Folks, Lets be safe out there, Use the proper equipment

[LippCJ7]

I can't say it enough please be careful

7NEWS - Woman dies in freak boating accident on Reudi Reservoir - Local Story

EAGLE, Colo. - A 21-year-old woman was killed at Reudi Reservoir on Friday afternoon in a boating accident.

According to Eagle County Sheriff?s Office, someone on the reservoir called 911 at approximately 3:37 p.m. with a report of a female party who had sustained a "spike" to the head.

Emergency workers responded and confirmed the woman was dead at the scene.

Eagle County Coroner Kara Bettis has identified the victim of the accident at Ruedi Reservoir as 21-year-old Haley Rinaldi of Basalt.

Witnesses said Rinaldi was being pulled on a tube behind a boat when the tow rope snapped and the metal connector struck her in the head. The incident occurred at approximately 3:30 p.m.

Bettis has ruled the manner of death as accidental.

Reudi Reservoir is about 15 miles east of Basalt, Colo.

 

[ThrottleBack]

Re: Folks, Lets be safe out there, Use the proper equipment

Seems like a freak thing, not sure what more careful they could have been (assuming all appeared well before the trip) or what was improper about equipment

edit: I hate FB, it makes it too easy to put faces and stuff to these things. I guess in a way it's good, it educates people. Prayers for her family

 

[spdracr39]

Re: Folks, Lets be safe out there, Use the proper equipment

This is apparently a true story but I sure would like to know more about the equipment they were using and exactly what "metal connector" they could be referring to because unless the tow eye pulled out or they had some type of engineered hookup I can't figure it out.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Folks, Lets be safe out there, Use the proper equipment

I suspect they hooked a tube up to one stern eye, instead of using a traveller (harness hooked to both eyes). The tube, not being pulled straight, catches under the wakes, puts too much force on the one eye and out it comes. The rider, lying on her stomach, is basically looking down the barrel of a gun. Add a line that's too short and that makes it worse.

Or maybe the tube submarined, driver guns it to get it up (wrong) and it breaks.

Had it been on two eyes, the force would have been divided; a good eye could make up for one in a rotten place, and worse case they would have popped one at a time, reducing the force some and giving warning. PLus less likely to submarine or hang on the wake. It's important to tow everything from the center.

IMO a breaking ski line is not dangerous, but it is if it carries hardware with it.

Not faulting the driver as many people can make mistakes by underestimating such forces, inexperience, etc. and boat equipment can fail without warning even in a well maintained boat. Hopefully others will learn from the tragedy.