Re: Sad accident/15 yr old dies in boating mishap!
I was looking for an update and found yet another 15 yr old that was injured by the prop also at the Ticonderoga area. Don't know if this was 2008, but it did come up early in a Google search and the story's dated July 7th.
http://www.topix.com/city/ticondero...sey-boy-still-critical-after-boating-accident
This kid was hit by his Father when he was in the water while water skiing.
It amazes me how unregulated boating is. To drive a car you at least need to read a book, take a test and pass an actual driving test.
How many people have to die or get injured before states (or Federal) realize that "anyone" can just get in a boat and take off!
I was searching articles to see if the first accident where the boy died was a bass boat (I usually see only two seats that are set low in the hull on bass boats). All I see is that it was a 20 foot boat. If it was only 20 feet, I doubt that it had 4 seats set low in the hull. I wondered if they were riding upfront on the flat casting platform. Bass boats up front, don't usually have seats. Or handrails either as they tangle the lines while casting and retrieving from what I've read because I looked into getting them for my rig.
I did see the troopers talking with a guy next to a bass boat at the launch parking lot right after the accident but he could have been questioning witnesses.
One clue I did see was from a comment by a poster in a newspaper who said that "he was on the that actual boat in the morning and the driver drove 30 miles through a horrific storm thunderstorm and got them back safely". That comment sounds to me that it was a boat capable of high speeds (like a bass boat) to travel 30 miles! Scary that any captain would drive that far through a thunderstorm too, but know one knows the specifics yet.
Not trying to be morbid here following the story but many of us can learn from other peoples mistakes. I myself when I bought my new boat last year had to ask this question in this forum (I have 6 seat positions) why would they allow for a passenger in the seat post position in front of the window and then sticker it to say not over trolling speeds yet I see so many boaters doing just that?
My boat did come with a half stuck on, tiny yellow sticker stuck to the post hole that said "the use this seat is only for below trolling speeds due to possible passenger ejection" (or something to that effect).
If one buys a boat like mine used, that flimsy factory sticker is not going to be on there anymore. It should be a painted on or a plate riveted to the post plate. Looks like one can't depend a boat manufactuer to protect us?
The consensus here was if the boat has handrails or is designed for passengers (like a bow rider with seats up front) it might be OK to have people ride up there depending on other factors too!
Even in this other accident where the Father hit his kid, one would think he would have known to shift into neutral before getting close to the kid. Article says he swung around and didn't see him. So what, he knew he was in the water somewhere?
And if alcohol in either case was involved, that's is even more scary.
Just my opinion (and I hate over regulation) but we really need all drivers to have completed a basic safe boating course and be licensed before they get behind a boat's wheel!
