Bad boat accident at mouth of river

[Havasu blue label]

We all just need to be smarter boating let those Guys rip there is not a slow lane in Havasu

 

[Singleton]

The no wake zone at the 40 was a result of a fatal accident there years ago

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Don‘t fell like arguing, but that accident (fountain vs PwC), was 1/4 mile south of the southern portion of the no wake zone. Topock asked for the current no-wake zone, to reduce risks entering and existing Topock with the bridges and visibility concerns.

 

[SOCALCRICKETT]

Don‘t fell like arguing, but that accident (formula vs PwC), was 1/4 mile south of the southern portion of the no wake zone. Topock asked for the current no-wake zone, to reduce risks entering and existing Topock with the bridges and visibility concerns.

Not looking to argue, but I am firmiliar with the incident. I was under the impression that incident was the one where the father was hit by the fountain that went missing.

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[Singleton]

Not looking to argue, but I am firmiliar with the incident. I was under the impression that incident was the one where the father was hit by the fountain that went missing.

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that’s it (fountain vs PwC) but wasn’t that one after the right hand bend About 1/4 south of the gas line bridge?

 

[SOCALCRICKETT]

Don't know for sure, my impression was that it was between the gas line and train Bridge, and that was a factor in the no wake zone. I'm sure someone on here can clarify.

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[beertruck]

The Tres class is not a waste of money, but you want to take it with your next boat, so the on water portion is in the boat with the speed. Taking it now, will teach you a few things, but the value is on-water in the next boat.

took Tres class using my boat as the demonstration boat, and what I learned was invaluable. well worth the money. Also helped with insurance.

 

[79 HUSTLER]

Don't know for sure, my impression was that it was between the gas line and train Bridge, and that was a factor in the no wake zone. I'm sure someone on here can clarify.

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That no wake zone was added after a boat nailed a bridge pylon at night with multiple people on board. Way after the fountain vs pwc.

 

[SoCalDave]

The area in question should be a no wake especially on busy weekends.

This is what it will become...

 

[SOCALCRICKETT]

That no wake zone was added after a boat nailed a bridge pylon at night with multiple people on board. Way after the fountain vs pwc.

I forgot about that one

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[Tom Slick]

The I-40 no wake zone was the result of a boat running into the bridge piling several years ago. If I remember correctly it was an after dark, drunk boating incident.

 

[was thatguy]

Thoughts and views like that is why you are where you are in life and will negatively impact the lives of your children. Don’t you realized you lump all the people that have money in one category. Sounds like you are doing the exact thing you are complaining about. Pretty Sad

(Psst...he’s being facetious...)

 

[dave29]

I posted somewhere that I was interested in taking a tres Martin class. People basically told me it was a waste of money. I get my boat doesn’t go over 75 mph but I like to drive it hard. I can’t see a class hurting me. My next boat should run into the 90’s I’m thinking. I’ve only driven a boat that fast once. What I can say about that experience is when I pulled back on the throttles I expected the boat to slow much faster than it did. That was the first time I really realized this fucker has no brakes. The lake was wide open and there were no boats around so it wasn’t an issue. It was just something I wasn’t expecting.

Don't believe them. I took it in my M35. Improved my skills 100% and I've been driving high performance boats since 1971 including 4 cats, 100mph v-drives etc..

 

[wzuber]

(Psst...he’s being facetious...)

As well as accurately depicting the reality of the insane leftist psyco mentality.

 

[2Driver]

Question:

Closures, no wake zones, dredging. speed limits.....

What was the official cause of the accident that you guys are providing solutions for?

 

[H20 Toie]

I posted somewhere that I was interested in taking a tres Martin class. People basically told me it was a waste of money. I get my boat doesn’t go over 75 mph but I like to drive it hard. I can’t see a class hurting me. My next boat should run into the 90’s I’m thinking. I’ve only driven a boat that fast once. What I can say about that experience is when I pulled back on the throttles I expected the boat to slow much faster than it did. That was the first time I really realized this fucker has no brakes. The lake was wide open and there were no boats around so it wasn’t an issue. It was just something I wasn’t expecting.

