11yr old dies teak surfing @ Folsom Lake Sacto,Ca.

We'll it happened again Wednesday @8:00 pm a 11 yr old boy was teak surfing on thte platform and slipped into the water unconcious form carbon manoxide poisioning while not wearing a vest. Body was recovered yesterday.

Why are smart people so dumb and careless?

Here is link.http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/story/6757521p-7708447c.html

wear a vest or don't teak surf. is it that hard to figure out. boat drivers should know better. it is you who will get sued by parents if you aren't the parents.

what is teak surfing? me confused.

this happened 1 or 2 years ago at nacimiento also. teak surfing is haninging onto the swim deck while driving. cabon monoxide can make you pass out...

Hanging out on the swim platform with the motor running.

I hate warning stickers but I think manufactures need to put one in clear view of the driver regarding this danger.

or maybe on the swim deck or something. what up neeley, you goin on the 7th?

Also do not forget the little girl on the swim platform at the Delta. She disappeared off the back of the boat and they could not find her for sometime. Of course then it was too late.

I have teak surfed some in the past. I only did it with my boat fully loaded which puts the platform about 6 inches under water. With a solid teak swim platform, and it being underwater the exhaust gases passed under your body. This is not something I would do with most boats as the exhaust is right in your face.

My wife & kid used to like to do this until...one day the neighbor's came out with us. Everyone was taking turns body surfing (I didn't know it had an official name of teak surfing). An off-duty police officer on a wave runner came over, blew a whistle and flashed a badge at me. He told me to go over to the dock. There, he found a sheriff and told him to give me a ticket for "Endangering the life of a minor". He said I was dragging the child 10-15 mph and I had my boat on plane. I said "No way was I going that fast...their swim trunks come off at 5-6 mph". I got the ticket anyway. The judge decided to cut the fine in half - it still cost me $100.

I must admit, I never considered carbon monoxide poisioning. The exaust on my '88 Supra Mariah is well below my fiberglass swim platform (maybe that's why I didn't know it was called teak surfing). Anyway, we always wear a vest, no matter what we're doing behind a boat...it's just not worth the risk.

i'm sure 11 yr olds are supposed to wear a vest all the time while in the boat in cali...no? in tx they do. sounds like those kids had a few strikes against them already, as in their genes. darwin strikes, but it was the next generation. quite a shame.

Sad news. Never thought you could take in too much Carbon Monoxide in that situation.
Thanks for posting.

I love how people think that carbon monoxide dissipates below them in the water? Carbon monoxide is a noxious gas that won't release the molecule particles until it reacts to the oxygen in the air, no matter how deep the transom is in the water.

Liken it to farting in the bathtub......what happens with that gas?

Stupid idea! Might as well just attach the garden hose to your 3" exhaust on the truck, fire it up, put the other end in the cab and see how long it takes for you to start seeing pink elephants floating by?

Come on people, use some common sense.......very unnecessary deaths!

(Message edited by h20jnky on May 30, 2003)

(Message edited by h20jnky on May 30, 2003)

Well Ryan I would assume you are writing in regards to what I said. I never did say the gases dissapeted in the water. I said they passed under us. What happens when you fart in moving water? It is whisked away from your body and you never smell it right? So if the gas bubbles never come to the surface in front of your body is there a problem? NO! You are actually in more danger driving up hill in traffic of getting carbon monoxide poisoning.

What's up,, are people that "f#$%ing stupid that they would allow anyone on the back of a boat while it's moving. Sad to see a life lost, but as a parent, if I was out there I would have told the driver he was a MAJOR dumass.

I posted this in another thread a while back but it seems that now is a good time to remind people again.

From the Coast Guard:
Recent boating fatalities revealed that carbon monoxide [CO] emitted from a vessel’s exhaust resulted in CO poisoning and the death of teak surfers. “Teak Surfing” places the individual in position directly exposed to the CO in the engine’s exhaust. This may result in a loss of coherent responses and even death.

This is so sad and tragic since it was preventable. From the article it sounds like the child was with friends - I can only imagine the lawsuit that will result and the grief that both families will be dealing with.

It's simple - DO NOT ALLOW ANYONE TO PLAY ON OR AROUND THE SWIMSTEP WHILE THE BOAT IS UNDER WAY. CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 12 MUST WEAR A COAST GUARD APPROVED PFD AT ALL TIME WHEN THE BOAT IS UNDERWAY.

