Prayers sent, so sorry to hear of this. condolences to the family and friends.

Thanks again everyone for all of the prayers, condolences, well wishes and words of support. It means a lot to me, and I'm certain it will be comforting to Nancy's family/loved ones who may read this thread, as well as Stephan when he get's around to seeing it. We saw him yesterday, and he is done with the second surgery that plated/screwed his right-side ribcage back together so that it will heal properly. With 17 total fractures of his ribs, the doctors felt he would never heal correctly to move forward with a pain-free life without the surgery, especially considering his love of extreme off-roading and flying (he's a licensed private pilot, with both a multi-engine and IFR rating). He's doing well, and is the toughest man, both physically and mentally, that I have ever met.

The following information is not what I planned on sharing, but because there are now news reports being posted online, I want to clarify some important misinformation in the news posts. The accident occurred on the San Joaquin River, in the middle of the 45' deep shipping channel, approximately 1 mile East of Mandeville Island. This is NOT a no-wake zone area, or 5mph zone. There is no speed limit on this section of waterway, as it is the main shipping channel from San Francisco to the Port of Stockton. The articles imply that the accident happened in a no-wake zone, which is absolutely false.

The spokesperson for the Sheriff's department stated "They believe she was underneath the boat. That's why we couldn't get to her. By the time that our boating unit was able to get out there, the boat was already sunk. So, it happens very fast." I was on scene just minutes (approximately 10) after the accident occurred, and the boat was floating upside down, with about 1/3 of the back of the boat underwater (gearcases/props were still above the water). It never sank. I can also state with 90% certainty, Nancy was never trapped under the boat, she would've been ejected from the cockpit when Stephan was ejected. I have inside knowledge from the team that recovered Nancy's body, and the lack of visible injuries on her indicate that she was not in the cockpit when the boat impacted the water.

The spokesperson for the Sheriff's department also stated "He was going pretty fast on the water, he hit a large wake, and the front of the boat ended up going up in the air and it got enough air that has flipped it backwards, and the boat ended up capsizing". Yes, he was going pretty fast and he hit a large wake, but the boat did not flip over backwards. Both Stephan's clear recollection of the start of the crash, and the telltale damage on the boat tell me it did not flip over backwards. To the best of my knowledge that I can piece together from Stephan's testimony, his injuries and the damage on the boat, the boat went airborne off the first large wake, tripped the transom of one sponson, came down nose first on the opposite sponson into the next roller and rolled/flipped. For those of you that remember seeing the video and pictures of Ryan Beckley's S-111 crash at Inglewood in 2019 (when he wasn't even in the boat), this accident was probably very similar, just with different water conditions as the cause. I looked over every part of the boat/engines after we got it on the trailer, and there was clear evidence that the boat was travelling forwards when it impacted the water on it's topside.

Worthy of mention, once on the trailer, I found the motors with equal, negative trim, indicating uneven or positive trim was not a factor in the accident.

This was not what I planned on posting today, and I was actually glad to see the thread go quiet. But I know how quickly the online news reports will spread, and I wanted to squash all the misinformation and rumors that would spread as a result - before they even start. I know there are already pictures online and in the news articles, but I am not going to post any out of respect to Nancy. For those of you that have pictures or see them on other online forums, please do not post them here.

Thanks everyone

Aside from all you have contributed over the years on here, Mr. Razor, you have always portrayed yourself as a very straight shooter.

The manner in how you defended, protected and clarified the tragic events involving your friends - you have my utmost respect and condolences. In the harsh reality of this tragedy, you have been a steadfast and loyal friend when most people would quietly stand in the sidelines.

Again, sympathies for your loss. It's going to be a hard road to recovery for everyone involved.


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^^^^^^What my friend said^^^^^^

Dale,

I can’t even imagine what you and everyone involved with this tragic accident are going through right now. Thank you for taking the time to keep us all informed with the correct information. It must be difficult to even process what happened, let alone making the effort to put it into words and post on the forum. Know that you, Stephan, Nancy and your families are in our Prayers!



Respectfully,

Brian

Just watched the one news story. It is unbelievable how bad the news and authorities can screw up the facts. A no wake zone…? Are you kidding me?! Just terrible BS!!

It's unfortunate there is no way for the "news" media to be held accountable. I have never seen a news story that I knew something about where the media got their facts correct. There was a road rage shooting on the highway near our dealership a few years ago and the media got nearly everything wrong, including an overhead map with a red "X" incorrectly indicating the location of the bodies as being in our parking lot. I'm sorry, don't mean to detract from the issue at hand, but the fact the media isn't held accountable for their irresponsible actions really winds me up.

I doubt most of us have the words to adequately express our sympathy for all involved. Prayers sent. Thanks for sharing the insight.

davey

Wow, I'm so sorry to read this and hear about the loss. I don't know anyone involved but rest assured you all will be in my thoughts and prayers. I wish everyone a speedy recovery.

Very sorry for you and Nancy's family for her loss. Prayers for a full recovery for Stephan. Very sad to read this.