A man facing DWI charges is accused of crashing a boat on Harris Lake in Chatham County, hitting a woman and child while they were swimming, according to warrants.

The 10-year-old girl died, and the woman suffered critical injuries that required her leg to be amputated, according to Sgt. Claude Smith with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission.

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The girl who died, Brooklyn Carroll, was a fifth-grader at West Lake Elementary School in Cary. 

The boater, Quinten Kight, 40, faces a felony charge for operating a motor vessel "while under the influence of an impairing substance," unintentionally causing the death of another person, according to an arrest warrant.

First responders responded to Harris Lake around 4:30 p.m. on Saturday afternoon.

Smith told WRAL News the child and woman were swimming close to a boat when another boat drove through the group, killing the 10-year-old.

Arrest warrants for the boater identified the girl as Brooklyn Mae Carroll. Family members told WRAL News the woman in critical condition is Jennifer Stehle.

Kristie Stehle, Jennifer Stehle's sister-in-law, sent WRAL News the following statement:

"Please keep both families in your thoughts and prayers for strengthen as they try to cope and heal from this terrible tragedy, one that should've never happened. My family and friend did everything right, but because of a series of reckless and selfish decisions, both families are now left traumatized and forever changed. This is a heartbreaking reminder that every choice we make can deeply affect the lives of others. Please think before you act. Your decision, no matter how small they seem, can have life-altering consequences for good, loving, hardworking, Christian people who deserve peace, not pain."

Smith said Kight stayed at the scene after the boat crash, and people on his boat tried to help the victims. WRAL News learned Kight has a pending hit-and-run charge from two years earlier.

"Operating a boat under any impairing substance, whether that’s drugs or alcohol, it’s extremely dangerous," said Sgt. Claude Smith with NC Wildlife Resources Commission. "Every year throughout the summer we deal with a lot of different boat incidents that are alcohol- and drug- related. This is obviously an extreme example of that. It's a very tragic accident."

Many visitors at the lake on Sunday said they hope the accident will force more education to prevent similar accidents in the future.

"I just want to know if there's some education that needs to happen on what the laws are, what the policies are and what kind of responsibility people need to be taking when they're operating a boat," said Pam McCain, who was boating on the lake.

"I hope this has taught them a lesson that drinking while boating is just like drinking while driving," said Maya Spencer, who fishes at Harris Lake. "Anyone can be in the area. Especially if you’re boating while going really fast."

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is handling the investigation, and a GoFundMe was created to assist with Jennifer Stehle's recovery.

"This was a heartbreaking accident, but one that was preventable,” said Chatham County Sheriff Mike Roberson. "Alcohol was a factor, and the decision to operate a boat while impaired had devastating consequences. We urge everyone to think twice before mixing alcohol with watercraft operation. It only takes a moment for lives to be changed forever."

First Health EMS, Moncure Fire Department, the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office, N.C. Wildlife and UNC Air Care all responded to the scene.

West Lake Elementary sent a letter to families over the weekend, informing them of the accident and providing resources for children to cope with the tragedy.