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Oldsmar Man Charged With Homicide In Boat Crash

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By STEPHEN THOMPSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 11, 2008

Updated: 09/11/2008 03:11 pm

  Jeremy Rettman

CLEARWATER - An Oldsmar man was arrested Wednesday on charges he let his 10-year-old daughter steer a boat when it collided with an anchored vessel and one of their passengers died.

Jeremy Rettman, 32, of 603 Baylakes Trail, was charged with vessel homicide.

According to court records unsealed today, Rettman, his daughter and two passengers were on the 1991 Hydrosport on Lake Tarpon on April 5.

Rettman is accused of letting his daughter steer while he controlled the throttle when the vessel collided with an anchored boat, and everyone but his daughter was tossed overboard, the documents say.

Passenger Patricia Blankenship was struck by the Hydrosport's propeller and died April 16 at Tampa General Hospital, the documents say.

Rettman's blood-alcohol level was 0.193 and 0.195, the documents say. A motorist is presumed intoxicated when the blood-alcohol level is 0.08 or above, according to Florida law.

Additionally, Rettman had three 3.3 nanograms per milliliter of delta-9 THC, the documents say. A person is considered under the influence at two nanograms, according to the documents. THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, is the primary intoxicant found in marijuana.

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