another boating death on the Rappahannock last night
 

One killed on the Hampton river Sat....another on the Rappahannock last night. COME ON PEOPLE, be more careful!!!!

http://www.nbc12.com/Global/story.asp?S=12758764

It seems that most of these accidents happen at night. I do not drive at night because of all the accidents. Condolences to Amanda Brady's family. Very sad.

Why run on Plane at night EVER - much less with Children on board.

Very Sad....

Yes terrible! Major Black eye for "Charlies Tiki Bar" went there Memorial day place was rockin!......................................Rjr.. ................................

They spent enough money on rescue to put lights on all the buoys in Va. and Md. that would have prevented this catastrophe.

Steve Nixon, 38, of Montpelier, was reportedly at the helm of the speedboat at the time of the accident. He is a captain with the Richmond Fire Department.

So what? So he should know better?

I'm tired of hearing this emphasized. Police and Firefighters get chastised when they do anything wrong; MUCH worse than the general public.

The bottom line is: ANYONE should know better; and let's forget about the profession. What if they guy brews beer for a living? Shouldn't HE know better? Who gives a flying F?

The article says alcohol was "likely" a factor, but they don't know anything for sure yet.

"Speedboat slams into channel marker" as stated on the news. For cripes sake, it was an open bow Chapparel going 35mph.

I wish we could just concentrate on this great loss to our community rather than casting judgment while just reporting the news.

2 theories on this.

1. off plane you typically get bow rise and cant see well.

2. If running at the lowest planing speed possible your visibility is better.

That said for night running and fog safety I spent the money on a high end radar system so I can actually "see" obstacles on the water miles away even things as small as buoys.

Very sad story, my condolences to the families involved.


Uncle Dave

Very sad RIP

I just pointed out that he was a fireman. You drew your own judgement. Their job is to serve and protect the public not put the public in danger. If they don't like it they should get another job.

that is the issue around here...very little has been done to mark channels much less lights...my condolences to the friends and families.

Texoma...you simply pointed out he was a fireman.....but every local news report is making a big deal about it and it's getting old. A fireman knowing how to drive a boat is no more likely than a race car driver knowing how to fly a plane. (some do, some don't)

Any PERSON who is driving 10 passengers on a boat AT NIGHT should be an experienced boater...regardless of his "day job"....that's all.



I think Sydwayz other frustration is the "powerboat" comments in all these same news reports. A damn 25 ft deck boat but "cigarette boats" seem to be the assumed culprits.

Don't want to argue at all, any boat that small with ten people is overloaded. Especially with an inexperienced operator, I won't use captain of the boat, captain of a boat, any boat, is a title that should be reserved for individuals that know what the **** they are responsible for! The lives of thier passengers! Its a real darn shame any way you look at it. The actions of others mess it up for more than just us boaters. The Marina/ restaurant is going to have some type of fallout, He may have been a fire captain, but he doesn't know **** about running a vessel! Just like the majority of game wardens and marine police...................................Rjr...... .............................

We also have the same problem here. We've got 5 channel markers at the entrance of my river, 4 of them with lights and one of them unlit. The unlit one has been struck multiple times because people see the others lit up and expect the 5th to have a light as well.

On top of that, two of the other lights have gone out this summer. Talk about a recipe for disaster.

Stop your arguing everybody a person is dead.....let's not forget that......should've, would've,could've is pretty much a moot point at this time!!!!!!!

My condolences to the family!!!!!!

+ 1. My condolences to the famliy.

It was an accident.

So sad for the loss of life. :(
Was it an accident, yes.
Could it have been avoided or prevented, yes.
Was the boat overloaded, yes.
Do we know the drivers experience, no.
Should he have known better, yes.
We can go on and on about this or that, speedboat vs. deckboat, etc. The bottom line is there will always be that guy (or girl) who thinks they are bulletproof, or "know what they are doing", or is just plain stupid and it effects all of us. Heck I see as much crazy driving on the Parkway coming and going to the shore every weekend! Of course, those are probably the same yahoos I see on the water.

+2

+1

That would make sense, but expecting our politicians to exhibit that thought these days is a stretch.

My condolences.