Jetski strikes again

Just read this in the morning paper. Very scary. http://www.appeal-democrat.com/news/sheriff_67637___article.html/mosquito_fatal.html

Alcohol again! When will these stupid bastards figure out booze, boats or watercraft don't mix!

The ramp where we launch is full of idiots drunk and driving jetskis, and they tear away from the dock all the time with kids swimming all over the place.

this is disgusting....i cant even imagine how I would react if my 3 yr old niece had this happen to her.....tragic

There's a bunch of holes in this story.

Nick...you're probably smarter than to be drinking while you allow your 3 y/o niece to swim with no floation device, three feet from you while a jet ski charges toward her at 15-20 mph.

WTF?

''The 3-year-old wasn’t wearing a personal flotation device'' DID WE REALLY CARE !!! This boy has been hitten by a watercraft OMG sometimes newspaper are idiots. Sad story some people dont deserve to be on this planet !

Jetskis should be outlawed

Newspapers are idiots no doubt. The kid was standing in 6 inches of water one yard away from its aunt. I didn't know a kid needed a life jacket in this situation or how it would of changed what happened

It's pretty clear that wearing a PFD was irrelevant.

"Jetskis should be outlawed'

That is a wild over reaction Jason. there are lots of guys that wakeskate behind jetski's as well as people that just have fun on them. I think they are fairly expensive toys and would prob never buy one but that doesn't mean they should be outlawed. It's the booze that's the problem

I agree that drinking was the major contributor in this tragedy but the fact that no licenses or training is required, in most states, to operate a jet ski or boat should also be considered.

Yeah, Martin maybe they should look into that. The problem comes back to the booze. Licensed or not, if you are drinking, your judgement, and everything that goes with it is impaired.
When you undergo training or take your license test you are not going to be under the influence.

its bad if ur drunk even worse if you drunk and have no clue what your doing or the laws. for example being drunk driving a stick for the first time driving in the wrong lane or on the side walk

I agree with Chris, Jetski didn't kill this poor kid, a drunk dumb@$$ did.

No amount of training or licensing would have prevented this idiot from getting behind the wheel of a vehicle/water craft drunk. This is just sad as it was no accident, 100% preventable.

and wtf why was this guy trying to drive it up onto shore as to be some sort of badass??? Doesn't he know even if he does it successfully he still looks like a doosh

Chris, maybe I didn't get my point across that there may be no "one" solution, in my opinion. Most states have OUI laws but at least where I live they seem to go unenforced. I personally would require licenses and training that was tied to your normal drivers license, in addition to very strict drinking and operating laws. I would then take away a persons privilege to operate any motorized vehicle, gas, electric, or any other, for life on the first drinking offence. Without licensing and enforcement there is no penalty and therefore nowhere to even start to correct this problem until you are putting someone in prison for life for killing a child. This response does nothing for the family of the dead child and does not even come close to the punishment a person should receive for an offence of this sort.

I saw a group of 21 year olds loading a keg into their X-15 two weeks ago at a local lake while a Sheriff watched. This is every bit as wrong as the jet ski operator being drunk and I don't see any big rants about cutting down on drinking while wakeboarding not to mention a seeming lack of caring for all the photos and films pushing drinking as a natural part of wakeboarding.

One last thought to consider is that without any sort of training requirements, there is a very good chance that the jet ski idiot probably didn't even know how to operate the jet ski.......and he was drunk.

(Message edited by krieg on August 17, 2008)

(Message edited by krieg on August 17, 2008)

(Message edited by krieg on August 17, 2008)

Kegs for ballast!

Here in New Jersey we had to take the class and pay the money for a new cert. and still the waters are loaded with stupid people doing stupid and dangerous moves every time I'm out on the water. That $65 didn't make the dumb people smarter or safer it just raised money for the state is all it did.

"if he does it successfully he still looks like a doosh"

You don't get it. If you are hammered everything you do is cool. In your mind anyway.

i understand that drinking was a major factor inthis situation. however, jetskis are "cheap" in comparison to a boat. any idiot can go buy a jetski for less than 1000 dollars at times. it is very easy to get a jetski and go out on the water. i know that there are some people that use them that are compitant. but most people that use them are ignorant and have no idea what they are doing.

That can also be said about ALOT of people in boats as well.

Req'd training courses and all that while helpful would not prevent this. I doubt drunk driving on a PWC is allowed but that didn't stop this guy. Who honestly thinks more laws/requirements would have prevented this.

YOU CAN'T LEGISLATE COMMON SENSE - I'll never understand why our society puts so much emphasis on new laws, regulations, requirements in all aspects of life. Do we really need anyone telling us to not be a complete moron. Apparently the majority thinks yes.

This is disgusting- honestly there needs to be a licensing for PWC's if someone wished to operate one, and it looks like DUI checkpoints too, but like JB said, you can't legislate common sense.

Why would you ride in that shallow of water, unless you were beaching it, and how could you beach it at 15 mph? Too sad.

not as tragic but this weekend my pops was fishing early in the morning when some jacka$$ flew right by his boat (literally 5 ft) and cut his line. this after my brother had a jetski hit his board when he was in the water after he fell. these people don't know what the F they're doing and somehow manage to get a hold of keys. UNBELIEVABLE