Will Your Last Day On This Earth, Look Like This?

[jay_merrill]

I just got home an hour or so ago, from a SAR mission that began with a 5:30am boat launch. Unfortunately, the mission was a Search & Recovery, not a Search & Rescue.

The piling in the photo, is part of the Lake Ponchartrain Causeway, near Metairie, LA. We recovered the body of the boat's driver, at about 3:30 this afternoon.

As happens more times than I could count, there were two circumstances that just didn't have to be. The first is that it is believed that alcohol was involved. The second, is that of the four occupants in the boat, the only one who drowned, was not wearing a PFD. The three passengers did end up in the hospital with injuries, but they were all wearing PFDs and all survived.



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[scca vette]

Re: Will Your Last Day On This Earth, Look Like This?

I am just curios how somebody hits those things. We have bridges here that have about 3 boat widths between the pst and nobody has any problems. It just floors me in a BIT body of water with that much distance between the post that somebody hits them, even flat drunk the odds seem pretty low.

I also find it very sad that the opperator of the boat would drink and drive with others lifes in his hands (if alcohol was a factor).

Any idea what kind of boat it was?

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: Will Your Last Day On This Earth, Look Like This?

It was a bay boat, about 22 feet. The accident happened just before 10 pm, Sunday night. They were traveling from from a harbor with a number of restaurant/bars, which can be accessed by boat, to a boat launch several miles away. The boat careened off of the piling in the first pic and then hit another, two rows of pilings to the port side.

In the photo, below, the pilings that were struck, were the one at the near right position and the one to the far left position. Note that this is quite a distance, across a full row of pilings located in between the two and across two spans of bridge, with a gap of about 50 feet, between them.

The engine did quit and the throttle was found at a high power setting. I heard two descriptions - one that it was about 3/4ths throttle and the other, that it was nearly "wide open." The boat was apparently, nearly broken in half.

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[Stachi]

Re: Will Your Last Day On This Earth, Look Like This?

I have always wondered why bars have a parking lot... it is even more incredulous to me, that one can dock their boat at a bar located on the shore...

 

[TahoeQ4Pilot]

Re: Will Your Last Day On This Earth, Look Like This?

I have always wondered why bars have a parking lot... it is even more incredulous to me, that one can dock their boat at a bar located on the shore...

Maybe because not everyone who enters one ends up sloppy drunk and a risk to themselves and the general public?

There are a few responsible people around somewhere I bet.

 

[Thajeffski]

Re: Will Your Last Day On This Earth, Look Like This?

I will never understand people who DRINK, SPEED and BOAT at night.

I will admit that there are times I have "operated" a boat on the water with too much wine in me at night. However, I KNOW I'm past the limit, I never go over no wake speed (5mph) and I have the most sober person with his or her hand on the steering wheel while I'm watching what's infront and telling them where to steer.

Even when I'm 100% sober I never operate a boat at night at more than 10 mph..

 

[gonefishie]

Re: Will Your Last Day On This Earth, Look Like This?

I take it that there's no idle only after dark law in LA? and you don't have to idle thru bridges? Here, except on the Ohio River, all bridges are idle zone.

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: Will Your Last Day On This Earth, Look Like This?

Nope, and this boat was probably going about 40 mph. I didn't see the boat, but we were dodging T-storms all morning yesterday, so I hung out with a Wildlife & Fisheries officer at a boat launch, as we would both come back to it for safety reasons. He is the one that told me that the boat was nearly sheared in half.

This is a case of someone being completely aware of something being there, but lacking the judgement to slow down while passing through.

There are a bunch of guys who hang out at the launch we were using, most everyday. Several of them told me that they thought they knew the guy. They said he was a seemingly great guy (very friendly, etc.) and that he might have been a retired cop. I guess my point here, is that its not like the guy was a moron, who did stupid stuff as a habit.



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[lowkee]

Re: Will Your Last Day On This Earth, Look Like This?

How do you see those things at night? Are there lights which direct you underneath it or do you just have to go super slow?

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: Will Your Last Day On This Earth, Look Like This?

The Lake Ponchartrain Causeway, is the second longest bridge (24 miles) in the world. Anyone who has spent any time at all in our area, knows its there. There is also constant vehicle traffic on it, so unless you are in a very low visibility condition, you see auto lights at night, from quite some distance. Even without the lights, if you have established "night vision," you can see it in the dark, just fine.

My guess, is that the guy was intoxicated and used bad judgement. He knew the bridge was there but failed to slow down. I also think he just misjudged in the same way that a drunk automobile driver does, and hit the piling. I suppose its possible that he had a steering failure, but there is no evidence thus far, that would suggest such a situation.



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[skargo]

Re: Will Your Last Day On This Earth, Look Like This?

That's terrible! I'm glad he didn't take everyone on the boat out with him.

I see a TON of intoxicated behavior on the water. I wish every last one of those drunks would have their boats taken away from them.

 

[OldePharte]

Re: Will Your Last Day On This Earth, Look Like This?

Locally, a boating safety council has started a campaign addressing boating and alcohol -

 

[marlboro180]

Re: Will Your Last Day On This Earth, Look Like This?

I guess Operation Dry Water this coming weekend is a little too late.

 

[nlain]

Re: Will Your Last Day On This Earth, Look Like This?

I don't think that will happen to me, I do not take alcohol on the water, If I go out in my car to eat the drinks are very limited, when I get home I can have some more if I want it and am not going out anymore. I have done the drink and drive in the car, but do not anymore, never hurt anyone and figured it was time to not do that anymore while my luck was holding.

 

[skargo]

Re: Will Your Last Day On This Earth, Look Like This?

Won't happen to me either, I quit drinking 12 years ago. guarantees no DWI or worse...