Pictures have emerged of the fatal victims of a boating accident involving Shark Tank star Kevin O’Leary and his wife in Ontario, Canada.
Mother-of-three Suzana Brito, 48, from Ontario, was reportedly on a ventilator and suffered brain damage in Saturday night’s accident, but succumbed to her injuries Tuesday.
She was on the same boat as 64-year-old Gary Poltash, from Florida, who died when O’Leary’s smaller vessel crashed into theirs. Poltash was at the bow of the larger boat was struck in the head, dying instantly.
O’Leary, 65, told TMZ that he was a passenger on his boat driven by his wife and claimed the other craft didn’t have its lights on when they collided around 11.30 pm.
Gary Poltash, (64), and Suzana Brito, 48, (right), died in a boating accident involving Shark Tank star Kevin O’Leary and his wife Linda in Ontario, Canada, on Saturday night
Kevin O’Leary’s wife Linda was driving the boat with Kevin in the passenger seat when their boat struck a smaller vessel, whose passengers were Gary Poltash and Suzana Brito
Brito, 48, who was from Uxbridge, Ontario, died in hospital Monday, having been kept on life support after the accident so that her organs could be harvested.
Holly Canivec, a lifelong friend, claimed that the gesture of organ donation is typical of Brito. She told the Toronto Sun that Canivec was ‘beautiful inside and out.’
She added: ‘She was an amazing mother, and her kids were her life. It sounds like a cliche, but nobody would ever have anything negative to say about her. ‘Many, many people have been devastated by this.’
Canivec met Brito when the pair worked at a restaurant in Kingston, Ontario, as students. She claimed Brito loved to travel and enjoyed playing tennis, but most of all she enjoyed bringing up her three young children aged nine, 11 and 13.
‘She was very involved in their activities and was always messaging me about doing things with the kids.’
In a statement to the Toronto Sun, the mayor of Uxbridge said that Brito and her family were active members of the community.
‘We are mourning her loss along with her family and friends. On behalf of the Township of Uxbridge I offer our deepest condolences to her loved ones left behind.’
Barton claimed that Brito had ‘energy and enthusiasm’ which would be missed.
Gary Poltash, 64, who died instantly in the accident, had retired to Belleair Beach, a community near Clearwater, Florida, after a career as an accountant.
Suzana Brito, 48, who was from Uxbridge, Ontario, died in hospital Monday, having been kept on life support after the accident so that her organs could be harvested
According to a rep for O’Leary, the boat was driven by his wife, who passed a DUI test after the crash. A third woman was also on board and treated for minor injuries
His brother Larry claimed that his brother’s adult son and daughter will travel to Canada in the coming days to establish the facts around their father’s death.
Larry told the Windsor Star that the driver of the boat his brother was on is a medical doctor and claimed he was ‘cool, calm and collected — he does not panic.’
He said Gary worked for a large accounting firm for about a decade before branching out on his own with a business focused on property tax.
According to representatives for O’Leary, the reality star’s vessel was being driven by his wife, and a third woman was also on board with them.
According to the source from the larger boat, there were eight passengers present on Saturday night.
Opening up: ‘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,’ Kevin wrote in a statement. ‘I am fully cooperating with authorities’; still from Shark Tank
Linda often posts photos enjoying Lake Joseph, including this snap of her driving the boat while a young woman wakeboards behind her
Linda O’Leary was administered a DUI test after the accident and passed. There’s no word from police yet if alcohol factored into the collision in any way
Police are not expected to release the names of the parties involved unless criminal charges are filed.
A source connected to the owner of the larger boat claimed that O’Leary’s boat fled the scene after the collision, but a representative for the Shark Tank fixture said that it was the other boat that left the scene.
Kevin released a short statement trying to clear up the matter.
‘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,’ Kevin wrote in a statement. ‘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.’
Conflicting statements: A source connected to the owner of the larger boat said Kevin’s boat fled the scene, but he claimed it was the larger boat that actually left after the crash
Lake life: The reality star has frequently posted about his love of boating and his house on the water, including this photo taken last month
O’Leary’s representative went on to say that his wife was administered a DUI test after the accident and passed it.
They also claimed that the third person in their boat was injured in the collision and received stitches at the hospital before being released.
Kevin’s boat was reportedly towed to the marina on Monday and seized for forensic testing by police.
Multiple sources familiar with the incident pointed to the potential absence of navigation lights as a crucial factor in determining fault for the crash.
It’s unclear which of the businessman’s two boats were involved, though a witness described it as a ‘wakeboarding boat.’
In an Instagram post from late August in 2018, O’Leary shared a photo of his ‘BatBoat,’ adding in the caption that he was ‘going to be surfing up a storm on this beast over the weekend.’
O’Leary and his wife share a lake house near the site of the accident.
He shared a photo of the area to Instagram in July showing the tree line at the edge of the water.
‘I call this the “Wedge” it’s a natural phenomenon of nature located where our lake house home is situated! Just beautiful!’