Accident at Cumberland Poker Run
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09-06-2008, 10:43 PM
#103
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I seem to remember an article in one of the magazine where the owner was married and the wife had decided to keep Pammy on the deck, however I read Kevin was not married. Was that a previous owner?
09-06-2008, 10:45 PM
#104
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The unfortunate part of all of this is that somewhere in the larger scheme of things I feel that with further planning and better organization incidences like this could have a better chance at being avoided. My reasons are this:
In my opinion there were far to many boats on the lake. I know trying to restrict the number of boats that actually gain access to the lake would be difficult, but when local county and or city administrators can close a public park to the public for a private party then they damn well have the power to restrict access to this body of water. It shouldn't be to hard to do given the limited number of entry points on the lake. The start of the run was delayed, which gave every other boater in the vicinity of the lake the opportunity to get on it to watch and possibly contribute to or create a hazardous situation.
I am not saying that someone caused this tragic accident either accidentally or deliberately, but just the shear number of vessels on the water could cause serious distraction to any of the participants of this event, and as most of us know going over 100mph in a boat requires the utmost in concentration, ability and faith in your equipment.
I am not criticizing anyone or anything in particular and I'm quite sure that Kevin possessed every quality necessary to operate his craft at whatever speed it was capable of attaining. I'm sure his loss will be remembered for quite sometime, and I feel for his immediate family and those who knew him best. I did not know Kevin.
I am certain of one thing, in my opinion the Poker Run coordinators need to pay more attention to organization, group sequencing, time strategy and most importantly of all working with local and state officials to somehow limit the ability of non-participants to influence the direction of the course. We all know that a Poker Run is "not a race" but by the same token going fast or as fast as we possibly can with other owners in a like category is just part of the Poker Run adventure.
I really don't think it would be impossible to heavily restrict access to this lake for 6 hours one day a year. This is the same reason I won't run in an organized event on Lake Lanier, the opportunity for disaster is just to..... Opportune.
As I stated earlier my heartfelt condolences go out to all of those involved and who knew Kevin best.
RIP
In my opinion there were far to many boats on the lake. I know trying to restrict the number of boats that actually gain access to the lake would be difficult, but when local county and or city administrators can close a public park to the public for a private party then they damn well have the power to restrict access to this body of water. It shouldn't be to hard to do given the limited number of entry points on the lake. The start of the run was delayed, which gave every other boater in the vicinity of the lake the opportunity to get on it to watch and possibly contribute to or create a hazardous situation.
I am not saying that someone caused this tragic accident either accidentally or deliberately, but just the shear number of vessels on the water could cause serious distraction to any of the participants of this event, and as most of us know going over 100mph in a boat requires the utmost in concentration, ability and faith in your equipment.
I am not criticizing anyone or anything in particular and I'm quite sure that Kevin possessed every quality necessary to operate his craft at whatever speed it was capable of attaining. I'm sure his loss will be remembered for quite sometime, and I feel for his immediate family and those who knew him best. I did not know Kevin.
I am certain of one thing, in my opinion the Poker Run coordinators need to pay more attention to organization, group sequencing, time strategy and most importantly of all working with local and state officials to somehow limit the ability of non-participants to influence the direction of the course. We all know that a Poker Run is "not a race" but by the same token going fast or as fast as we possibly can with other owners in a like category is just part of the Poker Run adventure.
I really don't think it would be impossible to heavily restrict access to this lake for 6 hours one day a year. This is the same reason I won't run in an organized event on Lake Lanier, the opportunity for disaster is just to..... Opportune.
As I stated earlier my heartfelt condolences go out to all of those involved and who knew Kevin best.
RIP
09-06-2008, 10:51 PM
#105
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Yes, the 1st owner.