I have to believe that the only one saying it was a waste of money is someone who hasn't taken the class.
i have been boating for over 40 years and have boated all over the US in all kinds of boats so i have a pretty good knowledge of boating, After taking Tres Martins class i was embarrassed at how much i didn't know.
And the amount of stuff you learn in two days is just unbelievable.

 

[boatdoc55]

(Psst...he’s being facetious...)

There REALLY are some silly putty minds out in the world we live in today!!!!!

 

[Javajoe]

(Psst...he’s being facetious...)

Got me too early in the morning

 

[twocents]

Lets not forget the help from state rep. Paul Gosar.

Gosar was a giant in helping to push-back on that issue. His office was in contact several times a week tiehh the Marine Association during the battle and Gosar showed up at several of the public hearings to support boaters.

 

[ONE-A-DAY]

I have to believe that the only one saying it was a waste of money is someone who hasn't taken the class.
i have been boating for over 40 years and have boated all over the US in all kinds of boats so i have a pretty good knowledge of boating, After taking Tres Martins class i was embarrassed at how much i didn't know.
And the amount of stuff you learn in two days is just unbelievable.

Agreed, the majority of people will have no problem dropping $300,000 on a boat but won’t spend the $2500 for the class.

 

[Looking Glass]

Agreed, the majority of people will have no problem dropping $300,000 on a boat but won’t spend the $2500 for the class.

WTF!! The MAJORITY of people do NOT have $300,000.00 for a House let alone a Boat.

 

[Havasu blue label]

Are you talking about the guy in cc or eliminator let both parties Rest

 

[ChumpChange]

Guys.....Is this what RDP is ? A pack of wolves attacking a tragedy? Really sad to see.
WOW. Unbelievable

What are you new?

 

[done]

The Tres class is not a waste of money, but you want to take it with your next boat, so the on water portion is in the boat with the speed. Taking it now, will teach you a few things, but the value is on-water in the next boat.

Take all the training you want , But it comes to seat time driving in different conditions, learning the feel of tte boat. Also reading the water at speed takes time.

 

[Havasu blue label]

Thank you for that answer everyday boating conditions changes

 

[DRYHEAT]

Does anybody really know what happened here besides two boats colliding?

I think they actually made matters worse when they put in the no wake channel. Many people don’t want to go that slow through there so they choose to go the other direction. I always used to use the California side before they put the no wake zone in, it wasn’t a problem once you learned where the line was every year just like on the other side.

It’s pretty common to see people unfamiliar with the area to make a sudden and drastic course correction into the path of another boat. Not saying that’s what happened in this case because I don’t know, but it’s always a bit of a shit show there because people are looking down into the water for sandbars instead of looking out for traffic.

 

[Bullhead bully]

What are you new?

I guess so. I don’t know how to take death and tragedy and have a party with it.

Bad Karma !!!!!

 

[Livewire Fabworks]

I feel bad for everyone involved in this. What a tragic day.

When everyone starts to jump on needing more rules or speed limits in areas, lets not forget accidents do happen and that is why they are called accidents. We all drive cars, trucks, or motorcycles on the roads and everytime you get in or on a vehicle there is a chance of injury or loss of life. There are more rules on the road then on the water but yet there are still fatalities on a daily basis. I love boating, and always will. The best we can all do is watch out for our fellow boaters and even lake lice and realize that not everyone driving a boat or a wave runner/ jet ski may not make the best decision, and think about how we are going to react.

 

[RiverDave]

Boating has risks. Shit happens. Tragic accidents happen. It is what it is.

If you want to travel a section of the river at no wake speeds you are welcome to, go right ahead. If you want to see the boat market in the southwest collapse, go ahead and impose a speed limit. All those new dual engine pontoons will be worth about $0 .

You aren’t going to legislate your way out of boating deaths any more than you will legislate your way out of deaths on highways.

I’m sure everyone on here has been boarded up in their houses since March to stop the spread of COVID too right? Because it is worth halting all progress, prosperity, sanity and freedom if we just save one life!

yep

 

[RiverDave]

Question:

Closures, no wake zones, dredging. speed limits.....

