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bad press for loto
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Posted on Sun, Jul. 09, 2006
LAKE OF THE OZARKS | Third in mishaps among U.S. waterways A perilous place to play, navigate It poses challenges to safety with a long and narrow profile, heavy development, a partying crowd, and a thin law-enforcement presence. By MIKE SHERRY The Kansas City Star The Lake of the Ozarks shimmers as one of Missouri’s recreational jewels, but something else lurks below the surface: its status as the third-most accident-prone waterway in the country. The lake’s more than 1,300 serious mishaps trail only the Atlantic Ocean and the Colorado River, according to a decade’s worth of U.S. Coast Guard computer data analyzed by The Kansas City Star. Not even such expansive areas as the Pacific Coast and Lake Erie matched the lake’s total. Lake of the Ozarks also accounted for half of all serious accidents in Missouri, a big reason the state ranked sixth overall. The situation is far different in Kansas, which logged about one-fifth as many serious accidents as Missouri — putting it in the bottom third of states, according to the Coast Guard data from 1995 through 2004. Accidents included in the database involved deaths, substantial property damage or other significant circumstances, such as injuries requiring more than first aid. With boater-education efforts increasing and better vessels, experts said safety is improving on the nation’s waterways. Boating deaths nationally hit a record low two years ago. Yet few bodies of water pose challenges like those at Lake of the Ozarks. It is long and narrow with a heavily developed shoreline, a partying crowd, and a law-enforcement presence stretched thin. “People don’t know what rough water is until they come here — including the ocean,” said Maj. Tommy Roam, a commander with the Missouri State Water Patrol. “There is just nothing like it anywhere.” A question of balance This year marks three-quarters of a century since completion of Bagnell Dam paved the way for creation of the Lake of the Ozarks. Today, the lake’s roughly 1,150-mile shoreline boasts about 25,000 docks, creating a tough balancing act between business, pleasure and safety. It’s all happening against a backdrop of tremendous economic growth, fueled by the lake’s popularity. Camden County, home to most of the lake’s shoreline, experienced a 17 percent increase in assessed personal-property values from 2004 to 2005. The total assessed value of property in Camden County hit about $1.2 billion last year, roughly three times more than in 1990. Rapid development has outstripped the ability of local jurisdictions to control it, according to some observers, who also said planning and zoning efforts were beginning to catch up. AmerenUE, the electric utility that owns and operates Bagnell Dam, also plays a role through its authority to approve docks and other shoreline structures. Earlier this year, it learned how difficult it was to limit growth. A firestorm of opposition prompted the utility to abandon a plan to limit docks along a portion of the lake, proposed as an effort to protect fish and wildlife habitat. The utility promotes safe use of the lake, said Jeff Green, AmerenUE’s shoreline manager for Lake of the Ozarks. But AmerenUE views development as a way to add customers, he said. “Growth is good. That is our position.” The big question for people like Ken Fults, though, is at what point does the lake become overdeveloped? “There’s still room to expand,” said Fults, owner of WFO Watercraft Rental, “but it’s got to reach a saturation point sometime.” Traffic nightmare Development has given rise to well-documented growing pains.With more and more boats of ever-increasing length, operating on Lake of the Ozarks has drawn comparisons to merging into rush-hour traffic on an expressway. The congestion often leaves the lake choppy. The lake’s infamous Party Cove — where upward of 1,000 boats sometimes gather — has garnered national attention for its mix of alcohol and nudity. Topography contributes to the problem. The lake’s main channel runs some 92 miles but averages only three-quarters of a mile wide. Waves tend to bounce from side to side with little dissipation, though the Water Patrol has had some success in recent years by creating “no-wake zones.” Also, the number of bars and restaurants on the water promote boat traffic, said Sgt. Nick Humphrey of the Water Patrol. At other lakes, he said, people have to get off the water for those services. Lake of the Ozarks supporters bristle at the out-of-control reputation, noting