Whoa, Peter! I was only making generalizations, not quoting you or referring to your thread in particular?
Now that I think about it though, if the boat is in motion doesn't that expose the exhaust? You can't see carbon monoxide, so how would you know? I mean unless you teak surf at 3-5 knots it might pass underneath (I have never tried, so don't know?) but I would imagine any faster while that close to the exhaust you are bound to be subjected to plenty of fumes.......?
Anyhow, no hard feelings to you mate, I am just frustrated by the frivilous deaths that occur by these stupidities.

Does this apply to "surfing" on my landlock right off the back of my boat? I've done that for hours and not had CO problems???

I think that is different Bradley......

When exposed 5'-6' above the surface of the water and the boat is in motion you are receiving a continuous flow of fresh oxygen to rejuvenite the blood.

However, when lying directly in the path of poisonous gas near the water's surface, where it is strongest the effects are going to much greater, much faster....

I am absolutely no expert, but have studied the effects of smoke created by fires and the oxygen mixtures used for cabin pressurization when flying.

This link might help answer some of our questions:
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/466.html

that's why I never heard of wakesurfing, I maybe a bit of a stoner but I am not ••••••• stupid, that and I am too busy riding my wakeboards etc. Unless you can get an awesome buzz off the.... hold on i gotta go try something out.

Well the only time I have hung off the platform is pulling into the yacht so we are going under 5 mph, while passing the other houseboats and yachts.

It sound's by the amount of people that have posted here that teak sufring is an accepatable thing to do under the right conditions (peter) I understand that given the proper safty measuers somthing that is very dangerous can be made farily safe. However I don't know if there is anything we can do becides "Not Teak Sufring" that can prevent this type of accident, I don't Know if the New Centurion with sidepipe exaust was made for this type of thing (teak surfing) in Disquize, or it the Bad gasses would just creep around the side of the boat and get you anyways From every thing I had heard Teak sufring was "Very Dangerous" and should never be done under and conditions?? I also understand that with everything we do there is sertan risk. The question is? Is the risk worth the gain?

my 2002 malibu has a sticker on the transom warning against this.

I saw a centurion ad in the waterski mag buyers guide with the exhaust vented to each side of the rear rather than under the platform - for wake surfing. Isn't that a "captains call" or is that where you can cut to either above or below water exhaust?

well I havent ever teak surfed b4, but we used to body surf just by holding onto the towrope and driving, instead of holding onto the swim platform.

Florida law: A child under the age of six (6) must wear a U.S.C.G. approved Type I, II, or III personal flotation device while onboard a vessel under 26 feet in length while the vessel is underway. “Underway” is defined as anytime except when the vessel is anchored, moored, made fast to the shore, or aground.
No i dont make my 10 yr old who can swim wear a vest in the boat.

Bob- California law is 12 and under.

Umm, doesn't anyone worry about being near the prop? It sounds to me that ppl that do this kind of thing are the same people that thought vehicle surfing was fun too. Next time, why not try securing a rope around your ankles and get a fresh water enema. Doesn't that sound like fun!

uuuuhhhhhh greg- the prop is underneath the boat in the middle. not like your inboard\outboard fishing boat. teak surfing can be fun when done right. bottom line is lifejackets save lives.

It's not just when the boat is moving. You shouldn't be hanging out on the swim step with the motor running. I would think idling in neutral is more dangerous than being at speed. I think that explains why no vest for this last victim. They were probabaly just hanging out in neutral with the motor running when this kid was overcome by the fumes. I just can;t see any parent letting there 6 year old hang out on the platform of a moving boat. Then again I've seen some real maroons pulling tubes with there kids in them way to close to other boats. Alot of peeps keep the motor running as they hang out and play the stereo for fear of running the battery down. If the motor is running, expecially in neutral and not moving, you shouldn't be on the swim platform for prolonged periods.

I do it a lot when I have to "drain the ballast" and we are in a no wake zone in route to the ramp. Hope in and then hop out.

Bob,
Can your 10 year old swim when he is passed out?
My brother in law was lying unconscience floating face dow in the water on Memorial Day. He had a life jacket on.
My friend at 18 years old drowned after hitting her head on a rock and slipping unsconscience into the river. She was a swim team champion.