What was the official cause of the accident that you guys are providing solutions for?

good and realistic question

 

[rrrr]

I have to believe that the only one saying it was a waste of money is someone who hasn't taken the class.
i have been boating for over 40 years and have boated all over the US in all kinds of boats so i have a pretty good knowledge of boating, After taking Tres Martins class i was embarrassed at how much i didn't know.
And the amount of stuff you learn in two days is just unbelievable.

I think anyone that closes their mind to learning makes a huge mistake.

This doesn't specifically relate to high performance boat operation, but I'm always amazed by how many boaters on RDP are ignorant of right of way regulations and other operating knowledge.

Someone will mention something about stand on and give way boats, or the proper length of an anchor rode, then several posters will say something like 'Huh? What's that?' Then they laugh off their lack of knowledge, as if it's unimportant.

Motherfuckers, it is important. When you're running 100 MPH, you'd better know what to do when you're being approached by 90° crossing traffic from both sides. The answer isn't 'I'm a big boat and they can see I'm running fast so they need to pull back on the throttles'.

I was criticized last night because I took exception to a poster saying a smaller boat's captain should be looking behind his path, and 'move over' for an overtaking 42 footer. It actually pissed me off. There's too much big boat nut swinging in here already, and the poster implied everyone needs to get out of the way of those boats.

That's not how it works. But even though there's widespread ignorance of navigation rules everywhere, those actions are particularly egregious on Lake Havasu and the river. Here, for example, is the legal outcome of the 2018 Labor Day weekend crash that killed four people:

Mortensen said Crist, with five passengers aboard, was operating a 26-foot Sleek boat that was southbound. She said Grabowski, with nine passengers aboard, was northbound in a 28-foot Hallet boat when the collision occurred. All of the deceased were on the Hallet.

None of the 16 people in the two boats involved were wearing life jackets.

Chief Deputy Sheriff Dean McKie said Deputy County Attorney Megan McCoy has informed the sheriff’s office that the surviving boat operator will not be prosecuted because “there is no reasonable likelihood of conviction.”

McKie said the investigation determined that Crist and Grabowski were both at fault for operating the boats at unsafe speeds, in a narrow stretch of the river during a time of poor lighting and visibility. He said it was determined that both operators had alcohol in their systems, but level of impairment could not be measured due to delays with toxicological analysis.

McKie said investigators determined multiple factors were at play, but that the cause of the deadly crash can’t be tied to any single one of them.

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Other media sources also said neither boat was showing running lights at the time of the crash. Even though it was a dark night, both boats were operating at unsafe speeds, both operators had an unspecified amount of alcohol in their systems, and none of the sixteen passengers were wearing PFDs.

Someone saw those drivers drinking in the hours before that crash. They know how much the drivers had to drink. But those witnesses are fucking cowards and pussies. They won't come forward. So the boat operators escaped any legal jeopardy, and last month Raegan Heitzig's parents were finally handed a few bones to bury.

But any comments on RDP about this gross negligence were shushed with 'It's a tragedy, it's inappropriate to say those things so soon'. People said the same thing about me last night, even though I didn't say anything specific about the crash or its victims. One poster told me I should stay away from the river if I don't like it, implying I'm unqualified to operate in those conditions, but of course he is.

When the fuck is it going to become important? When are people going to take a one hour self learning examination on the internet? When are people going to start wearing PFDs when they jump in the lake or boat at night? When?

This comment above:

Closures, no wake zones, dredging. speed limits.....

What was the official cause of the accident that you guys are providing solutions for?

Is just stupid. There have been other posts in this thread that basically say the same thing. 'Its crowded in that spot on the river. But I'm not going to slow down, because I know what I'm doing'. The poster is actually ridiculing those who have recognized that section of water has multiple issues; depth, sandbars, and a curving approach. Those members are searching for an answer to a dangerous area. But the poster's solution, endorsed above by others with the same defective mindset, is 'GTF off the lake if you can't handle it like a man'.

