Re: tragedy on Grand Lake
Well, I don't know how much alcohol played a part in that crash. That lake is my home lake here in Oklahoma, and the area the wreck occurred on is a "special rules" area. There is a separate set of rules for the Duck Creek area due to the volume of traffic that typically runs through that channel. They have lighted buoys with designated "lanes" on the water for upstream/downstream traffic, with speed limitations for vessels according to overall length. Boats under 30' can travel no faster than 30mph in the day, idle at night, over 30ft should be at idle speed at all times.
This incident involved a driver who was apparently driving recklessly near several docks, as well as likely violating the daytime speed limits for his 22' Cobalt runabout. It ended up costing 2 of his passengers their lives due to his blatant disregard for general boating safety. I'm not entirely sure alcohol was the reason for the wreck, as the driver may have been doing the same things without drinking. This is a case of lack of boating etiquette and taking a lot of unnecessary risks regarding the operation of his boat trying to provide a thrill to the passengers. It's a shame that it happened, but I wouldn't be so quick to pin alcohol as a "cause" before the facts come out.
