Three (3) senseless drownings and a death while merely docking ? - - you have to ask "WHY?" How can something as simple as pulling in to a dock or jumping off the boat to swim a short distance to shore or merely strolling down to a dock and suddenly the lives of four people come to a tragic end - - - - you ask again, "why", how can this happen? - - There are prevention methods that could have easily avoided the outcome of most of these tragedy's. We just seem to ignore them.
DROWNING #1 - (24 year old) Victim jumped out of an anchored boat and was swimming to the bluffs. He began having difficulty and went under the water.
DROWNING #2 - (18 year old) "VICTIM WENT DOWN TO THE DOCK. SOON AFTER A FAMILY MEMBER HEARD A SPLASH, WENT TO THE DOCK AND COULD NOT LOCATE THE VICTIM. THE FAMILY MEMBER RETURNED TO THE HOUSE FOR A FLASH LIGHT TO SEARCH FOR THE VICTIM. - - "
DROWNING #3 - (46 year old) SUBJECTS WERE TRAVELING ON THE LAKE WHEN THEY NEEDED TO URINATE. THREE OF THE SUBJECTS WENT TO THE SAME SIDE OF THE BOAT, CAUSING WATER TO COME OVER THE GUNWALE, SWAMPING THE BOAT. THE SUBJECTS STARTED SWIMMING TO SHORE. THE VICTIM WENT UNDER AND THE OTHERS COULD NOT LOCATE HIM. (Note:) This was a 16ft Alumacraft Runabout - with three adult males standing on one side - - - - -.
FATALITY #4 - (26 year old) - THE OPERATOR WAS ATTEMPTING TO BACK INTO A DOCK SLIP IN IDLE SPEED REVERSE. THE BOAT WENT FROM IDLE SPEED TO FULL THROTTLE REVERSE CAUSING HIM TO HIT MULTIPLE BOATS. THE VICTIM WAS STANDING ON THE ENGINE HATCH GETTING READY TO THROW OUT A BOAT FENDER AND WAS STRUCK BY THE OTHER DOCKED BOATS. - - - - -.
WHY -?
As you read these brief descriptions of how someones life has ended - in almost each and every one there is room for "if" - "IF" you have spent any time on the water, you can see yourself, friend, loved one, in similar circumstances - - that did NOT have these tragic consequences - but could have - -.
"IF" a "PFD" or "Throwable" devices were used or handy - it may have been different -.
"IF" we allowed NO persons on the back, stern (or swim step) while maneuvering or docking (which we see every day) - it may have been different.
OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS ARE WITH EACH AND EVERY FAMILY MEMBER OF THESE VICTIMS -
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| The victim was struck while on back of this vessel, when it ran full astern in to a moored vessel pushing the stern under that vessel, striking the victim and running along starboard side. |
WHEN ON OR NEAR THE WATER -
THINK "IF"
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| REMEMBER!! |
1 comment:
I don't know that there is an answer to "why". Sometimes "s.....t" happens completely out of the blue and you cannot imagine why or how. It doesn't mean you are evil or stupid...sometimes accidents just happen. No one is to blame but a good lawyer can always assign "fault". Each of us does things every single day that someone could look back on and say "what were you thinking". I hop in my car and drive to the lake...I cannot even come near thinking about all the stupid stuff that could happen to me along the way. What does that make me...that I cannot think of EVERYTHING?
My heart goes out to all that were a part of your post.
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