Fatal Accident in Pa.
07-06-2011, 04:41 PM
#21
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No disrespect to the family or anyone else, but the hard cold facts are that the person was driving in a way that he could not recover and avoid disaster, it comes down to,
Driving too fast for the conditions, it’s the driver’s fault.
It does not really mater if the boat broke, a wave hit wrong or whatever. We have all been there, 5 MPH or 200 MPH the fun stops with little notice, sometimes we save it through some miraculous miracle off driving skill, dumb luck, or a combination of the two. Our Egos will usually chock it up to skill; Reality is that being lucky factors in the highest.
There is some level of risk in everything we do
My condolences go out to the family and I look on the bright side that, while he no doubt would have liked a different outcome for himself and his family, he was having fun when it was his time to go!
Driving too fast for the conditions, it’s the driver’s fault.
It does not really mater if the boat broke, a wave hit wrong or whatever. We have all been there, 5 MPH or 200 MPH the fun stops with little notice, sometimes we save it through some miraculous miracle off driving skill, dumb luck, or a combination of the two. Our Egos will usually chock it up to skill; Reality is that being lucky factors in the highest.
There is some level of risk in everything we do
My condolences go out to the family and I look on the bright side that, while he no doubt would have liked a different outcome for himself and his family, he was having fun when it was his time to go!
So if you're driving on the interstate at the posted speed limit in your Ford Explorer and the tires blow out and you roll over three times, it's your fault because you were "driving too fast for conditions". Perhaps you would be more comfortable on a sailboat.
07-06-2011, 10:09 PM
#23
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My Friend and Fellow boater
I can say that anyone who really knew him would tell you that he had a HEART as BIG as a GIANT and LOVE for POWERBOATS just as BIG. He would go to any length to help everyone at anytime. DON'T judge this friend of mine for what may have been something beyond control. Yeah I know he loved to push the envelope but he did so in an awareness of his surroundings. You say what about those on the lake who are having fun with kids and tubing but just like every other boater on the lake you have to look 360 WAY before you do things which many of these family boaters I've observed DON"T DO. Talk about unrespectful boaters!!!!!!! This truly has rippped a piece of my heart and I can only imagine what this has done to his family. I know he is in Heaven and when you hear THUNDER its him and God at it again. Until we meet again my friend. Speed
07-07-2011, 08:30 PM
#24
This is definitely a tragic accident and our hearts go out to the family. What type of cat was he driving? Can't make it out in the pics. Also, is there any information that there was mechanical failure somewhere on the boat?? We've been following the story as fellow powerboaters and are sorry for the loss for this family.
07-08-2011, 05:51 PM
#25
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Turns out there was a ranger on the lake looking for this boat before the accident because of speed complaints.
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pitt.../s_745784.html
I don't think this case is about performance boats versus jet skiers versus family boaters. It's about one driver on a lake that isn't well suited for going really fast.
Yough Lake is a long, narrow lake upstream from a dam. It winds through a valley with steep sides and has a lot of turns with low visibility including a sharp bend near the dam. The boat was tied to a tree at the point of that bend with it's nose sticking out of the water Saturday evening after the accident indicating that the accident occurred nearby.
The water gets deep fast and there are few docks on the main channel so boat sometimes cruise nearer the shoreline because it is narrow. You have to be careful where you drop a skier or swap riders on a tube to make sure you give other boater a lot of time to see you (ie. not behind a blind corner).
Mid-afternoon on a holiday weekend, there were a lot of people on the water. I was pulling some fairly timid tubers that afternoon on the lake, and hit pockets of traffic on a couple bends in the river where I had trouble maintaining a speed of around 20mph.
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pitt.../s_745784.html
I don't think this case is about performance boats versus jet skiers versus family boaters. It's about one driver on a lake that isn't well suited for going really fast.
Yough Lake is a long, narrow lake upstream from a dam. It winds through a valley with steep sides and has a lot of turns with low visibility including a sharp bend near the dam. The boat was tied to a tree at the point of that bend with it's nose sticking out of the water Saturday evening after the accident indicating that the accident occurred nearby.
The water gets deep fast and there are few docks on the main channel so boat sometimes cruise nearer the shoreline because it is narrow. You have to be careful where you drop a skier or swap riders on a tube to make sure you give other boater a lot of time to see you (ie. not behind a blind corner).