So don't do a fucking thing to change how you roll. Don't wear PFDs, even if it's dark and you're irresponsibly running 60 MPH. Keep complaining about BUI checkpoints. Be ready to point that finger at someone else. Tell everyone one more time how much experience you have.

But the biggest rule you must follow...make sure you post RIP and condolences to the next dead people. Because they're the victims of accidents. No one is ever at fault. A poster above said that, and he's an important member of RDP, so of course he's correct. Don't mention anything else, even if it's factual, because you're dancing on the graves of the dead.

 

[HEY YOU]

I posted somewhere that I was interested in taking a tres Martin class. People basically told me it was a waste of money. I get my boat doesn’t go over 75 mph but I like to drive it hard. I can’t see a class hurting me. My next boat should run into the 90’s I’m thinking. I’ve only driven a boat that fast once. What I can say about that experience is when I pulled back on the throttles I expected the boat to slow much faster than it did. That was the first time I really realized this fucker has no brakes. The lake was wide open and there were no boats around so it wasn’t an issue. It was just something I wasn’t expecting.

Vic do what you want, not matter what you will learn something but I love it when people say “that’s a waste of your money” it’s your money, you can always make more money but you can’t make more time.[emoji1417]


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[HEY YOU]

Is it the gorge or I-40 that is a 5mph zone and not a no wake zone?


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[Looking Glass]

I think anyone that closes their mind to learning makes a huge mistake.

This doesn't specifically relate to high performance boat operation, but I'm always amazed by how many boaters on RDP are ignorant of right of way regulations and other operating knowledge.

Someone will mention something about stand on and give way boats, or the proper length of an anchor rode, then several posters will say something like 'Huh? What's that?' Then they laugh off their lack of knowledge, as if it's unimportant.

Motherfuckers, it is important. When you're running 100 MPH, you'd better know what to do when you're being approached by 90° crossing traffic from both sides. The answer isn't 'I'm a big boat and they can see I'm running fast so they need to pull back on the throttles'.

I was criticized last night because I took exception to a poster saying a smaller boat should be looking behind their boat, and 'move over' for a 42 footer. It actually pissed me off. There's too much big boat nut swinging in here already, and the poster implied everyone needs to get out of the way of those boats.

That's not how it works. But even though there's widespread ignorance of navigation rules everywhere, those actions are particularly egregious on Lake Havasu and the river. Here, for example, is the legal outcome of the 2018 Labor Day weekend crash that killed four people:

Mortensen said Crist, with five passengers aboard, was operating a 26-foot Sleek boat that was southbound. She said Grabowski, with nine passengers aboard, was northbound in a 28-foot Hallet boat when the collision occurred. All of the deceased were on the Hallet.

None of the 16 people in the two boats involved were wearing life jackets.

Chief Deputy Sheriff Dean McKie said Deputy County Attorney Megan McCoy has informed the sheriff’s office that the surviving boat operator will not be prosecuted because “there is no reasonable likelihood of conviction.”

McKie said the investigation determined that Crist and Grabowski were both at fault for operating the boats at unsafe speeds, in a narrow stretch of the river during a time of poor lighting and visibility. He said it was determined that both operators had alcohol in their systems, but level of impairment could not be measured due to delays with toxicological analysis.

McKie said investigators determined multiple factors were at play, but that the cause of the deadly crash can’t be tied to any single one of them.

Mohave Valley Daily News High School Sports | News West Publishing

For Mohave Valley Daily News High School Sports scores and schedules, trust News West Publishing. We keep you up-to-date on the latest high school Sports news.

www.mohavedailynews.com

Other media sources also said neither boat was showing running lights at the time of the crash. Even though it was a dark night, both boats were operating at unsafe speeds, both operators had an unspecified amount of alcohol in their systems, and none of the sixteen passengers were wearing PFDs.

Someone saw those drivers drinking in the hours before that crash. They know how much they had to drink. But those witnesses are fucking cowards and pussies. They won't come forward. So the boat operators escape any legal jeopardy, and last month Reagan Heitzig's parents were finally handed a few bones to bury.