that the “busy part” of the lake stretches only the first 40 miles or so. They also point out that the lake is much calmer outside summer weekends and holidays. Yet those hectic periods catch the attention of people like Ruth Zeller, owner of Cutty’s Wharf, which rents boats and personal watercraft. “A lot of people get the concept that they’re on the water and anything goes,” she said. The number of boats at the lake is hard to come by, not tracked by the Water Patrol, tourism officials or AmerenUE. But, in roughly the past decade, boat registrations in Missouri have jumped about 17 percent to about 337,000. Water Patrol numbers have advanced, as well. State legislators last year added 11 positions. The Water Patrol assigned about half of those to police increasingly popular float streams. The manpower boost brought the number of uniformed officers to 99. However, that figure is far below the number recommended by a governor-appointed commission in 1984. At that time, said Roam, the Water Patrol commander, the commission suggested 126 uniformed officers. About 20 percent of today’s uniformed officers are assigned to Lake of the Ozarks, Roam said, enough to have a visible presence. Might it make sense to have half the force there if that is where half the serious accidents occur? That would be unrealistic given the amount of water the agency patrols around the state, said Capt. Hans E. Huenink, Water Patrol communications director. “You just do the best you can with the numbers you have.” Personal toll The Man of Steel — that’s what attorney McCaine J. Zimmer, 31, of Arnold, Mo., called himself. But on the Fourth of July last year, he became one of 39 boating fatalities logged at Lake of the Ozarks between 1995 and 2005, according to Water Patrol figures. Zimmer and a friend were celebrating the purchase of a lake house from Kurt Breeze, one of Zimmer’s law partners. Two Kawasaki Jet Skis were part of the deal, and the two friends were riding them about 7 p.m. A Water Patrol accident report said Zimmer was in the lead when he turned left, apparently to avoid an oncoming boat. The trailing Jet Ski rammed into him. Before the accident, Breeze said, Zimmer was “healthy, strong, and robust, and bigger than life.” In death, he left an infant son and a wife. A family friend said Zimmer’s wife was still too devastated to discuss the accident. The Strain family of St. Joseph also knows the trauma of dealing with a boat accident, following the September death of their son and brother, Zachary, 22. With no navigation lights, he and two other young men were riding personal watercraft in a Lake of the Ozarks cove about 2 a.m. Strain and a friend left the cove on a Sea-doo and then turned to come back. Meanwhile, the other man was coming out. With Strain doing about 50 mph, the watercraft collided. The loss of her son remains too painful for his mother to talk about, but Salli Strain responded to questions through an e-mail. “There is no way to describe how this loss has affected us,” Salli Strain wrote. “… I see no hope for myself for recovering from this.” In pursuit of safety No shortage of ideas exists on how to make the lake safer, though boating-safety experts said some initiatives already have reduced injuries and deaths locally and nationally. People like Zeller, the Cutty’s Wharf owner, said restricting boat lengths would help. Fults, the watercraft rental owner, said wakes from big boats were so large that people on personal watercraft sometimes got hurt while trying to cross them. Other suggestions from lake-goers include imposing a weekend speed limit. But blanket restrictions don’t sit well with Andy Kellogg of St. Charles, a regular visitor to the lake. Instead, he said, authorities should crack down on repeat offenders. Ban them if necessary. “Don’t spoil it for everybody else.” Meanwhile, equipment improvements already are helping. Some hulls, for instance, now are filled with foam to prevent capsized boats from sinking, and more vessels come with built-in fire extinguishers. In addition, life jackets have been slimmed down to encourage their use. Water Patrol Officer Kimberly D. Davis, who patrols Smithville Lake and teaches a boating-safety course, said some personal watercraft now carry mechanisms that can limit maximum speed — allowing, for instance, parents to control how fast their children travel. Davis and others also said boater education would reduce accidents. Forty-five states — including Missouri and Kansas — have a mandatory boater-education requirement, according to the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators. The Missouri law, which