Alcohol, Beginners & Boating

Even if you're not a beginner, not a wise choice.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,359721,00.html

"She was thrown into the lake when her husband took a hard turn at about 30 mph, the deputy said."



What a dumb a*$, that'll teach him not to power turn! That's crazy that it actually cut her arm completely off, ouch....

The same thing happened to us when we were kids, buddies sister was sitting on the front and flew off the side when he cut the wheel after a skier had fallen. The motor luckily hit her in the arm real bad, and did not cut her. Talk about bruises wow. She was ok though eventually.

Here Is the article.

'Assault by Watercraft': Man Charged With Severing Wife's Arm With Ski Boat Propeller

SPOKANE, Wash. — A man driving a 20-foot ski boat on Newman Lake ran over his wife after she was thrown into the water Wednesday and the boat propeller severed her left arm, a Spokane County sheriff's deputy said.

The woman was taken to a nearby hospital and was expected to survive.

Robert Kienel, 27, of Spokane, was arrested for investigation of assault by watercraft, a Class C felony, Marine Deputy Patrick Bloomer said in a statement.

The deputy said the couple took possession of the ski boat Wednesday afternoon and the woman was riding on the boat's bow while the man drove. She was thrown into the lake when her husband took a hard turn at about 30 mph, the deputy said.

The arm, severed below the elbow, apparently sank and emergency crews could not recover it.

Bloomer said the floor of the boat was "littered with empty beer and wine" containers.

The boat was seized as evidence and the case remains under investigation.

I know some people around here that are lucky this or something worse hasn't happened to them.

SAD

I'm totally confused why the driver is being charged with a class C felony.

uh.. cuz he was wasted and operating a boat. Then subsequently chopped off his wife's arm. Sounds like he was in the wrong.

It seems like his wife would have to press charges for him to actually be charged. It may be kinda tough for here to sign the papers with no arm!!

I will usually drink one or two beers before riding max. When I am done I drink all I want and my wife shreds, she always drives the boat and backs the trailer in and drives us home. These threads are cool because it makes you aware of dangers you really don't think of. Be safe when driving and go for it when riding! And yeah what Nacho said!

Or wave goodbye to his powerturning ass!!

At some point, the wife loses the option to press charges (IIRC a trip to the hospital is one condition) and it becomes a state affair. They will press charges on her behalf. I would think she still has civil damages if she's interested.

When you are drunk, hit someone with a car by "accident" and injure or kill someone, regardless of if anyone presses charges, it is a felony. Same with boats in most state I'm guessing.

Dan is right on: "These threads are cool because it makes you aware..."

"These threads are cool because it makes you aware..."

sorry, but if you are already not aware that drinking and boating is not a smart thing, no amount of threads on the topic is going to change your mind. you can't fix stupid.

and making jokes about someone who just lost a limb is in poor taste.

drinking on a boat is just as bad as drinking in a car. people are just ignorant and stubburn. if you have to drink to enjoy wakeboarding then mabye you should find another sport or hobby that is fun on its own.

Sorry, but I find poor and crued humor as some of the best humor there is....maybe that's just me though....

BOOOOOO!!!!!! Mitch there is nothing wrong with drinking just be smart about it YEAH!!!! BEER!!!!
Actually part of our crew was talking about switching to Rum, its less fatning.

You said it summertime! Know the people you're out with and don't be stupid!

technically you can get a dui now adays for drinking and driving a boat! sucks in my opinion!

It's called moderation!

She was sitting on the bow? As in on the gunwale of the bow? That's illegal in all states.

"uh.. cuz he was wasted and operating a boat. Then subsequently chopped off his wife's arm. Sounds like he was in the wrong."

The article said nothing about him drinking. The wife could have been drunk, hence the reason she fell out. The charges have no relation to alcohol. If you were sober and this same thing happened, it sounds like you could be charged, that's bs.

drinking an boating...hum. I heard about this from a friend of the missing girl.

a few years ago a crew was on clear lake (maybe berryessa..dont remember clearly) and cruzing accrss the lake at night. there was a large crew on the boat, and one girl was a little more drunk than the rest, and had been "quarentined" in the bow (maybe not the right term or spelling). I guess it was rough or she had to puke, but when they got to the other side of the lake the girl was "missing". I dont think they ever found her body.

yet another reason to carry some swim goggles on the boat for stuff lost in the water.......

How is it an assault? He probably didn't intentionally run his wife over... It's not like he backed up and hit her again or anything.

Having empty containers isn't really cause to say he'd been drinking or was wasted, and the article doesn't actually say that, he might just be a messy bastard, or maybe they were collecting them from the lake for recycling, to feed the disadvantaged children of the world. It all depends on the circumstances.

(Message edited by jtnz on May 29, 2008)

Someone should have given the guy some of them cooler mug mits that say "not beer" on them. Totally would have disguised the alcohol part...

So is what some of you are saying is that the victum has to press charges? If i am neglegant in driving my boat(ie driving a boat in a manner that causes a person to fall out) then the victum must be the one to press charges?

Interesting. I quess it's better that the person does not survive so they can not press charges then. Is that how it should work?.

When somebody steps on my boat, i am responsible for them till they get out. If need be, becuase my passengers are drunk or kids or dogs that can't hang on, or whatever, i adjust my driving too make sure that everyone gets back to the dock safely.

We were there last night when it happened, didn't know it at the time though. It's a small lake but it was windy so we didn't get very far from the dock before we headed back in. Heard and saw the fire trucks and ambulances driving around the lake but didn't think anything of it. Then when we were leaving we were driving behind the marine sheriff and a tow truck towing the boat. We were joking that someone must have been heavily drinking to get their boat pulled off the lake and because the boat was so cockeyed on the trailer--it was weird though because they had a bag covering the prop. I sure hope they find the arm before I go wakeboarding again!