Wakeboarder presumed dead in MD

(drewdown) · (drewdown) **Join Date: Jun 2006** 07-23-2006, 8:12 AM

Story here:

http://wjz.com/topstories/local_story_203213956.html

Wakeboarder Presumed Dead After Being Hit By Boat
(WJZ) MILLERSVILLE, Md. WJZ.com has learned Department of Natural Resources officials will begin a recovery operation for an Arlington, Va. man who went missing in the Severn River after being hit by a boat early Saturday night.

Anne Arundel County Fire Chief Steve Thompson tells WJZ's Peggy Lee that the 24-year-old man was riding a wakeboard pulled by his friend's boat when he fell off the board about 6 p.m. Saturday. After motioning for his friend to turn around and pick him up, another boat hit the man. The boat that collided with the man then stopped immediately after the man went under water and dropped its anchor to mark the location of the collision.

Search and rescue teams arrived at the scene, but divers could not locate the victim. The search was later called off and DNR officials will begin a recovery mission tomorrow morning, which means the man is presumed dead.

Authorities are waiting to notify the victim's family before releasing his name.

Happened yesterday.

(bendow) · (bendow) **Join Date: Sep 2005** 07-23-2006, 8:45 AM

that sucks. I don't understand why they can't find him. guess he didn't have a vest on?

(ghostrider_2) · (ghostrider_2) **Join Date: Aug 2004** 07-23-2006, 9:41 AM

no vest!? maybe still stuck under the boat?

, I've heard of worse..

(tomcalabria) · (tomcalabria) **Join Date: Feb 2006** 07-23-2006, 9:49 AM

How did he fall off a wakeboard? Was he wakeskating or surfing? It sucks to have to have three people on board to wakeboard but maybe in times like this we know why. A flag might have saved his life.

wakelvr 07-23-2006, 10:26 AM

(peter_c) · (peter_c) **Join Date: Sep 2001** 07-23-2006, 4:58 PM

Tom, California is one of the few states that require a flag and it's possible it could have saved his life.

(njskier) · (njskier) **Join Date: Jul 2005** 07-23-2006, 5:08 PM

Flags are required in NJ as well. Not such a bad idea.

Prayers go out to the family. What a horrible tragedy. :-(

My son and I always wear our red vests, just for this reason.

Everybody be careful out there! The waterways are getting more crowded all the time. I prefer riding early mornings(weekends) and weekday evenings, better water and less boat traffic!)

(jim_b) · (jim_b) **Join Date: Jul 2005** 07-23-2006, 5:32 PM

The wakeboarding family has lost a Brother.

Prayers go out to his family and friends.

(ethomass) · (ethomass) **Join Date: Apr 2005** 07-23-2006, 6:04 PM

Today I was down at the ramp where they had recovered his body (it was a private pool with a ramp that the DNR was using). The vest was torn off during the accident. They found his body within an hour and a half of looking using some new equipment. Body was still attached to the board.

This is a reason MD sound adopt the flag as a requirement.

(tarkus70) · (tarkus70) **Join Date: Jan 2006** 07-23-2006, 6:43 PM

Not Good it is a sad day

(dreevs) · (dreevs) **Join Date: Jul 2002** 07-24-2006, 5:26 AM

truley a sad day.

(hoosairboy) · (hoosairboy) **Join Date: Aug 2005** 07-24-2006, 7:13 AM

How would a flag have helped? What were the circumstances?

(uppledup17) · (uppledup17) **Join Date: Sep 2005** 07-24-2006, 7:14 AM

Yeah I am curious how close the trailing boat was to the rider????

(gpalovcak) · (gpalovcak) **Join Date: May 2003** 07-24-2006, 9:27 AM

I also wonder about the flag. How many other boaters besides skiers, wakeboarders and tubers even know about it or pay attention to it. We are always very aware of other boats around us when somebody it getting pulled.