Check this out! Lake Tapps accident

White supra over the top of a bayliner or something. 9 injured 1 dead.

http://www.king5.com/topstories/stories/NW_092908WAB_lake_tapps_water_rescue_TP.c6a174bb.h tml

How quick a fun night can change! Best wishes to friends and family's!

damn, Lake Tapps would be a crazy lake to drive fast at night on. That is too bad.

As a reminder to everybody if you are on the water after sunset turn your anchor and navigation lights on and use common sense when it comes to speed.

My heart goes out to them. This should be a reminder to all that we need to be safe. This makes 2 boating deaths here in WA. In less than a week..

Yeah that is terrible... Was the suspect a wakeworlder?

Sounds like common sense went out the window as soon as the boat docked at the bar/restaurant

This will continue to happen as long as people, like many that post on WW, have the BS attitude that driving drunk is ok. Lakes dont kill people, boats do not kill people, it's dumb @$$ people that think they are above the law, and feel they are being harassed when stopped for a BWI check. Truth is you are too stupid to realize they are protecting us from YOU!!!

Sad part is, this was not an "accident", my thoughts and pryers go out to the victims.

Who cares if it was a wakeboarder or not, the guy was wrong driving that fast and most of all have been drinking. If you are adult enough to own a boat, be adult enough the be responsable. If another boater or anybody ever did harm to my wife and son and had been drinking and known better, they would NOT have to worry about a trial for him! He or she would not be alive to make it.

tragic....people are sooo stupid.

but the supra didn't even looked scratched, the windshield was broke maybe, but thats a well build boat.

http://www.king5.com/topstories/stories/NW_092908WAB_sailboat_collision_fatal_TP.c557584e. html

From the same paper.. School teacher dies after 17 year old collides with sailboat..

The dude on the video says "people are hot rodding all the time", give me a break cause 25 mph is not hot rodding, even at night. I feel sorry for all the injured and the family of the guy that passed. Its common sense to have a spotter(with spot light) when running at night, either could have prevented this. Ill reserve judgement on ultimate guilt till all the facts are presented. If you drive at night have a spot light to let the others around you know your there because depth perception is sketchy, at best, at night.

c mon Bob get real, 25 is too fast at night, its 5 times the speed limit...in this case, as in others, speed kills.

Another bummer about people going faster than 5mph at night is Wake surf size rollers. You can't see them. People think its ok to go 7-10mph @ night. Sure going that slow your not going to do to much dammage if you hit somthing or you might be able to avoid a object or boat going that slow but the Phantom rollers that your sending down the lake while other people are driving slow are dangerous.
I have been swamped several time's at night rolling to the resort and some dumbA$$ going 8mph throw's a roller over my bow because I didn't see it comming. I bet the people throwing the wake didn't even know what they had done or were doing.

Personally I don't think it's a good idea to go over 5mph at night because not everyone is on the same page. Some people know what they are doing and other's don't Some people have bow and transom light's and other don't. Im sure you will be able to see and avoid someone with nav lights , It's just the guy in a parked fishing boat or guy in a kayak with no lights at all that make me wonder. Guys in Florida with high powerd lights and a spotter and nav units are at a diffrent level they know what they are doing.

This is just a sad situation. Amazing how 1 idiot can ruin what was most likely a great evening on the boat.

we go over 5mph all the time in the delta its a federal water way so its safe navigational speed. I asked a marine sherrif they said as long as your not driving eraticly(sp) your cool.

To bad for this though thats why having your lights on is so important

Grant even in a canoe or John boat you need an anchor light at night, at least in florida. Andy we will have to agree to disagree about what speed YOU think is safe at night. I would put this in the same category whereas so many people who dont have go-fast boats think they are speeding or going too fast, thats your opinion. Speed is a relative number and, from the sound of it, this lake was NOT properly posted as far as the limit goes. How about some personal responsibility instead of regulating everything we say, do, and buy? We can debate this to no end but when emotions run high you never know where things are going. You know what, maybe its just too unsafe to even be on the water after sunset so maybe we need a law preventing all recreational boats from being on the water after sunset or before sunrise, realy where does it end?
I have been navigating at night in familiar and unfamiliar waters for over 7 years, on and off plane.

Id like to add that I believe there would be way harsher criticism of the driver if it was the bayliner that ran over the supra. Pay attention and have a spotter during the night and day. Life can be over in the blink of an eye so teach your friends and family the right way to do things so we are all safe.

Bob: I know any boat on the water at night is suposed to have a light but that doesn’t mean people do it. Most lakes don't have the lake police after dark so people can sort do what they want. And if your running in stealth mode how can most people or the cop's see you. Like I said not everyone is on the same page when it comes to skill and common sense about driving on the lake @ night. Kind of like talking on the cell phone and driving. I can do it no problem its safe for me but maybe not for you? Cant say I would be all that upset if they made a 5-mph rule @ night.

The speed limit on our lake is 30. If I am running at night, I hit the horn every so often in case fishermen are sitting blacked out. Last weekend we were cruising along, I was standing up, and I got hit in the face with a bat! Boy was he pissed flapping around on the floor.

I find it helpful to have a pair of night vision goggles (NVGs) when I'm cruising at night.

Nick :

tragic....people are sooo stupid.

but the supra didn't even looked scratched, the windshield was broke maybe, but thats a well build boat.


'' Wow i think that comment should be in another topic IMO ''

When operating a boat, you are the captain or pilot of a vessel under the Navigation Rules. On a lake, you are under the Inland Rules. You are responsible for an adaquate watch and a speed to match the conditions. You can only travel as fast as you can see and your watercraft can react to whatever situation is presented. That may be a log in the water, another boat, a drunk swimmer, etc.

At night, only as much speed as you need to manuver. Typically, that is clutch-in or slower. You cannot assume that the other vessel is following the rules and are properly lit. Even if they do have an anchor light, at night, you have almost no depth perception until a collision cannot be avoided.

If you have never committed the Nav Rules to memory, take the class, pay attention, and act like an adult. Just because a license is not required, it does not mean you don't need the knowledge.

Right on, Karl.

Thanks Karl. Too many people are too arrogant in their boats.