Tragedy on Lake Texoma

[sailingfool]

Originally Posted by resdog

I'm appalled at the lack of empathy expressed in this thread. The offshore power boat community is deeply saddened by this accident if any of you would care to check in on the larger offshore power boat forums. I am both a sailor and a power boater, so I find this animosity between the two factions unfortunate.

Organized poker runs are not races although there are always individuals who are out to be the fastest boat on the lake, ocean, etc. Excessive speeds on a very crowded holiday weekend should not be permitted and it is up to the poker run organizers to police their participants for both speed and stupidity. I've seen rude and arrogant behavior equally displayed during sailing regattas.

From what I understand this accident was the result of mechanical failure and the boats are to be reconstructed to determine the exact cause.

We should all keep the families involved in this tragedy in our thoughts as fellow boaters.

The animosity ain't about rude and arrogant behavior.

Its about the ruin-your-day, scare-you-sh**less, let-me-tramp-all-over-you, and put-YOUR-life-at-risk operation of high-speed motorboats, and even more, put-ALL-your-kids-lives-at-risk behavior. I personally cannot think of any other activity I experience as a father where I am more keenly aware that my children's lives are being needlesly put at risk by clowns who think their dangerous operation of their boats is OK. It is not Ok.
A near accident in an auto due to another's carelessness ain't as bad, because its unlikely the other party has been purposeful. When one, or the worst, two of these testosterone machines runs down your sailboat's course, where you hear them coming before you see them, and then have to wait minutes until they arrive ALONGSIDE and blur by thirty yards away, any sensible person is in terror, because its only Gods grace that they didn't screw up THIS time, and pass THROUGH you and over your kids, rather than BY you. All that's needed is a moment's distraction.

Last week was an annual local regatta http://hullyc.org/2006_results.html - 100+ sailboats participated. During the first beat, a line of three cigarette boats arrived and made circles around and through the pack of sailboats at what I guess was 50+ knots. On their second cicle they crossed me by about two boat lengths. Fortunately I was steering, so that by the time I realized how close they were coming, I couldn't get one of the SS Lewmar winch handles into my hand until they were out of reach...

I hate that behavior. It dangerous to you and me. It's way beyond rude and arrogant, there's nothing like it in sailing.

[Lakelover]

How can you say that a near miss in an auto accident is not as bad because it is not purposeful. Powerboaters do not go out with the intention of running over sail boaters....AN ACCIDENT IS AN ACCIDENT and more people die in automobile accidents everyday then in boating accidents. What about the person that is leaving the bar and they get into their automobile and run down an innocent family. What about a person that drives in excess of a 100 MPH toward your family car. Every day people put themselves at risk. Let me point out that on our Lake a sail boater had words with a Pontoon boat and because he was drunk in front of his Family (wife and a child) he pulled out a gun and fired it at the pontoon boat that had another family on board and he was arressted for being drunk and firing the gun. Let me ask you is it safe to have a gun on a vessel with a child on board? is it safe to be drunk with your family on board? Would you call this "safe boating" Give me a break. Quit throwing stones. None of us should stereo type anybody. There are bad apples in every group.

[cardiacpaul]

I agree that the animosity needs to stop. period. We all have common concerns and values. I only take issue with one thing.

An accident is an unforseen incident. A collision, however....is quite another.

Let us agree to do what we can to promote safe boating, and lets all go out and enjoy the water!
(I'm really only jealous that I can't raft up at north island) LOL (tongue firmly in cheek)

[yotphix]

Cheers Cardiac! RIP texacoma boaters. The rest of us...lets go boating, respectfully!

[ThunderFog]

Let's put some things into perspective. A boat, on a lake, traveling 100 miles an hours is like driving a dragster throught the middle of town at 100 miles an hour. Yes the dragster can stop and has some control but the lake is probable not as crowded as the middle of town.

Last I checked Dragsters are not legal on the road.... for some reason Hmmm.

So don't compare driving a boat at 100 miles an hour on a lake to exceeding the speed limit in a car. I have been know to do 5 over the limit but please don't compare my sense of control to the boat moving at 100.

I do give Darwin awards to sailors too. No one is safe from that label. When you do something stupid, ya get the label. I may even deserve one myself oneday. It happens.

[dpat]

NO Sympathy here, how about some empathy? I can definitely live without open headers. More and more areas are outlawing loud boats, and when i think about loud, obnoxious is usually not far behind. Lets work with the facts though, and from what i can see there is really not much to go on. I would have to say from looking at the pictures of their equipment, these people were serious. The four occupants of "Flash Gordon" were a mother, father, daughter, and future son in law, and were reportedly killed on impact. "Nashville Catz" was a husband and wife. Do you think he will ever stop thinking, "If only I had done this, or if only I had done that, she would still be alive" . Both drivers were reported to be professional and experienced. They were all living in the fast lane, as far as I know that is not a criminal offense. Time and circumstance happen to all of us, let us not be quick to judge. Why not give them the benefit of the doubt, maybe they were some of the nicest people you would ever want to meet. I dont think any of us are ready to check out, and we will never be prepared for the death of a loved one. I'm going to pray for the survivor, and for the families of those who lost loved ones. And i know that there are some brothers and sisters out there who know what i'm talking about. I appreciate the post and thanks for letting me share my thoughts.

[camaraderie]

Dpat...dead thread from 8 months ago! Welcome aboard!!

[dpat]

camaraderie-i guess they don't call me junior for nothing- thanks

[sailingdog]

Originally Posted by dpat

Both drivers were reported to be professional and experienced. They were all living in the fast lane, as far as I know that is not a criminal offense.

This was in response to a post from eight months ago...

The facts are that the two were racing at high speed, endangering others around them, and one of the boats was known to have a mechanical problem with the steering not long before the accident occurred.

The accident's description makes it very likely that the steering problem that had been known was a strong contributing factor to the deaths of all involved... You really should not go out and buzz around a highly-crowded lake in a high-power speedboat at high speeds if the boat has a steering problem. Doing so is not the actions of a professional, who should have known better.

Darwin's right... and these guys went out and won themselves a Darwin award... however they took some relatively innocent bystanders in the other boat with them.

[cardiacpaul]

As far as I know, there never was a "yup, thats what did it" moment. The Coasties and both states looked long and hard, there are many whispers, but nobody wants to take a stand.
Oh well.

Take a look at some of the videos from the event on youtube.

YouTube - texoma poker run II

You will see flash buzz by within 20 ft at a very high rate of speed. (its been awhile but I think something like 5-7 seconds from in sight to out of frame.) IF a tuber, or a kid on a sea-doo, or an old guy in a jonboat decided to go across, well, we're glad none of that happened.

I don't mind them living in the fast lane at all. When their behavior endangers me and mine then I get cranky.