2 charged after 10-year-old girl killed in boating incident in North Carolina
Two people have been arrested following a boating incident in North Carolina that killed a 10-year-old girl and left one woman severely injured, prompting medical officials to amputate her left leg, according to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission.
Quinten Gregory Kight, 40, and Annemarie Flanigan, 56, have been charged in connection with the incident, which took place around 4:35 p.m. at Harris Lake in Chatham County on Saturday, Aug. 2, about 25 miles south of Raleigh.
Kight is facing felony charges of death by impaired boating and serious injury by impaired boating, in addition to the misdemeanor charges of careless reckless operation of a motor vessel and operating a vessel while impaired, according to the Wildlife Resources Commission.
Flanigan has been charged with aiding and abetting death by impaired boating and aiding and abetting serious injury by impaired boating, two felonies. The boat involved in the incident is registered to Flanigan, court records state.
Paste BN has contacted the Chatham County Public Defender's Office for comment.
Man reportedly drove toward swimmers
The North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission Capt. Nathaniel P. Green said at an Aug. 7 press conference that Kight was operating a wake boat near a group of swimmers when he suddenly drove toward them.
Officials identified the injured woman as Jennifer Stehle and the girl who died as Brooklyn Mae Carroll, according to court records. Stehle currently remains in the intensive care unit, according to the Wildlife Resource Commission.
Both Kight and Flanigan's bonds have been set at $500,000, according to records. Green confirmed that Kight has a pending charge in Moore County. Raleigh ABC affiliate WTVD reported that Kite faces charges in connection to a 2023 hit-and-run incident involving a man on a motorcycle.
He appeared in court on Monday, Aug. 4, court records state.
The state Wildlife Resource Commission is leading the investigation into the case. After obtaining a search warrant for the vessel, investigators found 39 empty alcohol bottles on the boat, WTVD reported.
Investigators attempted to conduct a sobriety test on Kight, the station reported, but found he could not "follow the instructions."
10-year-old girl remembered for 'infectious smile,' 'loving heart'
The Carroll family described Brooklyn as a "caring, funny, compassionate and deeply sensitive" girl in a statement provided to Paste BN.
"She had the biggest heart and an incredible gift for making others feel seen, loved and included," the statement from her parents, Kim Cannon and Matt Carroll, reads. "She had a uniquely goofy, wonderfully weird sense of humor that could brighten anyone's day and it was part of what made her so unforgettable."
A GoFundMe has been launched to help support the parents of the 10-year-old girl.
"BB was a light in every room she entered, with an infectious smile, a loving heart and a spirit that touched everyone who knew her," the GoFundMe reads. "Her laughter, kindness and energy brought so much joy to her family and friends."
The girl was a fifth-grade student at West Lake Elementary School in Apex and dreamed of becoming a teacher, according to the fundraiser.
Her funeral service will take place on Friday, Aug. 8, according to the Apex Funeral Home.
Sheriff says incident was 'preventable'
In a statement provided to Paste BN, Chatham County Sheriff Mike Roberson said it was "a heartbreaking accident, but one that was preventable."
"Alcohol was a factor and the decision to operate a boat while impaired had devastating consequences. We urge everyone to think twice before mixing alcohol with watercraft operation," Roberson said. "It only takes a moment for lives to be changed forever."
This story has been updated with new information
Michelle Del Rey is a national trending reporter at Paste BN and can be reached at mdelrey@usatoday.com.