took effect last year, says that boat drivers born after Jan. 1, 1984, must pass an approved safety course. The law applies to out-of-state residents, too. Kansas has had a similar law since 2000. It covers people born after Jan. 1, 1989, but does not apply to drivers who are 21 or older. Officials in both states said officers did not check boaters for proof that they passed an education course unless they first were stopped for another reason. Rental operators are not required to check customers for a boater-education card. The Missouri law is one reason about 20 people settled in on a recent Saturday morning in Kansas City, North. For the next five hours, Davis led them through a safety course that included everything from fueling procedures to yielding the right of way. It ended with a 50-question, multiple-choice exam. Passage required answering 70 percent correctly. Among the attendees was Joshua Sinnett, 14, of Parkville, who came with his family and neighbors. “It was pretty informative,” he said. “I’m glad I took it.” -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Where are the most accident-prone and clogged sections of the Lake of the Ozarks? | A10 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- How dangerous? A list of the top accident- prone bodies of water in the nation, with accidents from 1995 to 2004. Atlantic Ocean 1,624 Colorado River 1,365 Lake of the Ozarks 1,324 Gulf of Mexico 1,271 Intracoastal Waterway 1,092 Note: Rankings could change somewhat because some waterways have multiple entries with various spellings. The Star has combined some entries where it is clear that the various spellings refer to the same body of water. |
Re: bad press for loto
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why is that "bad press"? isn't it all true? so they said its rough and dangerous, who thinks it isn't that has been there? maybe that article will help keep some people from letting their 14 year olds out in the main channel with lake lice, probably not, but we can hope.. :D
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Re: bad press for loto
Its called, use some common sense, yes alot of boats, stupid water conditions, which come mostly by the 54' searays, not performance boats or high speeds, the pwc traffic has gotten out of control and should be confined after 10:00 am to non main channel riding.people keep coming and it keeps growing unbelievable, so just get a bigger boat and deal with it or move up to the 60mm.
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Re: bad press for loto
Home sweet home.
I love big water. :D |
Re: bad press for loto
be perfect conditions for a 44 mti with bpm's and t-53's - 3600cat get her ordered, so we can run next year.
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Re: bad press for loto
Originally Posted by wiggler4490
be perfect conditions for a 44 mti with bpm's and t-53's - 3600cat get her ordered, so we can run next year.
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Re: bad press for loto
Originally Posted by 3600cat
Home sweet home.
I love big water. :D |
Re: bad press for loto
Ya the lakes crowded and dangerous bla bla bla ..heard it here too.
If your so scared stay on the dock and shut the pie hole .. |
Re: bad press for loto
This article is propaganda against John getting his F4 wet! Big brother trying to extend the wait for Mentalpause!
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Re: bad press for loto
Originally Posted by 3600cat
TRI MAX and top secret turbines. No T53s. :D
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Re: bad press for loto
3600cat, Seans got a good idea, would save you and alot of money and we could put bumpers all the way around the cart and race each other around porta cima, cool idea would 2,000hp turbine be enough to run with Jeff Gordans , and no bump drafting.
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Re: bad press for loto
Originally Posted by Steve_H
The Missouri law, which took effect last year, says that boat drivers born after Jan. 1, 1984, must pass an approved safety course. The law applies to out-of-state residents, too.
Rental operators are not required to check customers for a boater-education card. F'n dumbazz's.........!!!!!!!!! |
Re: bad press for loto
Originally Posted by Sean H
i heard you were putting the turbines on a go kart and giving up boating after this weekend... :drink:
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Re: bad press for loto
Limit waverrunners to before noon in the main channel and they are going to have to limit displacements, 65 sunseekers have no place on that lake.
