I dream of one day owning a CAT (44-50 MTI or Nor-Tech). No idea if that dream will ever work out or not. As it relates to this thread however, when the time is right and if the information is available I would like to understand what caused the accident so that I can weigh that in my future decision making.

In the meantime, condolences to everyone involved.

I know I am going to get hammered for this but I want to ask and sorry and I mean very sorry. I did not know the parties involved here but did know the boats. It was the day before the poker run - They left from eating or a party or what ? it was brought up how experience of a driver the owner was. I am NOT doubting that period but want to ask - did alcohol consumption take place before possible impairing any driving abilities ? I am only asking, NOT implying that he or anyone drank one once of alcohol.

Was this a mechanical failure ? Another question that has not been brought up. Sorry for asking these questions and very sorry this happened to them. It seemed they were very well liked .

Insurance agents have nothing to do with rates and non of them want rates increased in any line of insurance. Actuaries adjust rates and calculate risk based on real numbers not forums, relax.

This is NOT true. Do a search and you will see the former site owner let the discussion be had after the Texoma incident and others.

Apparently the only witness so far is mentioned in the Speed on the Water article http://speedonthewater.com/in-the-ne...-s-lake-lanier I have not seen any other first hand account.

Not to mention he was physically ill over it as well.

I think the one thing to learn here is bad things happen to great people, and to remember we all do this to have fun with the people we love and enjoy being around. For some reason these incidents bring many people out to ask about the manufacture, the talent of the driver, life jackets, drinks etc. I have never discussed this on a forum but I survived one of these as the driver. I can break down the day the weekend the last run into milliseconds. I can tell you all details that are terrifying for me to think about. After all the thoughts and processing I cannot give you an exact explanation of why. Your mind goes back further and further to look for clues. Nobody will ever know exactly what happened and what caused this. I hope I don't regret this post...

So why do so many stick their heads in the sand ? What is it you're afraid to find out ?
Thankfully aviation does a better job with accidents.

That's not my point Greg. The point is no one is going to gain anything by starting a thread like this and back then no one would do it so often (that's what i meant to say) like it's done now. Now when $*&^ happens people want to blow stuff up to be " kool" and get credit off of others that are suffering and in sadness.

Cause we all know driving a boat and flying a plane are practically the exact same thing.

Who among us has never made the decision to forego the life vests on a hot day? Accidents will happen in any motorsport and we all know the risk. No need to rehash the life vest thing. Condolences to the friends and family of the four lost boaters.

Great lessons I have learned from this thread...

1) I will sell my DCB and begin to boat in a lifeline jacket and helmet in my 12 foot jon boat with a 9.9 Johnson.

2) I will sell my Audi and begin to wear full body armor while exclusively driving my F250 to work daily (only until I can negotiate working from home with my employer).

3) I will give up hunting, shooting sports, red meat, salt, alcohol (except for one glass of red wine daily).

I am open to other suggestions from the rest of you Captain Obvious wannabe's that would like to protect me from myself!

Would a drive failure cause a big cat like that to spin out?

You can talk about these things from now until time stops. Most people think they already know what caused the accident or that they can come up with something that could have prevented it. The truth is nothing anyone knows or think the know can prevent an accident. It is just that I didn't know these people but it is beyond evident that they must have been amazing people and the people who loved them will continue to be haunted by these questions of what could they have done. The answer is nothing and I hope they eventually find peace in that.

I was personally involved in a bad accident years ago where my best friend and I suffer bad injuries. Thank god none lost their life. I was in a 120 mph cat running 35 mph. We hit head on with another vessel who had no lights on a particularly dark night in a bad spot on the lake. I know I was doing everything right that night but still can not understand how it happened and I didn't see them. I still replay it in my mind from time to time. Accidents happen no matter how hard we try to prevent them. All you can do is enjoy life with the ones you love and do the best you can.

