Biloxi / Gulfport Personal Injury Lawyer - boating safety

June is boating safety month at Injury Board

Gerry McGill — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 13:57:48 GMT

June is boating safety month at Injury Board but for those of us who own or use small boats, every month should be boating safety month. I have earlier blogged on the dangers of improper anchoring, overloaded boats, improper or careless operation and the fact that your overturned boat is your best lifejacket. But by far the most important blog was about the need for wearing life jackets particularly when the weather turns bad. The U.S. Coast Guard believes that 80% of boat overturning drowning deaths could be prevented by wearing lifejackets.

In order to be most effective, life jackets should properly maintained and equipped. They should be inspected at least at the start of every boating season. Those with frayed or rotted straps and fasteners should be discarded. If you plan to carry children onboard you should provide size appropriate life jackets. All lifejackets should have a waterproof flashlight and a whistle attached them. This will greatly help rescue efforts at night or in the fog. In addition, when I was in the Coast Guard I recommended attaching a folded black, heavy duty leaf or trash bag to the life jacket. Once you are in the water, you should pull the bag up over your legs and tie it off at the waist. This will help stave off hypothermia as your body heat which is given off will warm the water in the bag. Don't worry about swimming in a life jacket as it's not practical and rapidly burns calories which you will need for survival.

Finally if you would like a free courtesy boat and equipment inspection contact your local Coast Guard Auxillary or Power Squadron.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Gerry McGill

Five killed, nine seriously injured in Florida Boat Crash

Gerry McGill — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 18:23:24 GMT

Five persons were killed and nine others were seriously injured when a 22 foot Crownline boat rammed a docked tugboat in the Intracoastal Waterway near St. Augustine, Florida about 6:30 p.m. Sunday, April 12, 2009. Investigators with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (which includes what was formerly the Marine Patrol) said the 22 foot boat was heading north when it hit the starboard side of the 25 foot tug which was tied to a dock with no one onboard.

Reporters were not permitted to view the accident scene. Many of their questions remained unanswered "pending investigation". Among others: Why were so many people packed on such a small boat? How fast were the going? And, were lights required and were there any lights on either vessel?

Lt. Steve Zukowsky of the Commission's Division of Law Enforcement said: "It's always tragic when you have fatalities. But we're going to do our due diligence. This is a possible crime scene."

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Gerry McGill

Man Drowns After Boat Capsizes Off Panama City, Florida

Gerry McGill — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 10:56:00 GMT

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reported that a man drowned over the weekend off of Panama City, Florida as rough weather pounded the Florida Panhandle. The victim was identified as 55 year-old Morris Miller of Tallahassee. Miller and 33 year-old Archie White were in a 21 foot boat that capsized Saturday afternoon. White was able to swim to nearby Shell Island but Miller's body was found by rescue workers around 6 p.m. Saturday.

Despite the fact that a National Weather Service "high surf advisory" warning of rip currents and high winds was in effect at the time, NEITHER MAN WAS WEARING A LIFE JACKET. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission on it's website : myfwc.com recommends operators and passengers wear life jackets all the time while underway, noting that "The U.S. Coast Guard estimates that life jackets could have saved the lives of over 80% of boating fatality victims". That certainly seems to be the case here.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Gerry McGill

Report Issued: Improper anchoring caused boat to capsize in Gulf

Gerry McGill — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 12:06:23 GMT

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has released a report concluding that a deadly boating accident that took the lives of two NFL players and another friend was caused by improper anchoring and also cited carelessness and operator inexperience. The combination of errors occurred as a storm front was moving in, making the seas very rough.

In an in-depth interview with Nick Schuyler, the sole survivor, he stated that early in the morning of February 28, 2009 the four men departed from Clearwater Pass near Tampa, Florida to go offshore fishing for amberjack. They went more than 50 miles offshore in NFL player Marquis Cooper's 21 foot boat. About 5:30 p.m. they tried to pull up the anchor but it was stuck. One of the men suggested that they tie the anchor to the transom at the stern of the boat and surge forward to try to loosen it. When they tried to surge forward the vessel became submerged and capsized, throwing the men overboard. The four men tried to upright the boat but were unsuccessful. Schuyler was rescued two days later clinging to the motor of the capsized boat but the other three men have not been found. The three missing men were wearing lifejackets but became separated from the boat.

The Coast Guard searched extensively with vessels and planes but called off the search after three days because the water temperature was cold enough that anyone in the water would have succumbed to hypothermia.

This tragedy illustrates several safety considerations. First, particularly when you are far out in the Gulf keep a very close watch on the weather and sea conditions as they can change very quickly. Second, have a radio to monitor the weather channels. Third, never try to break an anchor line loose in bad weather by securing it to the stern because surging forward will cause the stern to go down as it apparently did in this case. Finally, if you can't get the anchor up and the weather and seas are getting bad, cut the anchor line. Boat anchors are not that expensive, certainly not at the risk of losing your boat or your life.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Gerry McGill