Kelley, that story makes your heart ache. As a parent, my empathy is off the charts. I would need serious help if all my children perished in one tragic accident such as this. But the important question is, could we have learned something from the HTM accident that might have helped these brothers?

I want to show the proper respect for the families, but at the same time I want to learn what happened as soon as possible. If there are lessons we can all learn from this accident – lessons that could save one of us – we need to know as soon as possible.

We never did learn what happened in the HTM accident. Are the lessons these three brothers just learned in such a tragic manner going to go unknown by the rest of us also? We need to learn from these accidents – not just grieve!

A new 36’ Skater can certainly handle the ocean, regardless of how rough it was that day – am I right T2x? Then what caused this accident? If we can believe the reporting in this article, it wasn’t alcohol abuse. Could it have been lack of experience? Did they hit something? What else could have caused it?

Iggy – I hear what your saying about the statistics available, but I disagree with your conclusion. I don’t want to ignore the data because it is less than perfect. There should be some meaningful data that we can ferret out of the mass of crap.

After reading the coast guard data, I believe the evidence points to the fact that performance boating is relatively safe and not in need of big-brother laws to protect us. If we want to continue our sport in a relatively free manner, we are all going to need to learn the statistics and be willing to act as ambassadors for the sport when the need arises.

Who’s going to step up and contact the Philadelphia Inquirer and get them on the right tract?

I have heard most male boating drowning victims are found with there flys open ...do the coasty reports prove this out or is it boating tales...

Turbo - got to admit, I didn't see that catagory in the coast guard data:)