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Oshkosh man sentenced to prison in 2022 for motorboat paddle steamer accident

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OSHKOSH – At his sentencing on Thursday, Jason Lindemann admitted that his reaction after his motorboat collided with a two-deck paddle steamer in July 2022 was one of “self-preservation.”

“I take full responsibility for my actions and the resulting consequences,” said the 54-year-old man from Oshkosh in front of the courtroom filled with almost 50 people.

However, Winnebago County District Court Judge Michael Gibbs said Lindemann showed no signs of accepting responsibility after the accident.

“Your actions that day were cowardly,” Gibbs told Lindemann before announcing his sentence of five months in prison and 150 hours of community service. “And that is what most insults the boating community.”

On July 9, 2022, shortly before 10 p.m., Lindemann was operating a high-speed motorboat carrying six passengers when he collided with a large, slow-moving paddle steamer owned and operated by On The Loos Cruises on the Fox River in Oshkosh between the Oregon Street and Wisconsin Street bridges.

There were 41 passengers and three crew members on board the paddle steamer. No one was seriously injured, but several people had to be treated for injuries in the days and weeks following the accident. On the Loos Cruises has not been able to operate since the accident more than two years ago due to the damage to the paddle steamer, owner Jeff Loos said at the verdict.

After stopping briefly alongside the paddle steamer, Lindemann drove off despite shouts and pleas from people on the paddle steamer and nearby boats for him to stop, several witnesses testified at Lindemann's jury trial in June.

Lindemann was arrested after Pioneer Marina employees spotted an unlicensed motorboat in the marina. Employees told officers they saw what appeared to be blood and decorations believed to be from the paddleboat. They also recognized the boat as belonging to the Sweetwater Performance Center, which Lindemann owns.

At trial, a jury found Lindemann guilty on almost all counts: two counts of second-degree reckless endangerment of safety, 11 counts of failure to render aid in a boating accident involving personal injury, and one count of negligent operation of a boat. They found him not guilty on a 12th count of failure to render aid after determining there was insufficient evidence to show that any of the victims had sustained injuries.

Assistant Attorneys General Emily Thompson and Tara Jenswold argued in court that Lindemann had been drinking throughout the day before getting behind the wheel of his boat and left the scene of the accident to avoid trouble for driving under the influence. GPS data and video footage showed that Lindemann drove away after the accident, dropped some passengers – one of whom had a head injury – on the shore and returned to the middle of the lake, where the boat remained without lights for the rest of the night, over seven hours.

At the sentencing, Thompson said it was sheer luck that no one suffered more serious injuries. If the angle of impact had been different, “people would have died for sure,” she said.

Lindemann's defense attorney, Scott Ceman, disputed the claim that Lindemann was drunk. He said Lindemann tried to stop and render aid after the boating accident, but ran off after people shouted threats and threw beer bottles toward the motorboat in an attempt to get his injured passenger to safety.

Before announcing Lindemann's sentence, Gibbs expressed skepticism about Ceman's claim that there was no evidence that Lindemann was drunk at the time of the accident.

“Mr. Lindemann had something to drink. I'm not sure how much, I'm not sure if he was drunk. I'm not sure because he fled the scene,” Gibbs said.

Gibbs was sentenced to five months in prison and three years probation, which was between the recommendations of the prosecution and the defense. Thompson asked for a suspended sentence of nine months and six years for Lindemann. Ceman asked for 18 months probation.

One reason the prison sentence is important is to deter other boaters from stopping and helping after an accident, knowing that doing so will result in prison, Gibbs said.

Gibbs also dismissed a case in which Lindemann was convicted of driving under the influence. Thompson said prosecutors filed a motion to dismiss the case because there was “a whole lot of circumstantial evidence.”

RELATED: Oshkosh man found guilty on all but one count in 2022 motorboat paddle steamer accident

Under the terms of his probation, Lindemann must remain completely sober and attend any alcohol abuse programs and counseling recommended by his probation officer. He is also prohibited from operating a boat during his probation.

In addition, Gibbs ordered Lindemann to perform 50 hours of community service each year of his probation – one hour for each person on the paddle steamer and the motorboat.

Victims who spoke at the sentencing and presented their victim impact statements to the court described not only physical injuries and medical costs, but also ongoing emotional trauma as a result of the accident.

One woman said that in addition to doctor visits and therapy sessions, she also experienced anxiety from hearing boats and the smell of lake water.

Another woman said she suffered a concussion in the accident and described it as one of the most horrific days of her life. She believes that if Lindemann had hit the boat just a few meters away, “none of us would be here.”

A restitution hearing is scheduled for January 22 at 1 p.m.

Contact Kelli Arseneau at 920-213-3721 or [email protected]. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, at @ArseneauKelli.

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