But any comments on RDP about this gross negligence were shushed with 'It's a tragedy, it's inappropriate to say those things so soon'. People said the same thing about me last night, even though I didn't say anything specific about the crash or its victims. One poster told me I should stay away from the river if I don't like it, implying I'm unqualified to operate in those conditions, but of course he is.

When the fuck is it going to become important? When are people going to take a one hour self learning examination on the internet? When are people going to start wearing PFDs when they jump in the lake or boat at night? When?

This comment above:

Closures, no wake zones, dredging. speed limits.....

What was the official cause of the accident that you guys are providing solutions for?

Is just stupid. There have been other posts in this thread that basically say the same thing. 'Its crowded in that spot on the river. But I'm not going to slow down, because I know what I'm doing'.

So don't do a fucking thing to change how you roll. Don't wear PFDs, even if it's dark and you're irresponsibly running 60 MPH. Keep complaining about BUI checkpoints. Be ready to point that finger at someone else. Tell everyone one more time how much experience you have.

But the biggest rule you must follow...make sure you post RIP and condolences to the next dead people. Because they're the victims of accidents. No one is ever at fault. A poster above said that, and he's an important member of RDP, so of course he's correct. Don't mention anything else, even if it's factual, because you're dancing on the graves of the dead.

Was this necessary?

 

[Ragged Edge]

Boys, nothing I've said was an assumption. Apparently some folks are upset about my perception of boat speed, but other than that, it is what it is. Dead friends, hard facts, broken hearts. I made an account because I had no info on the other boat, and I felt it was proper to add what I knew to the conversation. And maybe at least one person here will consider having a DD, or putting on a lifejacket once in a while, or slowing down. To that extent, maybe I've helped someone avoid a similar heartbreak, and that makes posting worthwhile. I'm not going to get sucked into the unhealthy anonymous sniping that seems to exist on most social media/forum stuff. Logging off forever. Be safe out there.

Thank you for taking the time to add some information that helps clear the picture of what happened. To learn from a situation/accident we need information.

 

[HEY YOU]

So for this accident, to me it looks like the center consol ran over the Smaller boat. Somewhere on the mouth of the river.

If this is correct a couple of questions I have.

Did the bigger boat run into the smaller boat? Yes or no? (I don’t need any other explanation)

Where exactly did this happen? Was it right next to reed island? More in the lake? Or up by the no water skiing bouy? This makes a difference

Lastly, how fast was each boat going?

I don’t know if this is what happened

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[wzuber]

Vic do what you want, not matter what you will learn something but I love it when people say “that’s a waste of your money” it’s your money, you can always make more money but you can’t make more time.

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Agree....and taking a class multiple times is rarely a un-valuable effort. Things change so updated info. is learned, additionally, it's very common to miss a significant amount of valuable info. for a multitude of reasons such as our own individual learning capacity at that time, difficulty of subject etc. We learn more by building on info. we already know so "the more ya know" the more you can learn/comprehend. I would incourage you to take the class now and again when you get the new boat too. Keep learning, growing and be able to enjoy all the qualities of the current/new boat faster and more confidently. You've been in a great learning and growing mode for several years now Vic and look how much better you feel in your life as a result. This is just one more area you can grow in and become a more rounded individual as well as a better example of a quality leader to those most important peeps around you, friends and family, spefically your boys. Teach them to make quality choices by making quality choices and explain it to them in that manner to help insure they understand that specific aspect of chouces and growth.

 

[Ziggy]

Get it 100%.

Guys.....Is this what RDP is ? A pack of wolves attacking a tragedy? Really sad to see.
WOW. Unbelievable

All Experts of speculation.

 

[RiverDave]

So for this accident, to me it looks like the center consol ran over the Smaller boat. Somewhere on the mouth of the river.

If this is correct a couple of questions I have.

Did the bigger boat run into the smaller boat? Yes or no? (I don’t need any other explanation)

Where exactly did this happen? Was it right next to reed island? More in the lake? Or up by the no water skiing bouy? This makes a difference

Lastly, how fast was each boat going?

