Operator killed in jet ski crash on Cedar River

A Cedar Rapids man died in a jet ski crash on the Cedar River Wednesday night.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources confirmed 53 year-old Michael Paulsen of Cedar Rapids died. His brother, 56 year-old Gary Paulsen, was treated and released at the hospital.

Investigators say the two brothers crashed while riding jet skis on the Cedar River Wednesday night near Ellis Harbor. The cause is still under investigation.

After hearing a cry for help, 26-year-old Dillon Heinsius rode his watercraft over to the area and found the men in the water. Heinsius and another boater with a rope moved Michael Paulsen to a nearby peninsula. Paulsen was unconscious when they reached the shore.

Cedar Rapids Firefighters rescued his brother and took him to St. Luke's Hospital in Cedar Rapids.