GRAPEVINE, Texas — A holiday weekend turned tragic on May 25 when 18-year-old Ava Renee Moore was fatally struck by a jet ski while kayaking on Lake Grapevine. The incident occurred around 5:20 p.m. near Oak Grove Park, prompting a widespread investigation by Texas Game Wardens and the Grapevine Police Department.
Moore, a recent graduate of Timber Creek High School in Fort Worth and a committed recruit for the U.S. Air Force Academy Preparatory School’s women’s basketball team, was enjoying the water when the personal watercraft collided with her kayak. She was found with severe head trauma and rushed to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
According to officials, the jet ski was operated by an unidentified woman with a female passenger on board. After the crash, the driver and a man believed to be accompanying them fled the scene, striking another vehicle in the parking lot as they escaped. The female passenger remained at the scene and has cooperated with authorities.
The abandoned jet ski was recovered by law enforcement. Investigators are working to determine whether it was rented or privately owned. Witnesses reported that the jet ski was being operated recklessly prior to the crash.
In a public appeal, Texas Game Wardens released an image of the suspected driver and are asking for the community’s help in identifying her. Anyone with information is urged to contact Grapevine Police at cidmail@grapevinetexas.gov.
Ava Moore was remembered by family, friends, and coaches as a bright and driven young woman with aspirations of becoming a four-star general. “She had a fire in her that lit up every room,” said Ke’sha Blanton, head coach at the Air Force Academy Prep School. “She made us all better.”
The tragedy has rocked the local community, where a memorial continues to grow in honor of Moore’s life and dreams cut short. Authorities stress that the investigation remains active and that bringing those responsible to justice is a top priority.
If you were at Lake Grapevine on May 25 and witnessed the incident or have video footage, please contact authorities immediately.
