2 Northern California men die in high-speed boat crash near Lake Havasu, authorities say

Two Northern California men died in a high-speed boat crash on the Colorado River near Lake Havasu on Tuesday evening, authorities said. 

The Mohave County Sheriff's Office's boating unit responded to the Colorado River near the Topock Gorge, just north of Lake Havasu, on Tuesday shortly before 5 p.m. for a boat crash. 

Two people were found at the scene, where one was pronounced dead and the other was taken to a hospital via a helicopter, where he died.

An investigation determined a 2002 25-foot Daves Custom Boat was traveling south on the river at high speeds, deputies said, and lost control.

The boat then crashed into the rock shoreline on the Arizona side of the river before coming to a stop on the California shoreline. 

Deputies identified the victims as 33-year-old Noah Welch and 53-year-old James Rutherford Jr., both from Roseville. 

Buck Family Automotive in Carmichael posted to Facebook that Welch was part of its team and a close friend of the owner. 

"Noah passed away doing something he truly loved: boating, and there is a small comfort in knowing he was in his element, out on the water," the Facebook post read.