A 56 sea ray came by our condo while i was lifting my boat up on the hoist, just after the lift grabed it the 5' waves came crashing over the tops of the docks (my boat is in the second slip from the outside) it picked my boat up off the lift and set it on its side on the side of the lift. Scared the crap out of me and the wife (she was in the cabin) had to put the lift back down and re adjust. Boat was fine Saturday evening about 6.30 running back home to the 1mm, i was at the 12 and came up on some huge swells. There was a 56 searay on one side and 50 on the, both were no more that 100' away from the shore on each side and they were just tearing up everones docks as they went by. Someone has to do something, as speedlimit is not the answer. |
Re: bad press for loto
Originally Posted by Steve_H
Posted on Sun, Jul. 09, 2006
LAKE OF THE OZARKS |The Strain family of St. Joseph also knows the trauma of dealing with a boat accident, following the September death of their son and brother, Zachary, 22. With no navigation lights, he and two other young men were riding personal watercraft in a Lake of the Ozarks cove about 2 a.m. Strain and a friend left the cove on a Sea-doo and then turned to come back. Meanwhile, the other man was coming out. With Strain doing about 50 mph, the watercraft collided. The loss of her son remains too painful for his mother to talk about, but Salli Strain responded to questions through an e-mail. “There is no way to describe how this loss has affected us,” Salli Strain wrote. “… I see no hope for myself for recovering from this.” In pursuit of safety No shortage of ideas exists on how to make the lake safer, though boating-safety experts said some initiatives already have reduced injuries and deaths locally and nationally. People like Zeller, the Cutty’s Wharf owner, said restricting boat lengths would help. Fults, the watercraft rental owner, said wakes from big boats were so large that people on personal watercraft sometimes got hurt while trying to cross them. . |
Re: bad press for loto
In NY you are responsible for any damage your wake causes, whether you are 100 feet away or 500 feet away. We had a 45 foot cruiser go by our marina 30 feet away at about 15 miles per hour throwing 4 footers at us. I was in the process of tying the boat into the slip and it ended up over my head crashing into the dock and causing damage, we chased him down to get his hull I.d. #'s to report him and he was already pulled over for doing the same thing to the marina just north of us. Cops took a report, I got an estimate and he paid up... IS this not the case on LOTO ???
on the other hand, this is just plain stupidity !! LAKE OF THE OZARKS |The Strain family of St. Joseph also knows the trauma of dealing with a boat accident, following the September death of their son and brother, Zachary, 22. With no navigation lights, he and two other young men were riding personal watercraft in a Lake of the Ozarks cove about 2 a.m. Strain and a friend left the cove on a Sea-doo and then turned to come back. Meanwhile, the other man was coming out. With Strain doing about 50 mph, the watercraft collided. The loss of her son remains too painful for his mother to talk about, but Salli Strain responded to questions through an e-mail. “There is no way to describe how this loss has affected us,” Salli Strain wrote. “… I see no hope for myself for recovering from this.” In pursuit of safety No shortage of ideas exists on how to make the lake safer, though boating-safety experts said some initiatives already have reduced injuries and deaths locally and nationally. People like Zeller, the Cutty’s Wharf owner, said restricting boat lengths would help. Fults, the watercraft rental owner, said wakes from big boats were so large that people on personal watercraft sometimes got hurt while trying to cross them. |
Re: bad press for loto
had a good freinds kid get kncoked off a jet ski by a drunk boater
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Re: bad press for loto
Chris288
"IS this not the case on LOTO ???" It's more complicated than that at the lake. The lake is narrow with near vertical sides. A single 510 Sea Ray may not cause a big wave problem but 5 of them passing through a 1/2 mile wide channel in 10 minutes will result in waves bouncing off the shore and adding up. I've seen some massive waves form in the 4 mile stretch of the Grand Glaize arm. Besides, If you look at the WP reports, about 2/3 of the accidents are PWC related and not necessarily wave or boat related. And PWC jumping large waves on purpose is not the fault of the cruiser. Gary |
Re: bad press for loto
I'm just back from spending the week of the 4th at LOTO on vacation. I stayed at the 14MM in a friend's house and ran the main channel all weekend and week in my Chaparral 260 SSi. If you use your head you can navigate the waters down there and have a good time. The only insanity I saw all week was kids being towed on tubes on the main channel in the middle of the afternoon. Also, on Thursday July 6th there was a poker run going on with one of the stops being at Fish and Co. Those folks emptied a lot of buckets of beer before continuing on their run. Hopefully the drivers of the boats were drinking soda or water. Still a great place to go for a family vacation.