Your kid, your conscience.

http://www.thekcrachannel.com/news/2247177/detail.html

Correct Craft sent us our warning about this a couple of years ago when teak surfing was brand new. Also, there is a warning sticker on the drivers dash pod and on the back of the boat. Gee I wonder why CC has so many warning stickers!
It's because there are so many idiots in the world.
It's too bad it cost a child his life and a lifetime of grief and heartache for parents and all involved.

Nautique_driver : So since your not superwoman you wear your jacket in the boat also right? What makes you so special that you dont have to wear a vest in the boat and my 10 yr old who can swim does, while in the boat like i clearly stated above? I do feel for the boys family since this is clearly something that people are not made as aware of as they should be. Heck ski boats have been around for how long and they are just getting around to putting warning info out about the dangers of hanging out back there. We get so flooded with information about boating sometimes its difficult to discern what is worthwhile info and what isnt. Heck the gas is odorless, invisible, and tasteless. Lets all make an effort to pass this to others so it doesnt happen again.

WEAR A LIFE VEST, THAT IS WHY THEY ARE CALLED "LIFE" VESTS!

This is off subject, but did anyone catch what the woman's name was that wrote the article.......click on this link and look. HAHA.....its fu@%ing priceless! HAH
http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/story/6757521p-7708447c.html

Did anybody else see the KCRA Channel 3quickie blurb on it last night? Wasnt trying to start a bebate when I posted this thread. Just wanted to get the word out that this is dangerous, more common than most think and just plain careless.

Rick

Instigator

To Peter Chandler and others who think teak surfing is OK if the fumes "pass under you".

Take a look at this link CO2 Poisoning Accidents. The second section is titled "Outdoor CO Poisonings on Cabin Cruisers and Ski Boats – U.S. Waters" Take a look and you will find several accidents that have occur While the victim was properly sitting in the rear seat inside the boat while the boat was moving! Now tell me that it is safe to have your face down on the platform when the exhaust can be strong enough to kill people properly seated in the rear seats while under way.

I'm not trying to be a jerk about this, but you really need to wake up and realize that what you are doing IS dangerous. I don't care if you do it or not, but don't fool yourself into a false sense of security. You may pay for it with your life.

HAHA.....JOCELYN WIENER !!!! HAHA
OH ••••....I THINK I JUST PEED MYSELF.

Brian,
That report is alarming! It certainly opened my eyes to how quickly C02 poisonings can occur. We'll be shutting the motor down prior to anyone boarding/exiting the boat. Thanks.

B-

Did anyone notice Rob Struharik teak surfing behind his Supra in the credits for Free 4 All?

Not trying to nit pick, but it's CO (carbon monoxide) not CO2 (carbon dioxide) that's the problem.

If you don't think it's a problem, watch the video that the local TV station did http://www.thekcrachannel.com/news/2247177/detail.html

They measured the CO level at the rear of the boat and even at 20mph it was at dangerous, if not lethal, levels. At lower speeds it's only a matter of time before you pass out.

so thats why they are required to put carbon monoxide detectors in cuddy cabins??

Did anyone see the piece on one of the major networks last night, I can't remember which one. But it was talking about this issue, and the fact a lawyer is filing a class action lawsuit today against 15 or so boat manufactures? C.C. is one of the only ones not getting hit with the lawsuit, because they are one of the few if not the only boat manufacturer with a warning posted on the back.

At the Delta we would have people kicking back on the swim step as we passed through the 5 mph zones, there is a lot of them, we would call it a prop check. LOL But it's brought on by lots of beer consumption, so they feel they need to check the prop. Yeah right, LOL Anyway, does this present the same problem as teak surfing? Until this came out about the teak surfing, I had never thought about it being dangerous, "sitting on swim step while boat is going slow".

Probably a warning sticker on the back is a good thing, one that could be peeled off later. I hate when they put the warnings into the gelcoat. That is how ATVs became, now when you buy one now it looks like a NASCAR with warnings all over.

Cheers

I just looked at the transom of my '99 Malibu, and there's a carbon monoxide warning sticker there.

I suppose this lawsuit will ensure that we will all pay significantly more for our next boat. More taxes, also. Seems like common sense to me, but the legal system makes it easy for people to profit by assigning blame to someone else.

I don't know if they are looking for money, or just to get the manufacturers to comply and place warnings on the boats. I am sure the people's families of the individuals that drowned, will go for money. I bet the manufacturers have not agreed to place the stickers on the boats because in a way it's an admission on their part that they should have been on there to begin with, that does not look good for any pending lawsuits.