This guy gives a pretty vivid explanation that is more than enough information to understand exactly what happened.

starts at :30
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/hall...boat/402766737

When tragedy like this happens it does affect us all, When I broke the news to Lorrie that Anthony and Tammy had both died riding in Art's Skater, well the first words out of her mouth - after she stopped balling - was that we are selling the Donzi. I said, "No Lorrie. The Donzi isn't a cat that goes 170+ MPH - and I no longer drive on the edge - that's not going to happen to us." Then I made a point of taking the Donzi out on the lake Saturday with Lorrie and some friends and didn't go over 75 MPH so she would feel safe.. We all had a great time, although Anthony and Tammy and Art and Melissa were always on the back of our minds.

If someone were to ask me what can be done to prevent such tragedies in the future, well the solution is easy but impossible. You must simply instill in every driver the fact that their primary duty as Captain of their boats is the safe return of their passengers to the dock.Nothing else even comes a close second. Having bragging rights, being first to the card stop, looking cool, is all secondary to the safety of the people who have entrusted their lives to you as Captain. Some people who operate machines that are unforgiving simply forget that, and in an instant it's is already too late.

Be Safe.

Prayers to all the families involved. God Bless. Every time my wife says ok go get one this happens... As a person interested in getting a 36-38' Cat Im just trying to figure out if it was excessive speed or does this still happen running at cat at 80-90 mph cruise speed?

Was Bob AKA Risktaker (Mark's partner in SOTW)?

Thanks for the link.

Very well put, Matt.

Actually my point was aircraft accidents get investigated including those at the private pilot level and a cause is determined.

How fast do you run on those days you go without a jacket? 80? 90? 100+?

I disagree with yours and others sentiments that there's no need to rehash the life jacket issue. If what you say is true, why are STILL billboards, radio ads, etc pounding into people's heads seat belt usage, to watch out for motorcycles, to move over for emergency vehicles, to not text and drive? Don't we all know this already? Or is it because people need a reminder sometimes? I am one of the guys who is pretty lax on life jacket usage....and this incident has made me pause and reconsider.

Did you hear last statement from the witness?


-Captain Obvious (but just a wannabe)

[=Quote]
If someone were to ask me what can be done to prevent such tragedies in the future, well the solution is easy but impossible. You must simply instill in every driver the fact that their primary duty as Captain of their boats is the safe return of their passengers to the dock.Nothing else even comes a close second. Having bragging rights, being first to the card stop, looking cool, is all secondary to the safety of the people who have entrusted their lives to you as Captain. Some people who operate machines that are unforgiving simply forget that, and in an instant it's is already too late.

Be Safe.[/QUOTE]

Think this sums up my feelings about anything in general, you take a kid shooting your job is to make sure he's safe. If he's not you dropped the ball, but it happens.

Anybody going to address the white elephant in the room?

It's not vests. It's not cats. It's not kill switches......

Sailboat ?:helmet:

I think we all pretty much can guess what happened. Its kind of a choice you make when u decide to run that fast. Its like a nascar wreck and then saying we need to slow down the cars. Accidents can and will happen. They owned the boat because they enjoyed the thrill. I dont think there is anything wrong with it. They owned a high performance boat and im sure they knew the possibilities that come with that. Its just sad that it happened so soon in their lives.

Having said that is there any possibilitiy that this was somehow a mechanical malfunction? Like a gimbal failire or sumthin? God bless them and their familes. My thoughts and prayers go out to anyone who knew them. They all sounded like great people.

I first want to offer my condolences to the families and friends of those involved. It's with a heavy heart that I even write this. I run my boat hard sometimes but nowhere close to the speeds of Skaters and like boats. But you don't have to go fast to drown and would lifejackets have saved their lives hitting the water at those speeds? I don't know and I wish that we didn't have to debate it. We wear them when mandated by poker run rules. But seldom during a normal boating day. But I want to pass along this story of tragedy. My girlfriends four year old son drowned back in 2005 while getting off a go-fast boat at the pier. It destroyed the family. broken marriage, lost the family business, alcoholism, drug use and jail. But she held it together thru it all an I have no idea how. She even continues to get on a go-fast boat every weekend. Now she is a reserve officer for DNR promoting the wearing of lifejackets. Every time I hear of something like this I tell myself. "We need to wear those things". We spend tens of thousands of dollars on our boats and some are able to spend more than I make on boats. But do we buy the most expensive or at least the best lifejacket? Again would it have saved them? In the military after accidents happen we have what they call Safety Standdowns to learn from things like this. So maybe keep tragedies like this in the back of your mind so we all come back safe.