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Re: bad press for loto
[QUOTEThe lake’s more than 1,300 serious mishaps trail only the Atlantic Ocean and the Colorado River,]
We still got you F'ers beat!!! |
Re: bad press for loto
This article still has a dangerous underlying message in it and that is the press, legislators and "do-gooders" always want to point to statistical numbers as the resons they want to legislate and law a sport out of existance. There is no shortage of "idiots" on and around the water in almost any part of the world. The problem is there are also not a lot of common sense and reality around thes spots also. Jet skis, big water and crowded waterway locations do not mix well anywhere including LOTO! We, as an industry and the performance boating community need to make sure the statistics bare out the actual boat types and actual situations and conditions so that the press like this does not attempt to kill our sport based on general interpertation of the statistics. Its hard to believe there are boaters there allowed to run up and down a 3/4 mile wide body of water in 50-65 foot motoryachts with the wakes they can produce. I know as a former Coastie that on any navigable waters within the US. you are fully responsible for all damgages and injuries caused by your wake in a boat of any size at any speed. Sounds like local law enforcement should hand out a few large citations for this particular problem!n. Remember too, if your boat , property or family is damaged or injured you can take legal action against the responsible boat and skipper without a citation being issued!
Ray @ Raylar |
Re: bad press for loto
Originally Posted by Jupiter Sunsation
This article is propaganda against John getting his F4 wet! Big brother trying to extend the wait for Mentalpause!
Like Knot for Me says - use common sense and you will be fine. Of course common sense might suggest you not try to go to Party Cove in a Jon Boat. I pretty much use the jet ski before 10am, then put it back on the lift for the day. Knot for Me tried using it July 3 mid day. He took it out the cove toward the main channel and his better sense made him come back in about 3 minutes. |
Re: bad press for loto
Ray, its unbelievable the intensity of waves hitting the seawalls. I've built 5 houses this year in porta cima between highest traffic areas, water hits one of my walls that is 7-6" above water level and tops it by at least 5-6', one of my 10" concrete walls with a matte of number 4 steel bars in it already has a nice vertical crack in it, I sat by the pool over the 4th and the percussion of energy off the walls could be heard all the way up at the pool level. A good friend of mine had 40k of damage done on his 160k dock just in one year by the new bridge, wiggler
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Re: bad press for loto
Ray, its unbelievable the intensity of waves hitting the seawalls. I've built 5 houses this year in porta cima between highest traffic areas, water hits one of my walls that is 7-6" above water level and tops it by at least 5-6', one of my 10" concrete walls with a matte of number 4 steel bars in it already has a nice vertical crack in it, I sat by the pool over the 4th and the percussion of energy off the walls could be heard all the way up at the pool level. A good friend of mine had 40k of damage done on his 160k dock just in one year by the new bridge,you guys are right the big 50-65' cruisers throw a mean wake, its not the performance boats at all, wiggler
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Re: bad press for loto
Originally Posted by Raylar
This article still has a dangerous underlying message in it and that is the press, legislators and "do-gooders" always want to point to statistical numbers as the resons they want to legislate and law a sport out of existance. There is no shortage of "idiots" on and around the water in almost any part of the world. The problem is there are also not a lot of common sense and reality around thes spots also. Jet skis, big water and crowded waterway locations do not mix well anywhere including LOTO! We, as an industry and the performance boating community need to make sure the statistics bare out the actual boat types and actual situations and conditions so that the press like this does not attempt to kill our sport based on general interpertation of the statistics. Its hard to believe there are boaters there allowed to run up and down a 3/4 mile wide body of water in 50-65 foot motoryachts with the wakes they can produce. I know as a former Coastie that on any navigable waters within the US. you are fully responsible for all damgages and injuries caused by your wake in a boat of any size at any speed. Sounds like local law enforcement should hand out a few large citations for this particular problem!n. Remember too, if your boat , property or family is damaged or injured you can take legal action against the responsible boat and skipper without a citation being issued!