I guess the next sticker will look like this "laying out on the sundeck, with no sun tan lotion, can cause sunburn" Where will it stop? LOL

They should do it in this case and move on.

Cheers

I recently read of a suit a person was filing because their spouse got chopped up by a prop, it was calling for a gaurd around the prop on boats. This was just a few months ago.

Jonathan - take a look at the article that I linked in my post. I think you would be surprised at the number of accidents that occurred while the person was just sitting on the platform while the boat was underway. A lot of them happened in a matter or minutes (under 3 usually). That article really opened my eyes to the dangers of CO poisoning.

Thanks, very good information, it's scary to think I have never thought of that and have been guilty of letting people hang back there in the past. I wish there was something they could do to fix the problem. Of course without raising the prices we pay for a boat too much. To me that was one of the bonuses of an IB, was being able to kick back there and shoot the sh** while you are cruising through slow areas. Especially when you spend a whole day on the Delta having a good time and you hit these 5MPH zones and it never fails that someone wants to get out to do a "prop check"

I was looking in the Tige' owners manual yesterday after reading and responding to this post. Here is the exact quote from the owners manual "Always turn off engine if swimmers or skiers are on or near the swim platform. A propeller accident or carbon monoxide poisoning can occur"

They do have a warning, but maybe a little more specific and more than one paragraph on the subject. Warning sticker on the back, maybe, but people will probably peel it off and that doesn't help the next owner to know of the dangers. we just need to get the word out.

Cheers

There is one advantage of an I/O then, exhaust is vented into the water 3' down and not straight out the back of the transom?? Poor fishies

Since 1995 our company has been manufacturing boating safety devices to mitigate and/or eliminate both propeller strike and carbon monoxide poisoning accidents. All our products are very affordable, reinforce boating safety education and stickers, and provide peace of mind from these types of accidents. See us at www.maritechsafety.com!

St. Louis local news had a warning about it last night. They were down at our local river talking to fishermen with john boats and outboards... asking them if they knew how dangerous it was to hang off the back of their boats. Then they had a firefighter measure the CO readings while holding the meter right up against the back of the outboard motor and then again in the boat... showing everyone how dangerous it was to put your face up against the back of an outboad motor while running!

No mention of inboard boats, no explanating of teak surfing, other than the name... "a new dangerous sport called teak surfing... where people get dragged in the water right behind the boat" I can't wait for all of the wallies out there that are going to get cut up by outboards now trying it! Thats Missouri for ya!

Associated Press, June 15, 2003

SACRAMENTO – When the autopsy on 11-year-old Anthony Farr came back last week, it confirmed his parents' suspicion: the young boy, who drowned May 28 while bodysurfing behind a ski boat, had been overcome by carbon monoxide.

His parents were angered to find out that in recent years, dozens of deaths have been linked to carbon monoxide poisoning on or near ski boats.

Most of the victims have been children. Many, like Anthony, were "teak surfing," or riding wakes while holding on to the swim boards of slow-moving boats.

A Southern California law firm, Welebir and McCune, announced a class-action lawsuit against several ski boat companies over a week ago.

The suit includes Calabria –– which made the boat Anthony was surfing from –– and industry giant MasterCraft. The lawsuit was brought on by the death of 15-year-old Stacey Beckett of Ontario, Calif., who died while surfing behind a MasterCraft ski boat in Mexico.

The suit charges ski boat manufacturers with failing to warn the public about the risks of the boats, and with not redesigning them to do away with the dangers.

"These inboard ski boats – because of the fact that propellers were set so far underneath the hull and because the swim steps are on the back – are creating an area where the boating public is likely to be when the boat is operating," said David Wright, an attorney with Welebir and McCune.

A study released by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in March reports that 93 deaths in and around boats have been tied to carbon monoxide since 1990.

Manufacturers say that drownings often have been linked to misuse of the boats.

"Really, it's common knowledge that you stay away from that platform with the engine running," said John Dorton, president and CEO of MasterCraft. "The boat was never designed for that activity."

This is very unfortunate!!! Excuse me while I vent.........

To me it's just common sense not to "surf" on back of the platform. I would NOT allow this in back of my boat that is for sure!! And personally, I think the driver of every boat should be held accountable for enforcing responsible behavior within his/her boat. Who in their right mind would allow an 11 year old "kid" teak surf in back of their boat, let alone without a life jacket on?

I wanna see someone with the balls to do this behinde an outboard... screw CO2, i think we got more problems here...