Both boats were initially heading the same direction down river. The eliminator was on the port side (Left side).

 

[Pesky Varmint]

All Experts of speculation.

The internet as a whole: Everybody is an expert. And it is like the blind leading the blind.

 

[rivermobster]

Prayers and thoughts to those family and friends that lost a loved one!
Same to those involved that walked away, the mental recovery when involved in something like this has to be very difficult.

What he said.

 

[J DUNN]

Okay, 7 pages of reading all your speculations and crap. Let's move on from all your expert opinions.

Let's try and learn from this huh? and turn this into something that might help us change for the better. Enough with your dredging and speed limits and who's paying for what.

Here is all I ask......... Does anybody have any links to free boaters safety course videos? POST them up! Put your money (although likely free) where your mouth is and let's ALL watch a few videos about the rules of boating. I'm not saying this fixes anything 100% but it might make us better. My guess is, you all will talk crap on here for hours but won't take 15 min to watch and learn from a safety video. You're no expert, none of you are perfect. Learn something, be better, be safer.

Anyone, anyone?

 

[rrrr]

Was this necessary?

Yeah, it's necessary. Two people are dead. Their mothers will never see them again on their birthdays. Christmas will forever be a painful reminder of their loss.

It didn't need to happen. I'm angry about it. Really angry. No one ever seems to think through the causes behind such tragedies. They aren't interested enough to call for change.

Is my post inflammatory? Yeah. But in 2006 a friend and I were in my boat and came upon the scene of a night collision of a 32’ Baja and a 19’ runabout. The runabout was sinking, and the Baja left the scene of the accident.

We secured a line to the broken windshield frame of the boat. That was the only place there was to tie the line, because most of the upper cap of the boat and part of the bow were gone. My friend towed the boat to shore, while I tried to stabilize the injured driver of the runabout. He had an open tib/fib fracture, I suspected a traumatic brain injury based on his head wounds and inquiry responses, and his upper body had gone through the windshield. The broken glass and frame had cut him horribly.

I had a huge soft bag first aid kit in my boat. The injured man probably would have bled to death if I hadn't. It took all of the 4" gauze sponges and all of the gauze wrap in the kit to slow down the bleeding of his facial and scalp wounds.

He was still bleeding profusely, and I didn't have any way to stabilize his neck. I slid underneath his torso, and with my friend's help was able to effectively cradle his head.

We had made shore on an unpopulated area of the lake with poor roads. It took over thirty minutes for fire and rescue to find us. It seemed like forever.

The man lived. It took about 24 months for his injuries to heal. The brain injury took longer.

The driver of the Baja was unhurt. The police found him at a derelict ramp, trying to pull his boat out and escape detection. He was shitfaced. I knew him. He was actually a good friend.

He managed to escape prosecution, even though he blew a .13.

His arrest was inflated into the biggest collar ever in department archives.

It forever changed my view of police procedures, and not in a good way.

 

[D19]

It's really pathetic that every time a tragic event occurs so many who are not involved tend to argue the cause of the event, demand more legislation and gloat about how safe they are. Enough is enough.

Everyday is a risk. Nobody is promised tomorrow. A bunch of "feel good" laws will never prevent the inevitable.

If you really want to make a valuable difference, pray for those involved and let this situation be a reminder to make safe decisions next time you are out on the water.

 

[zhandfull]

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How to overtake a power-driven vessel, including required sound signals.

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[Ziggy]

Okay, 7 pages of reading all your speculations and crap. Let's move on from all your expert opinions.

Let's try and learn from this huh? and turn this into something that might help us change for the better. Enough with your dredging and speed limits and who's paying for what.

Here is all I ask......... Does anybody have any links to free boaters safety course videos? POST them up! Put your money (although likely free) where your mouth is and let's ALL watch a few videos about the rules of boating. I'm not saying this fixes anything 100% but it might make us better. My guess is, you all will talk crap on here for hours but won't take 15 min to watch and learn from a safety video. You're no expert, none of you are perfect. Learn something, be better, be safer.

Anyone, anyone?

