesy: Minor League Baseball.

A native of Venezuela, Guevara signed with the Orioles in January 2023 as an international free agent. He played his first two seasons with the Dominican Summer League Orioles, the Orioles said.

Guevara made his U.S. debut this season, appearing in 30 minor league games, including four, most recently with the Florida Complex League Orioles.

According to a police report from the Sarasota Police Department released Wednesday, it was just after 8 p.m. when officers responded just offshore of South Lido Beach at 2201 Benjamin Franklin Drive. When they got there, the report says the scene was "unstable with many concerned and frantic citizens yelling about the situation."

Two officers ran onto the beach and found two injured men lying on the ground close to the water. One was identified as Guevara and the other as Keiver Jose Guillen Reatiga.

They rendered aid and helped EMS get the two men transported to Sarasota Memorial Hospital. The report says Guevara had internal trauma and brain trauma, and Reatiga has facial fractures and lung damage.

The report describes a "substantial" crowd on the beach, and says officers had to work to stabilize the scene and safely move the crowd away from the scene. While trying to find which jet skis were involved in the crash, officers were told that other individuals had driven the jet skis away, the report says. Bystanders told officers the jet skis were transported to the tenth street boat ramp.

They sent officers there to be on the lookout for the jet skis and were able to find two at the ramp that matched the description.

When the scene was secure, two individuals, Miguel Rodriguez, 19-years-old, and Jesus Palacios, 20-years-old, told officers they were on one of the jet skis involved. They said Reatiga and Guevara were riding on one of the rented jet skis while they were on the other.

Rodriguez and Palacios were riding towards Reatiga and Guevara when they said they hit a wave that caused their jet ski to launch into the air, the report said. They lost control of the jet ski and bailed off. The jet ski hit Reatiga and Guevara, causing them to fall off their jet ski and into the water. While all four were in the water, a nearby boat came to help and brought them to shore.

The FCL Orioles postponed Monday and Tuesday night's scheduled games in the aftermath of the crash.

What they're saying:

Orioles general manager Mike Elias released a statement, writing in part: "Luis was a beloved member of our organization, and we are devastated following his tragic passing. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and teammates, and we ask for their continued privacy during this difficult time."

Earlier this week, the Orioles confirmed players from their minor league team were involved, but didn’t identify them.

The FWC also extended its condolences and said the incident remains an active investigation.

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The Source: This story was written with information from the Baltimore Orioles and previous FOX 13 News reports.

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