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Fountain powerboats rule "The Preacher"
Chicago Powerboat Club Director
[email protected]
www.chicagopowerboat.com
09-06-2008, 11:01 PM
#106
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this is the last I will say because this really isnt the thread for it, but there is a least one other poker run that no longer exists because of an accident, priced cat insurance lately?? suppose you have a crotch rocket, and a bunch of your riding buddies decide to have a poker run along some twisty roads. one of the riders comes into a corner a little hot, hits a patch of oil and wipes out. now is it the guy whos car letft the oil patches fault?? sure he has some blame, but is the rider had been going a little slower he may have been able to miss the ooil or recover after hitting it. sure it definitly sucks your buddy went down but after a few similar accidents, do you think the cops are gonna start hasseling the sport bike riders in the area?? after yet another blurb on the 6 oclock news about a sport bike rider wiping out on go-fast canyon drive, do you think the public is going to start looking at sport bike riders in general as a bunch of reckless speedfreaks??
09-06-2008, 11:31 PM
#107
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There is a copy/paste from the early news I posted on lakecumberland.com where I mentioned that I had heard 2nd hand that he may have swerved to miss a houseboat. I noted elsewhere in that post, which was made shortly after the crash, that the info was sketchy at that time and I was posting what I had. I have since updated it to remove that line as I heard no other mention of that possibility, and I originally had heard it from one of the sources I contacted by cell phone to get early info while I was on my way back to my HQ.
At the time of the incident, I was on the shoreline uplake near Conley Bottom Marina waiting to take pix and vids of the boats (which is about an hour's drive back to my office in Russell Springs). There were hundreds of boats off all types and sizes, literally, on the water in that long straight area of the lake just before it makes a two 90-degree turns. There were also hundreds of folks on the shoreline as well.
I was there an hour before start time, and I can say that the boaters automatically left a very wide lane -- maybe a couple of hundred feet -- open up the lake through the area I could see. There was a water patrol cruising back and forth the entire time, but I didn't witness him having to ask people to move. Even though there were clearly more boats on the water there than last year, it seemed to me that the lanes were more clear than any of the 6 years I've personally watched the runs. Of course, I was many miles from the scene of the incident so I can't say about that location.
It wouldn't be possible to stop public boat access on Lake Cumberland for this or any other event. It's a huge lake with a thousand miles of shoreline and dozens of access points for a hundred miles up the main body. Public access to the event is probably the prime reason the Lake Cumberland Poker Run is held, and it has been growing in popularity every year.
There are a couple of threads on lakecumberland.com with details that are constantly being added, as well as photos.
At the time of the incident, I was on the shoreline uplake near Conley Bottom Marina waiting to take pix and vids of the boats (which is about an hour's drive back to my office in Russell Springs). There were hundreds of boats off all types and sizes, literally, on the water in that long straight area of the lake just before it makes a two 90-degree turns. There were also hundreds of folks on the shoreline as well.
I was there an hour before start time, and I can say that the boaters automatically left a very wide lane -- maybe a couple of hundred feet -- open up the lake through the area I could see. There was a water patrol cruising back and forth the entire time, but I didn't witness him having to ask people to move. Even though there were clearly more boats on the water there than last year, it seemed to me that the lanes were more clear than any of the 6 years I've personally watched the runs. Of course, I was many miles from the scene of the incident so I can't say about that location.
It wouldn't be possible to stop public boat access on Lake Cumberland for this or any other event. It's a huge lake with a thousand miles of shoreline and dozens of access points for a hundred miles up the main body. Public access to the event is probably the prime reason the Lake Cumberland Poker Run is held, and it has been growing in popularity every year.
There are a couple of threads on lakecumberland.com with details that are constantly being added, as well as photos.
09-06-2008, 11:36 PM
#108
The last 2 years I attended this run. This year I didn't make it. I remember how crazy things were. The spectators are everywhere. They were not off to the side of the coarse, they were everywhere. Some were anchored right in the middle of the channel. Some were coming straight at you in the oppisite direction. There were jet skis everywhere. They would aim straight for you and then jump your wake. It does get very bumpy with all of the wakes bouncing off the rocks, it gets like a washng machine.
This is so horrible. I feel terrible for all involved. Things like this remind you how it could happen to any one of us. This is very sad.
This is so horrible. I feel terrible for all involved. Things like this remind you how it could happen to any one of us. This is very sad.
09-06-2008, 11:52 PM
#109
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thats exatly right Gino...i could not believe how the lake was today....i have never seen so many boats and jet skis running up and down the lake today on the wrong side of the lake..sad sad day...