BoatUS free online training

 

[RiverDave]

Yeah, it's necessary. Two people are dead. Their mothers will never see them again on their birthdays. Christmas will forever be a painful reminder of their loss.

It didn't need to happen. I'm angry about it. Really angry. No one ever seems to think through the causes behind such tragedies. They aren't interested enough to call for change.

Is my post inflammatory? Yeah. But in 2006 a friend and I were in my boat and came upon the scene of a night collision of a 32’ Baja and a 19’ runabout. The runabout was sinking, and the Baja left the scene of the accident.

We secured a line to the broken windshield frame of the boat. That was the only place there was to tie the line, because most of the upper cap of the boat and part of the bow were gone. My friend towed the boat to shore, while I tried to stabilize the injured driver of the runabout. He had an open tib/fib fracture, I suspected a traumatic brain injury based on his head wounds and inquiry responses, and his upper body had gone through the windshield. The broken glass and frame had cut him horribly.

I had a huge soft bag first aid kit in my boat. The injured man probably would have bled to death if I hadn't. It took all of the 4" gauze sponges and all of the gauze wrap in the kit to slow down the bleeding of his facial and scalp sounds.

He was still bleeding profusely, and I didn't have any way to stabilize his neck. I slid underneath his torso, and with my friend's help was able to effectively cradle his head.

We had made shore on an unpopulated area of the lake with poor roads. It took over thirty minutes for fire and rescue to find us. It seemed like forever.

The man lived. It took about 24 months for his injuries to heal. The brain injury took longer.

The driver of the Baja was unhurt. The police found him at a derelict ramp, trying to pull his boat out and escape detection. He was shitfaced. I knew him. He was actually a good friend.

He managed to escape prosecution, even though he blew a .13.

His arrest was inflated into the biggest collar ever in department archives.

It forever changed my view of police procedures, and not in a good way.

So when I run across

How can you call for change without even knowing the circumstances of the event?

people sometimes do make mistakes and things happen.

 

[WhatExit?]

Okay, 7 pages of reading all your speculations and crap. Let's move on from all your expert opinions.

Let's try and learn from this huh? and turn this into something that might help us change for the better. Enough with your dredging and speed limits and who's paying for what.

Here is all I ask......... Does anybody have any links to free boaters safety course videos? POST them up! Put your money (although likely free) where your mouth is and let's ALL watch a few videos about the rules of boating. I'm not saying this fixes anything 100% but it might make us better. My guess is, you all will talk crap on here for hours but won't take 15 min to watch and learn from a safety video. You're no expert, none of you are perfect. Learn something, be better, be safer.

Anyone, anyone?

This could be a great resource - a separate forum here on RDP

 

[RiverDave]

It's really pathetic that every time a tragic event occurs so many who are not involved tend to argue the cause of the event, demand more legislation and gloat about how safe they are. Enough is enough.

Everyday is a risk. Nobody is promised tomorrow. A bunch of "feel good" laws will never prevent the inevitable.

If you really want to make a valuable difference, pray for those involved and let this situation be a reminder to make safe decisions next time you are out on the water.

yep

 

[WATERDOG]

I have to believe that the only one saying it was a waste of money is someone who hasn't taken the class.
i have been boating for over 40 years and have boated all over the US in all kinds of boats so i have a pretty good knowledge of boating, After taking Tres Martins class i was embarrassed at how much i didn't know.
And the amount of stuff you learn in two days is just unbelievable.

Well I don't have a fast boat and never will. I wanted to take it just to learn more. Only reason I didn't was the cost.

 

[spectra3279]

I think anyone that closes their mind to learning makes a huge mistake.

This doesn't specifically relate to high performance boat operation, but I'm always amazed by how many boaters on RDP are ignorant of right of way regulations and other operating knowledge.

Someone will mention something about stand on and give way boats, or the proper length of an anchor rode, then several posters will say something like 'Huh? What's that?' Then they laugh off their lack of knowledge, as if it's unimportant.

