Fatal Boat Crash

D

DaveS

New member
On the TV news tonight and in the Seattle Times today was a report of a fatal boat crash that occurred Sat. Night, 09/27/08.

To paraphrase the Seattle Times article....A 37 year old female died in a crash near Seward Park on Lake Washington. A speedboat driven by a 17 year old male went over the stern of a sailboat after dark injuring him and a 16 year old female companion. Additionally a 45 year old male companion on the sailboat was injured. A third occupant of the sailboat was not injured.
 
DaveS":hgwhymcn said:
On the TV news tonight and in the Seattle Times today was a report of a fatal boat crash that occurred Sat. Night, 09/27/08.

To paraphrase the Seattle Times article....A 37 year old female died in a crash near Seward Park on Lake Washington. A speedboat driven by a 17 year old male went over the stern of a sailboat after dark injuring him and a 16 year old female companion. Additionally a 45 year old male companion on the sailboat was injured. A third occupant of the sailboat was not injured.
Click to expand...

After observing the idiots around me on Lake Washington during SeaFair I am not in the least surprised. :twisted:

Warren
 
My neighbor told me this morning that he had read about a young Washington resident being killed on Lake Powell while we were there. Apparently he was sitting on the front of a bow rider and got pitched off. We saw a LOT of morons in go-fast boats on Lake Powell as well, not to mention the mosquitos (PWCs). We even encountered several idiots water skiing up narrow canyons with blind corners...it boggles the mind.
 
There is presently in court in Maine about the same type of accident. It seems that all are alcohol related. The states are finally getting around to doing something about it, and throwing the book at the idiots. as they say, "Safe boating is no accident."

Fred
 
Saturday night's collision will be an interesting case to follow. Especially if the 17 year old speedboat operator does not have the Washington State Boater Education Card which was recently mandated on January 1, 2008. (The fallout from not having a card will be a new entry in any lawsuits). Naturally, his parents are facing a great deal of liability as well. Certainly a tragic event for all involved.

This is the second power boat vs. sailboat collision. One occurred in daylight on the Seattle waterfront 2 to 3 weeks ago.
 
Coming back from Seattle yesterday we saw about a 25ft Bayliner going flat out in Admiralty Inlet, 2-3ft chop, bouncing from wave top to wave top, with two 8-10 year old children sitting on the bow dangling their feet over the side :amgry :amgry :roll: Ohhh but they had life vests on!!
 
According to KIRO TV, alcohol was not a factor in this accident.

http://www.kirotv.com/video/17575665/

It will be very interesting to see how this plays out. Apparently the sailboat was at least 30 years old, I'd be very interested to know what type of running lights it was equipped with. If the sailboat was using proper lighting the blame falls on the powerboat, if not the situation gets more complicated.

This accident is a good reminder that ultimately it doesn't matter who has the right of way. The people on the sailboat knew that the powerboat was approaching quickly and they should have used a spotlight (or regular flashlight, or flare, or any bright light) to signal to the powerboat. The people in the powerboat should have been traveling at a speed at which they could have avoided a collision.

One final observation is that most running lights are barely adequate. When boating at night I often won't see other boats visually until they are very close, although they appear on radar from several miles away. When I see another boat on a collision course, I make a decisive change in course even if I have the right of way.
 
I am always amazed when I hear engines roaring on Lake WA when it is dark. I believe the law in Indiana was (is?) the speed could not be in excess of 5 mph or "no wake." That makes so much sense to me on a lake, including one the size of Lake WA. Are there laws about speed after dark anywhere these days?
Anne
 
BaseCampAnne":26kadnch said:
Are there laws about speed after dark anywhere these days?
Anne
Click to expand...

Anne, both the Inland and International Rules require reduced speed for vessels in low visibility - a safe speed "appropriate to the prevailing circumstances and conditions"....."among the factors to be taken into account are: visibility, traffic density", etc. etc.