Ray @ Raylar i hate to say it, but i see a speed limit in the future. not because its actually needed but because the do-gooders and politions never get it right. :rolleyes: also, the cruiser owners have the money and connections to sway any new laws in their favor. most of them run around plowing water at 30 mph so they dont care about speed anyway. i also think every type of boat has a right to use the lake including cruisers, but for safety, there has to be a limit. water patrol needs enforce laws already on the books and crack down an reckless pwc riders first and foremost. that alone would bring the accident numbers down considerably. |
Re: bad press for loto
We Were Down During The Week Of The 4th And Saw Everything From A Waverunner Driving Thru The Boats During The Fireworks Show At The Horny Toad To Almost Running Over A Fishing Boat At 10pm At Night Fishing In The Middle Of The Lake With No Lights On. I Do Not Know How Limiting Our Speeds Is Going To Prevent Stupidity Like This, But I Think The 7 Knats On Waverunners Following Every 45+ Foot Cruiser Not Even Looking As They Jump Their Waves May Be A Better Target.
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Re: bad press for loto
I have been pulled over and even gotten a ticket for wreckless driving (the water pratrol said he saw my props twice, and thats concidered wreckless driving) then that should be the same punishment for seeing the underside of a sea doo. Granted i was racing another boat at the time but I had on my landyard and was totaly in control.
My point is that the water patrol has a law that if they see a boats props come out of the water twice or more, that it is wreckless driving, then shouldnt it apply to all watercraft including PWC I even own a PWC and am buying another, but only ride it in coves and try to be aware of surroundings while doing it Wild |
Re: bad press for loto
Originally Posted by Wild
I have been pulled over and even gotten a ticket for wreckless driving (the water pratrol said he saw my props twice, and thats concidered wreckless driving) then that should be the same punishment for seeing the underside of a sea doo. Granted i was racing another boat at the time but I had on my landyard and was totaly in control.
My point is that the water patrol has a law that if they see a boats props come out of the water twice or more, that it is wreckless driving, then shouldnt it apply to all watercraft including PWC I even own a PWC and am buying another, but only ride it in coves and try to be aware of surroundings while doing it Wild |
Re: bad press for loto
Originally Posted by wiggler4490
Ray, its unbelievable the intensity of waves hitting the seawalls. I've built 5 houses this year in porta cima between highest traffic areas, water hits one of my walls that is 7-6" above water level and tops it by at least 5-6', one of my 10" concrete walls with a matte of number 4 steel bars in it already has a nice vertical crack in it, I sat by the pool over the 4th and the percussion of energy off the walls could be heard all the way up at the pool level. A good friend of mine had 40k of damage done on his 160k dock just in one year by the new bridge, wiggler
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Re: bad press for loto
Another weekend upholding the reputation of one of the most dangerous waterways.
Saturday, I drove by 1 PWC collision site in my cove. Then came upon the second fatality accident a couple miles away. Sadly, PWC drivers dont fare to well in these situations. http://www.mswp.dps.mo.gov/news/NRDe...2&ID=N07060097 http://www.mswp.dps.mo.gov/news/NRDe...2&ID=N07060093 Gary |
Re: bad press for loto
the fatality happened right in front of my house, watched the 2 day recovery effort....
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Re: bad press for loto
You'll probably end up like here in Michigan or the new laws in Alabama. Here most large lakes connected to lake Michigan are 55mph max for all boats, entire lake no wake for anything above 26 feet (Spring Lake), etc. White lake is no wake for anything above 39 feet. Maybe you should try something like that. :eek:
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