Motherfuckers, it is important. When you're running 100 MPH, you'd better know what to do when you're being approached by 90° crossing traffic from both sides. The answer isn't 'I'm a big boat and they can see I'm running fast so they need to pull back on the throttles'.

I was criticized last night because I took exception to a poster saying a smaller boat should be looking behind their boat, and 'move over' for a 42 footer. It actually pissed me off. There's too much big boat nut swinging in here already, and the poster implied everyone needs to get out of the way of those boats.

That's not how it works. But even though there's widespread ignorance of navigation rules everywhere, those actions are particularly egregious on Lake Havasu and the river. Here, for example, is the legal outcome of the 2018 Labor Day weekend crash that killed four people:

Mortensen said Crist, with five passengers aboard, was operating a 26-foot Sleek boat that was southbound. She said Grabowski, with nine passengers aboard, was northbound in a 28-foot Hallet boat when the collision occurred. All of the deceased were on the Hallet.

None of the 16 people in the two boats involved were wearing life jackets.

Chief Deputy Sheriff Dean McKie said Deputy County Attorney Megan McCoy has informed the sheriff’s office that the surviving boat operator will not be prosecuted because “there is no reasonable likelihood of conviction.”

McKie said the investigation determined that Crist and Grabowski were both at fault for operating the boats at unsafe speeds, in a narrow stretch of the river during a time of poor lighting and visibility. He said it was determined that both operators had alcohol in their systems, but level of impairment could not be measured due to delays with toxicological analysis.

McKie said investigators determined multiple factors were at play, but that the cause of the deadly crash can’t be tied to any single one of them.

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Other media sources also said neither boat was showing running lights at the time of the crash. Even though it was a dark night, both boats were operating at unsafe speeds, both operators had an unspecified amount of alcohol in their systems, and none of the sixteen passengers were wearing PFDs.

Someone saw those drivers drinking in the hours before that crash. They know how much they had to drink. But those witnesses are fucking cowards and pussies. They won't come forward. So the boat operators escape any legal jeopardy, and last month Raegan Heitzig's parents were finally handed a few bones to bury.

But any comments on RDP about this gross negligence were shushed with 'It's a tragedy, it's inappropriate to say those things so soon'. People said the same thing about me last night, even though I didn't say anything specific about the crash or its victims. One poster told me I should stay away from the river if I don't like it, implying I'm unqualified to operate in those conditions, but of course he is.

When the fuck is it going to become important? When are people going to take a one hour self learning examination on the internet? When are people going to start wearing PFDs when they jump in the lake or boat at night? When?

This comment above:

Closures, no wake zones, dredging. speed limits.....

What was the official cause of the accident that you guys are providing solutions for?

Is just stupid. There have been other posts in this thread that basically say the same thing. 'Its crowded in that spot on the river. But I'm not going to slow down, because I know what I'm doing'. The poster is actually ridiculing those who have recognized that section of water has multiple issues; depth, sandbars, and a curving approach. Those members are searching for an answer to a dangerous area. But the poster's solution, endorsed above by others with the same defective mindset, is 'GTF out off the lake if you can't handle it like a man'.

So don't do a fucking thing to change how you roll. Don't wear PFDs, even if it's dark and you're irresponsibly running 60 MPH. Keep complaining about BUI checkpoints. Be ready to point that finger at someone else. Tell everyone one more time how much experience you have.

But the biggest rule you must follow...make sure you post RIP and condolences to the next dead people. Because they're the victims of accidents. No one is ever at fault. A poster above said that, and he's an important member of RDP, so of course he's correct. Don't mention anything else, even if it's factual, because you're dancing on the graves of the dead.

I really don't think anyone is saying that the bigger boat has right of way. It more the fact the faster bigger boat may not see you or be aware of the rules.

Its kinda like a semi running a red light for whatever reason, and you in your Honda civic racing out from your green light. You ain't gonna survive a T-bone from that truck. He who has the most lugnutz wins.

Its all about keeping yourself safe. If a faster boat is coming up and its tight, he's not slowing down, its it better to know you have the right of way but are dead or pullover and stop to let him have the right of way and live?

Watch out for yourself cause there is a chance no one else is.

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