Man caught in propeller - Lake Sonoma

http://cbs5.com/localwire/localfsnews/bcn/2007/05/06/n/HeadlineNews/FATAL-BOATING/resources_bcn_html

Sounds like a pretty unfortunate day for everyone involved in this situation.

I just wanted to bring this news article to attention since a moment of inattention could land us all in this situation. We can all take a piece of this and remember to double check the location of our passengers before maneuvering.

Maybe "G", Grant, Mr Bling's idea of a back-up camera is a pretty good idea.

Wow, that really sucks. Accidents like that happen real quick - gotta be careful out there.

Not a real good weekend. Another guy fell out of the boat and never surfaced at Clearlake Saturday.

Lets send our thoughts to the familes who are suffering and a reminder to fellow boaters to be careful and responsible. Unfortunately we need a grim reminder like this to bring safety to the forefront again.

i saw that on the news, that sucks. I am wondering if he got caught in the prop and then drowned or got cut by the pop and died? What sucks even more is the driver may have had one too many but even then i doubt the alcohol had much to do with that one time " oh just sit on the platform while i back up it's no big deal this one time" and that is all it took. I am sure we have all let our better judgement slip in the name of being lazy. Either way this is a lesson for all of us to stick to our rules and good judgement, his death will not be in vain

Terrible story - thoughts and prayers go out to the people and families involved.

A bad story.

Quote: What sucks even more is the driver may have had one too many but even then i doubt the alcohol had much to do with that one time " oh just sit on the platform while i back up it's no big deal this one time" and that is all it took.

No way would I back up a boat with someone on the swim platform. And even if the alcohol didn't have anything to do with it then it may have affected him when he was trying to help/rescue the guy. I'm sure most people could drive a boat reasonably well if they've had a few to drink but if something out of the ordinary comes up then that's when problems start.

Another: I am sure we have all let our better judgement slip in the name of being lazy.

I agree with this, but also our better judgement slips even more when there is alcohol involved.

I've seen a fair few threads recently with people whining about the cops pulling them over. And then I've heard/read a fair few stories about accidents with alcohol involved. The more cops on the water the better IMO.

yea, i dont mind the boat cops, one told my friend not to sit on the sun pad while we were idling out and I didnt even notice he was sitting there. I was glad that they were there to remind us. d

Wow that really sucks. We have also have someone sitting on the side of the boat when a cop came over and told us that it is considered gunnel riding and is illegal for this very reason.

In no way am I diminishing the tragic accident that occurred but the more cops the better? Maybe the government should require each boater to hire an onboard safety ombudsman.

There is a fine line between a safety patrol and harassment and on busy weekends with full force law enforcement, harassment seems to become the norm.

Ya, but alcohal related boat accidents are also becoming the "norm" in comparison to other boat accidents. Also if the cops "harassing" people helps them to come upon people who have had to many drinks and getting them off the water in an attempt to prevent tragic accidents like this one, i will live with cops bothering us.

well put eric. i hate it when something tragic happens and alcohol is involved. no excuse

here is more info:
The driver of the boat, Will Dawson, 25, of Petaluma, was arrested on suspicion of boating under the influence of alcohol with injury and was booked into the Sonoma County Jail, Sheriff's Lt. Greg Contos said. He was being held on $10,000 bail.

A passenger, Eric Brandon, 26, was arrested on suspicion of being under the influence, Contos said. He was being held on $1,000 bail.

He said the victim's name was being withheld pending notification of relatives.

The accident occurred when the victim, who had been sitting on the rear deck of the boat, fell off while the boat was backing up near Rattlesnake Island in the southern portion of the lake, Contos said.

The man was caught in the boat's propeller and was killed, he said.

"He had some pretty severe trauma to his abdominal area from the propeller," Contos said.

A deputy in a sheriff's patrol boat was alerted to the accident at 3:44 p.m. by another boater. The Sheriff's Department helicopter and an Army Corps of Engineer marine unit also responded.

The helicopter landed on Rattlesnake Island, and Sgt. Eric Thomson, who supervises the helicopter unit, swam under the boat to free the body from the propeller, Contos said.

The victim was pronounced dead at the scene, he said.

Bob Stender of Santa Rosa and his family, who were on the lake to celebrate an early Mother's Day, stopped to offer help when they saw the sheriff's patrol boat tied to the ski boat and realized there had been an accident. His daughter is a cardiac nurse.

But he said a group of young people on the ski boat indicated it was too late.

Anyone with information about the accident is asked to contact Sgt. Robert Pacheco at 433-0728.


so there were more than just the 3 guys in the boat...

(Message edited by bftskir on May 08, 2007)

since when is it against the law to be a passenger in a boat and be intoxicated? CA ?????

thats what I was thinking, why was the passenger arrested. The details are kind of sketchy.

I do not think more police protection would have eliminated the accident. If alcohol problems have become the norm the solution becomes similar to automobiles. Toughen the laws and penalties and eliminate it from boats. That will decrease the number of incidents. I would hope people will be more responsible because I would hate to see it get to that point.

Bob and Jason...in California you cannot be intoxicated in public where you are unable to care for yourself. And if he was under the influence of a narcotic, then he is free game any which way. If we can live in a society where people take into consideration their actions and how it may effect others, then I'll be glad to see less officers on the water. However, with boating in California on the increase with more yahoos now owning boats, I'm all for more police prescense. Remember, even though this incident was confined to the members on his boat...what if it involved others who are sharing the waterways. I'd hate to have my crew and I get injured from irresponsible people on the water.

I definetely here you about all the yahoo in Cali. The passenger had to be really rowdy and got something like a drunk in public.

From the cops perspective someone just died. I'm taking notes on everything that happened because I know the lawyers are on their way.

And for the rest of us boaters and increase in Mastercraft prices because don't think for a second that Mastercraft is not in some way partly responsible.