(Above quotes from Chapman Piloting).

Kinda like driving 70 mph on icy roads....speed that is inappropriate for conditions... :wink

20dauntless is "right on" that there may be additional factors that come to bear in this tragic collision. There my be fault found in both skippers, that is why the outcome of this case will be interesting. Another great reason to be certain that your vessel is maintained in the safest (working running lights etc.) condition possible.
 
Remember the collision between a sailboat and a powerboat driven by a deputy Sheriff in Clear Lake. The person steering the sailboat was charged with manslaughter . (no charges against the owner or the driver of the power boat) The powerboat roared out of the darkness, hit the sailboat from behind, flew through the air crushing the cabin, snapping the mast and landed in the water on the other side. All five people on the sailboat were hurt, but Lynn Thornton of Willows died from her injuries.
Prosecutors did not charge the powerboat driver, Russell Perdock. He's the number two man in the Lake County Sheriff's Department. The claim was that the person steering was under the influence of alcohol and that the sailboat's lights were not on (in dispute).

There is a report of a civil settlement-mostly with insurance from the boat's owner, the person steering's liability insurance, the second person on the power boat and the insurance of the person driving the power boat. Most of the insurance went to the son of the lady killed. Small amounts to the person driving and one other person on the boat.

We upgrade lights if they are not aequate--often going up in wattage, using lights designed for boats which were larger. We also keep a hand held spot light at the helm.

A 30 year old sailboat would have been fitted initially with lights as good as available today. My first glass sailboat (Columbia 29) in 1962 and basically the same type of lights, and the same wattage as is used on current boats.

One problem with sailboat lights is the Tri color--mast head light--red/green, and white aft--up 30 or more feet--often ignorned by people looking at the water. Often when anchored, with larger boats, we left deck lights or a lantern on both the bow and stern of the boat.

I agree it will be interesting to see the legal issues--but always a tragedy!
 
Less than one hour ago (approx. 10:30 PM), two vessels collided on Lake Tapps, which is SE of Seattle.
Although the details are still sketchy on the nightly TV news, apparently there were 9 people involved with at least one critically injured and one individual still missing with emergency personnel searching at this time.
 
The pictures I have seen show the sail of the boat is raised. I doubt they would be anchored and also have the sails raised.

It is my understanding, and I may be wrong, that overnight anchoring on Lake Washington is prohibited unless in certain areas. Anyone know if this is true?
 
The news story said the boat was moored, but as noted the sails were up, and there was mention of a person who was at the helm. Also some folks "had seen them go out for a cruise". I suspect that the news writer did not know the difference.
 
Tuesday morning news from Seattle mentions the second Fatal boating accident in the week. High speed (looked like a tricked out board rider tow boat), ran over a 25-30 foot cabin boat from the stern, in the dark, taking the cabin top clear off the boat. One fatally injured, 2 seriously, and 9 people involved. Driver is arrested for dui and the boating equivalent of vehicular homicide.

Another reason I don't (usually) boat after dark.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon
 
I thought that I had read that the accident on Lake Powell that happened while some C-Brats were there, was caused by a rock fall. I remember not wanting to post it while the group was there because the only information that I could find was that a couple was at anchor or tied to the beach, when a rock(s) fell on their boat, killing one of the occupants.
Robbi
 
The recent accident at Powell was about Sept 21 or 22:
"The Glen Canyon National Recreation Area says in a statement that Luke Rogers had been standing on the bow seat of a powerboat Saturday afternoon, holding onto the bow line, when the operator slowed the boat and Rogers was tossed into the water.

It says the boat operator stopped the boat after hearing a thud, and then unsuccessfully circled the area in search of the 19-year-old Rogers.

Several agencies, said the Park Service, were assisting Monday in the search to locate and recover Rogers' body."

The rock falling on the boat happend about this time last year. We anchored near where the accident had occured-and it was not the first time that boaters were killed by rocks.--so be careful!
 
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