Mid-afternoon on a holiday weekend, there were a lot of people on the water. I was pulling some fairly timid tubers that afternoon on the lake, and hit pockets of traffic on a couple bends in the river where I had trouble maintaining a speed of around 20mph.
07-08-2011, 10:55 PM
#27
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I'm gonna sum this up for you guys:
1. There was a tragic accident
2. I doubt it was operator error
3. I live about 2 1/2 hours from this lake and know that people on small lakes such as the one this boat wrecked on dont understand power boating and if it's not a stratos, bayliner, or party barge pontoon it probably is to fast regardless of what it is
4. The media has made folks from PA look stupid and given powerboats a bad name
5. No matter the actual cause of the accident the local media will continue to point fingers at the driver and the boat which is bull ****.
God rest his soul and at least now he can enjoy the best lake
1. There was a tragic accident
2. I doubt it was operator error
3. I live about 2 1/2 hours from this lake and know that people on small lakes such as the one this boat wrecked on dont understand power boating and if it's not a stratos, bayliner, or party barge pontoon it probably is to fast regardless of what it is
4. The media has made folks from PA look stupid and given powerboats a bad name
5. No matter the actual cause of the accident the local media will continue to point fingers at the driver and the boat which is bull ****.
God rest his soul and at least now he can enjoy the best lake
Last edited by 87MagnumII; 07-08-2011 at 10:59 PM.
07-09-2011, 04:36 AM
#29
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We used to run on a lake in central Ohio that was only 6 miles long and was broke into two speed zones approx. 2 1/2 miles long.
There was LOT's of fast boats on that lake. I'm talking 100+.
Almost everyone on the water knew this and a lot were there because of this.
You had to be on your "A" game to make passes on weekends but was a constant occurence. The other boats there paid attention to their course as did the fast boats even though you regularly passed close to each other. Of the 100 or so times I've been there the ONLY issues I ever had were boats pulling tubes turning in front of me! Driver facing aft watching tuber as he cranks on the wheel.
This has gone on for yrs and yrs and yrs w/next to no issues involving the fast boats and to the point that the water patrol will normally just "observe" the fast guys.
As I posted at the beginning of this thread, at warp speed almost anything that happens can be an issue. Throwing a blade will spook you at the very least!
The media and anti fast boat agenda always jump on board first in these instances when 99.9% of the time the driver of the fast boat is the most experienced, safest, well prepared driver on the water but always the first to blame.
Also on the lake described above, of the issues reported on the busy weekends almost all are in-experienced operators in 30 mph boats.
There was LOT's of fast boats on that lake. I'm talking 100+.
Almost everyone on the water knew this and a lot were there because of this.
You had to be on your "A" game to make passes on weekends but was a constant occurence. The other boats there paid attention to their course as did the fast boats even though you regularly passed close to each other. Of the 100 or so times I've been there the ONLY issues I ever had were boats pulling tubes turning in front of me! Driver facing aft watching tuber as he cranks on the wheel.
This has gone on for yrs and yrs and yrs w/next to no issues involving the fast boats and to the point that the water patrol will normally just "observe" the fast guys.
As I posted at the beginning of this thread, at warp speed almost anything that happens can be an issue. Throwing a blade will spook you at the very least!
The media and anti fast boat agenda always jump on board first in these instances when 99.9% of the time the driver of the fast boat is the most experienced, safest, well prepared driver on the water but always the first to blame.
Also on the lake described above, of the issues reported on the busy weekends almost all are in-experienced operators in 30 mph boats.
07-09-2011, 06:39 AM
#30
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My prayers go out to the family...But I live on Lake Conroe in Texas and if you know this lake its full of skiers and jet ski after about noon..I love to see the "POWERBOATS" because I know your going to take a straight line..These idiots pulling wakeboards and the jet ski riders that just go in any direction drive me crazy...And if one of you are reading this STOP SKING JUST OUTSIDE THE WAKE BOUYS BY THE BOAT RAMPS!!Your going to get run over...So In closing I'm sorry to hear about this accident but if you have a boat that has alot of "HORSEPOWER AND CAN HANDLE IT"Go fast thats why you have it..
