Boating Accident in MI
 

You don't here this often but a Jet Ski "jet boat" hit the Saugatuck Pier at 6am this morning. One gentleman was killed and the other rescued but hurt bad. The sun was up but the fog was very thick. This is a short Pier and even in fog you should be able to know where you are. This is too bad, driver error all the way. If you can't see 500ft in front of you you should not be on plane, I would need 1/4 mile before I would do it. I have been in fog on the lake where I could just see the bow and not a foot more, I was scared to death at a fast idle, I had to use the compass and depth finder to keep close but not too close. Just keep it at 15ft and you are ok. Our prayers are with these gentleman (they are both under 20).

Re: Boating Accident in MI
 

Who to F is jet-skiing at 6am? In the fog?

:(

(Edited post as it was a admittedly unsensitive).

This is very unfortunate to have happened. This is a tragedy that very easily could have been avoided. I guess we all have to remember when we were all teenagers and bulletproof, to understand what mortality is all about then and now.

:( :(

Re: Boating Accident in MI
 

I know, this is not smart. We have a huge group of High School Graduates who camp in the parks and the beech as a last hooray. Seems there is always a drowning or accident of some sort. I think of the last second thoughts of these two as they saw the Pier and then hit it. Most are ramped and send you flying like James Bonds glastron.

Re: Boating Accident in MI
 

this is unfortunate but i have to agree with Sydwayz. And i too have got caught in some thick fog out on LK MI. Once coming back from Milwaukee i saw the front rolling in....made it all the way to Racine harbor before it hit us so bad i couldnt see past the nose of the boat! All i could see is the red/green glow off the bow nav lights!!! Funny thing was about 10' above out heads it was crystal clear!!! you could see stars everywhere! Thank god i had my GPS and had a bunch of waypoints marked 1 mile off shore. I started doing that out of habit everytime we left a new harbor just in case this was to ever happen and boy was i glad it payed off!!!

Re: Boating Accident in MI
 

If it was a Jet-Ski (PWC) they were out illegally; I don't think you can be out that early on a PWC in Michigan. Not sure if the same law applies to jet boats, though.

Re: Boating Accident in MI
 

last year comming home from the NYC poker run,, a mini hurricane whipped up, FOG, winds, thunder lightning, 4 footers,, couldnt see the nose on your face,, luckily we were right next to the Tappan Zee bridge,, we held on to one of the stantions for dear life, and just hoped nobody hit us,, was scared ****less..

Re: Boating Accident in MI
 

Anyone caught in fog knows how disorientating it is. Last Sunday we were fogged in on a local lake. Reminded me once again how dangerous the situation is.

Back in the old days before Loran, Radio Direction Finder was the way home on Michigan with the parents.

Re: Boating Accident in MI
 

You are right, they can not be out until dawn or around 7:30 am. You must also have a manual sound producing device. The pier head has one but it was not on. Whether driving on land or water fog is really the only thing that slows me down. Our advantage here is loud pipes save lives :) I worry more about those around me and fishermen sitting still, all they hear is whats going on around them but can't see a thing. Must be a relaxing fishing trip. :rolleyes:

Re: Boating Accident in MI
 

We passed a 65 S.F. Hatteras out of Saugatuck (remember the enclosed bridge docked at Coral Gables-late 80's) once in the dense fog. We were idling north and he was headed south about 3 mi offshore. His big 72mi radar slowly spinning as we met him, and then he was gone. Hatteras just came out with that 65 SF and it was an awesome sight I will never forget.

Re: Boating Accident in MI
 

This is very sad

the young man that died was the son of some friends of ours(actually Cherie has known them a long time and i had gotten to know them a bit in last couple of years)

the news said it happened around 4 am in the fog

I am sure much more about the circumstances will be available in next day or two

Our prayers to the family

Re: Boating Accident in MI
 

Yea things can look a little like below.

Roby

Re: Boating Accident in MI
 

Sorry to hear this Marc, I did not know it was 4am, even worse for a boat that may not have nav lights. If you hear more let me know, I am getting my info from a person who lives there, not always accurate.

Re: Boating Accident in MI
 

Very sorry to hear that .....

Fog is NO fun , thats for sure !

We got stuck in it one night . Coming back from bar hopping with the boat ,(no drinking of course ). We were on the Manisquan inlet by point pleasant all night going from bar to bar just having a great old time !!

Started to head back to the marina when they all closed at about 3am .......
we came out the other end of the point pleasant canal, into a total fog bank !! :eek: it was so bad , I had my buddy sit on the bow of the boat to watch for anything and he could not see him it all sitting there !!! I had 1 motor off and the other just bumping it in and out of gear trying to feel our way back .... We even shut it off once in a while to listen for other boats . I made him whistle a tune so I knew he didn't fall off.... We made a wrong turn and ended up about a mile from where we thought we were ...... We went up the metedaconk (sp) river instead of down the bay ! :rolleyes:

But agian, sorry to hear about this . It is a shame . :(

Re: Boating Accident in MI
 

Hey DT42, we have a new 75 SF there now :) and a 75 Motor Yacht :D and DeVos has a 92 Hat SF...with heavily update power and electronics.

Re: Boating Accident in MI
 

This sucks, be smart everybody, fast is fun but do it away from the shore and other boats. These are "offshore boats" take 'em out and run away from everything else.

Re: Boating Accident in MI
 

My son came home last nite and told me about this accident. It was a Seadoo Speedster, I have one myself. It is a 14' boat with lights, etc. They hit the pier at 3:30am ant the survivor didnt make it to a phone until 5am.. That is what I heard. The fellow that died, apparently drowned. Not sure if life jackets were on or if the fog was a factor. That pier is not very well lit and it is easy to miss in the fog, but my son saw the boat it was a mess, so that means some speed was involved. The young man that was killed has been boating since he was a kid. Just bad judgement all around!! It is too bad!! I feel for his family and friends! They will be in our thoughts and prayers. Not sure if all the details are out, but that is what my son told me..

Re: Boating Accident in MI
 

I feel for the family's and friends that are left behind but is it me or are Kids doing stupid stuff these days and dieing a lot. The highways around me are littered with make shift memorials of kids that have died in their cars. Was it like that when I was a kid and I just did not see it or are these kids now just pushing it even farther then we did?

Jon

Re: Boating Accident in MI
 

Audio,
I think it is a combination of things. More people all the time. Hard to get anywhere anymore. The roads were built 40yrs ago and no major upgrades since around here. The crosses are a nice touch, keeps me alert when I drive back and forth to work. And yes the kids have more toys available to them then when I was young, but that was almost a hundred years ago.
I think, or at least hope in this case, it was purely an accident. Something that might have been prevented?? we don't know. Common sense tells us to take it easy when visibility is hampered. I heard of a plane diving into Lake Mich a years ago.. Didn't understand it, but they say it was from being disorientated over the water.

Who knows, kids will be kids, but the loss is a tragedy when a young person dies.

Dick

Re: Boating Accident in MI
 

Very sorry to hear this It's a shame. You have to be careful when boating because things can go wrong very fast. You should not be on plane and if you are you can't hear anything else around you. I have shot this inlet many times at night and a few in fog and it is not fun the lighting is poor. For anyone that boats in this area maybe you know this all ready but to turn on the Saugatuck Pier Fog horn go to channel 79 and key your mike 5 times. To turn it off key it 7 times.
Mike

Re: Boating Accident in MI
 

Its a terrible thing!!!I cany amagine anything bad happening to my daughter...my heart breaks for the family.