Boat Accident - Boat runs over 4 people

[MacGyver]

A copy /paste from Screem and Fly:
http://forums.screamandfly.com/showt...-over-4-people



This past Saturday, 5 young people were in a lake skiff, out on Lake Maurepas. They decided to stop and jump in the lake to swim before coming in to a local restaurant for lunch. 4 of the 5 people jumped in and apparently the last person hit the throttle / shifter of the boat, which was still running and in neutral.

The boat took off, circled and ran over the 4 people in the water. The boat ran for 40 minutes before running out of gas. Three of the people were severely injured and drowned. One was cut badly on his arm and broken hip, and life flighted out. One guy was unharmed. The young man that died was 24 years old, two girls, 20 and 14 died. One of the girls had a life jacket on, but fatally injured by the boat. The other two were 24 and 26 years old.

This is a freakish accident that should not have ever happened. Young people that are no longer with their friends and families. This is one of those instances of something simple and seemingly innocent turned very deadly.

One of my co-workers is on the voluntary fire fighter /rescue teams down here. He and his wife. They were in one of the rescue boats that found two of the bodies after the accident on Sunday.. One of the deceased young men was my co-workers wife’s' nephew. They stayed on the scene 25 hours attempting to locate the other missing person. The last person was found Monday morning.


Be careful out there folks. Please say a prayer for the victims and their families / friends.

[clayinaustin]

All they had to do was turn off the engine before anyone got into the water.

So sad...

[GENERAL LEE]

That's terrible, and the most bizzare incident I've ever heard of happening to someone on the water, maybe even on land.

I just can't exactly picture how someone could hit the throttle, which is positioned midway through the boat, and for one, get it to go into gear, when there is a "button/lever" that generally has to be engaged simultaniously when shifting (similar to a car's gear shifter) if it's a throttle that does both shifting AND increases the fuel? That's absolutely a one in a million incident, that couldn't be repeated if you tried it again all day. How awful.

[Hammer01]

Exactly Brandon, and who does let 4 people into the water, one being a child with the motor running??? I don't get these things!!!! Horrible outcome!

[DAREDEVIL]

That's terrible, and the most bizzare incident I've ever heard of happening to someone on the water, maybe even on land.

I just can't exactly picture how someone could hit the throttle, which is positioned midway through the boat, and for one, get it to go into gear, when there is a "button/lever" that generally has to be engaged simultaniously when shifting (similar to a car's gear shifter) if it's a throttle that does both shifting AND increases the fuel? That's absolutely a one in a million incident, that couldn't be repeated if you tried it again all day. How awful.

I hate to tell u ..as sad as this accident is.....but the button is to work the throttle only..if u hit the lever it will go in gear and throttle up !!

Still very stupid......to leave the engine running and go for a swimm!

[Slandrew]

Thats a horror sad!RIP

[Trim'd Up]

I hate to tell u ..as sad as this accident is.....but the button is to work the throttle only..if u hit the lever it will go in gear and throttle up !!

Still very stupid......to leave the engine running and go for a swimm!

Hate to tell you, but your wrong. Single controls have a button you have to squeeze on the top to kick it in gear.

[Trim'd Up]

I hate to tell u ..as sad as this accident is.....but the button is to work the throttle only..if u hit the lever it will go in gear and throttle up !!

Still very stupid......to leave the engine running and go for a swimm!

Hate to tell you, but your wrong. Single controls (except some really old ones) have a button you have to squeeze on the top to kick it in gear.

[DAREDEVIL]

Hate to tell you, but your wrong. Single controls have a button you have to squeeze on the top to kick it in gear.

The older ones do not ....they have a button u squeeze to pull the lever and only throttle !!!!!!