Kevin O’Leary and his wife, Linda O’Leary, were involved in a boat accident in Canada on Saturday, August 24, that left two people dead, the Ontario Provincial Police confirms to Us Weekly.
“Late Saturday night I was a passenger in a boat that had a tragic collision with another craft that had no navigation lights on and then fled the scene of the accident,” the Shark Tank star, 65, said in a statement to Us on Wednesday, August 28. “I am fully cooperating with authorities. Out of respect for the families who have lost loved ones and to fully support the ongoing investigation, I feel it is inappropriate to make further comments at this time. My thoughts are with all the families affected.”
Kevin’s rep told TMZ that Linda was driving the boat on Lake Joseph at approximately 11:30 p.m. on Saturday when it crashed into a larger vessel, going over its bow and striking a male passenger in the head. An Ontario Provincial Police spokesperson tells Us that the 64-year-old man, Gary Poltash from Florida, instantly died at the scene.
The larger boat had eight people on board. A 48-year-old female passenger, Susanne Brito from Ontario, succumbed to her injuries at the hospital on Tuesday, August 27. Three others travelers were hospitalized but have since been released.
Kevin’s rep told TMZ that Linda passed a DUI test on the night of the accident. “The collision remains under investigation and no charges have been filed,” the Ontario police spokesperson tells Us.
There are conflicting reports about the aftermath of the crash; Kevin’s rep claimed to TMZ that the other boat fled the scene, but the owner of the larger watercraft accused the O’Learys of being the ones who left.
Kevin and Linda, who have been married since 1990 and share son Trevor and daughter Savannah, have a lake house in the Ontario area. They also have properties in Boston and Geneva, Switzerland.
