Michigan mother's emotional battle changes water rules for teens

Memories flood over Jan Iserman as she looks toward Long Lake, where her daughter died in 2005.

At the time, Ashleigh Iserman was 17, had just graduated, and was looking forward to college. Jan dropped her daughter at a friend's graduation party. 

"I tell ya," Jan told Ruth to the Rescue, "That's not anything that I ever would have thought, taking her to a graduation party, that she should have died there." 

During that party, Ashleigh ended up operating a personal water craft (PWC) with two boys, ages 14 and 15. One boy was pulled behind on an innertube. According to Jan, as Ashleigh turned to look at him, she crashed into a boat, and was killed instantly.

"It was not something anyone anticipated, but it was something that certainly could have been prevented," Jan said.

She says Ashleigh was going the wrong way on the lake, but could not have known that, since she'd never ridden a PWC and didn't have a boating safety certificate.

Her mom still can't believe Ashleigh was allowed to operate a PWC, adding, "You wouldn't give the keys to your car without asking that person, do you have a license?"

A Mother's Relentless Campaign

To honor Ashleigh's life, Jan battled for years to raise the safety requirements for PWC's. Ashleigh's law finally went into effect last October, and will have its first direct impact this summer. Now, no one under 16 can operate a personal watercraft.

Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard says the law will save lives.

"I'm confident we will prevent tragedies because of this. The same way graduated driver's license saved a huge number of statistics in young drivers," he said.

Ashleigh died the day before her own graduation party. Her mother remembers going home after her daughter died and seeing the party decorations which had been hung, in anticipation of such a happy occasion.

Jan hopes Ashleigh's story convinces other families to put safety first, and she knows Ashleigh would want the same.

"I do believe for Ashleigh, because she wanted to be a judge and a lawyer, and I think she'd be smiling to know that she still did make a difference," her mother says.  

Keeping Ashleigh's Memory Alive

There is a run/walk to remember Ashleigh and to promote boating safety, education, and awareness. 

The 3rd Annual "Light the Lakes Run" will be held June 3 at Bloomer Park in Rochester Hills. 

For more information: follow this link: http://www.ashleighiserman.com/