I apologize for my comments, just a little over sensitive.

I pulled this pic from PBN. I didnt know them, but I would have gotten along with them just fine. Look's like my kind of people.

Life line race jackets should be worn at speeds above 90 MPH a lot of people cruse around at 120+ like its a joke and its not. Almost lost some good friend not long ago in a boat crash with no jackets on because they think no big deal going 100 but they came close to drowning the kick is I gave them 2 race jackets the day before but left them in the truck. They will never do that again not saying I never got caught up in the moment of going fast. I have to say I made a few mistakes not wearing a jackets at high speeds and I try to do the rite thing.
Maybe we would still have a few people that survived this tragedy if they where wearing a jacket.
My condolences go out to family and friends sorry for your loss RIP.

We can all debate this, it is unfortunate, and thoughts are with everyone involved, with that said this same topic has been discussed since the weekend, and we still don't know, start evaluating every move we have made, poker runs, most of the time not on the runs, I think most of us are very comfortable when not on a run, lets be honest were more alert to everything from gauges and surroundings, I have delegated signals from my passengers in a certain delegated language as well, no miscommunication,

Remember when you had a normal boat? 70/75 mph is on the edge in a 24ft baja right? it takes alot less to get outta shape, what about that jet boat pushing 600hp at your local tie up spot showing off?? ya we just watched them last weekend, no jackets, whats right? whats wrong?? for me and some will not like this, it keeps coming back to cats, play with fire and maybe the winds will shift wrong and you will get burned, Anyone here ever go snowmobiling?? you wanna talk about oh crap moments?

Life jackets or not the result would probably be, the same anywayz, ya recovery would be easier for sure, no right now wrong and there isn't anyone on here that can say they never had that close call,

Don't know if that makes sense, but my point is Rest in Peace friends.

I have not heard any really hard details. Does anyone here know who was driving? I wondered if the "V" hull guy was driving his buddies cat??? The handling difference of these two hulls could have been the answer.

We were going to sunset cove shortly after the incident and saw all the blue lights and curious boaters. I kept going and after we tied up we heard a boat had flipped. I can recall reading of accidents here so many times and it is never good but I was not at those events. I was at this one and it really struck me hard thinking of so many times I have read and heard and now I was there. Prayers for the families.

As boats go faster and faster the chances of accidents/deaths increase exponentially, flip a boat with a life line on at 65 and youll probably be telling the story at the bar that night, flip a boat at 130 and the life line will help them find whats left of you, truth. I was at the wreck at SOTW minutes after it happened, sucked!

From the picture of the boat leaving the dock it appears the owner was driving. Boat had 1650 s in it a rocket ship. Godspeed to all of them. Sad news.

I think the Turbine Eliminator ran into Nashville Catz

so much for " rest in peace " lessons learned really ? we don't even know what happened and were already hashing what and how to fix chit ... give these folks a break ... that's my fix .

I thought the same, but I found an article on the accident and I believe the Eliminator had a malfunction and turned into the path of the Nortech. Another terrible day.

Apparently not. Too bad, really.

Thank you.... a voice of reason. Fact is you tempt fate by waking up in the morning. Sadly, it is another ACCIDENT, yes a tragic one, that claimed lives and will have an impact on the sport just as Mike Fiore's passing, the Key West Tragedy and unfortunately, a long list of others have had.

We are all here on borrowed time - Live life or have it pass you by living inside a bubble. Key Board speculating here on something that would have prevented the lives lost is nothing more soap-box rhetoric. Fact is you can drown in less than 2" water...

I never met those involved but obviously they were near and dear to many. Cherish their memories and what they brought to the world of those around them. My deepest sympathies to those in mourning and god speed to the four on board the Skater.

That's what this place has turned into Rob which is why many of the originals have left or barley post any more. I've been here since 02 and LOTS has changed this being one of the main ones. SADDLE UP son