Tragedy on Lake Texoma

[skrap1r0n]

Originally Posted by Valiente

If you buy a fast car or boat or motorcycle, you sign a waiver to all health care and enshrine the ability of survivors to make your family indentured servants should you be found guilty of being a ******** operator.

We already pay liability insurance. Besides, define "fast". Is that fast overall or fast compared to what? Compared to an airplane my motorcycle is slow. Compared to a canoe, my sailboat is fast. Compared to other bikes the same size, mine is average. My boat can be faster if someone else that knows more is sailing it.

Fast is very subjective.

FWIW, my input on this matter, (the crash) is that it is tragic. I have little sympathy for the ones making the decision to run that fast on the lake, but the passengers etc that were killed make it a very sad incident. It was a stupid, avoidable mistake.

[Kernix]

Took the words out of my mouth - the 2 drivers - A-holes - the passengers - feel bad for them - the families definitely feel bad for them - but it's like on the highway - there's always a jerk who swerves in and out of lanes at a high speed and no turn signal - I always hope those SOBs lose control and plummet over an enbankment - the reason why: they are risking everyone else's life who is on that highway at the same time.

[sailingdog]

Kernix-

As passengers, they had a say in how the boat they are on is operated, unless the captain was named Bligh. They also had a choice to get on board or stay on the dock...

If you're on a boat, and you have an issue with the way it is being operated... SPEAK UP... it may save your life...

[sailingdog]

Originally Posted by Valiente

It's the old argument of "your right to swing your arms wildly ends at my face".

We seem to allow and to even encourage some dubious behaviours in the name of recreation that we don't allow in our working lives. I think maybe the solution might be this: If you buy a fast car or boat or motorcycle, you sign a waiver to all health care and enshrine the ability of survivors to make your family indentured servants should you be found guilty of being a ******** operator. It's a "weregild" for the new millennium!

Of course, if you hit a rock and kill only yourself, your estate will only be charged the cost of environmental remediation and your kin will be issued a Darwin Award in your name.

Darwin awards only go to those who don't have children..

[Kernix]

Originally Posted by sailingdog

Kernix-

As passengers, they had a say in how the boat they are on is operated, unless the captain was named Bligh. They also had a choice to get on board or stay on the dock...

If you're on a boat, and you have an issue with the way it is being operated... SPEAK UP... it may save your life...

True - unless the passenger doesn't know about boating and the skipper ensures him\her "It's okay."

[sailingdog]

Originally Posted by Kernix

True - unless the passenger doesn't know about boating and the skipper ensures him\her "It's okay."

Considering that boating was such a big part of their lives, I doubt that these particular people would be able to claim such ignorance.

[leffklm]

Originally Posted by sailingdog

Darwin awards only go to those who don't have children..

Nice call SD--I hadn't thought of that before.

Some people think you are too particular, but I for one appreciate your attention to details.

[equitiman]

My old college track coach actually got an honorable mention in the Darwin Awards. He only received an honorable mention cus he didn't get himself killed. The funny thing is that we didn't know about it until one day we were reading the Darwin Awards and found one about a dude that went to the same college and had the same last name as our coach. At first we were like "wow what a crazy coincidence" and then we realized that it must be the same person. We asked him about it and he confessed to us that it was him. But then he made us swear that we wouldn't tell anyone (he was quite embarassed).

Anyway, the award he won was due to a bet he made with his friends to see how close he could get his face to a passing train (his defense was that he was really drunk at the time...). He wound up in the hospital but actually didn't have any permanent scars or such from the train-to-face impact.

[sailingdog]

Originally Posted by bwalker42

Remembering Dale Earnhardt SR, loved him too.

Curious to know what would cause a seasoned boater to overcome his conscience. What ever it was, you can't change the past, but you can sure learn from it. And help other people along the way.

Unfortunately, there is a major difference between the tragedy that happened with Dale Earnhardt Sr. and the events on Lake Texoma.

Dale Earnhardt Sr. was racing in a proper racing venue, in a car that was kitted out with the proper safety gear and had no known mechanical issues, and no innocent bystanders or spectators were at any real risk.

The people in the two speedboats were not in a proper racing venue, one of the boats had a known mechanical issue at a time just prior to the racing, and the spectators were definitely at risk. Just by the grace of God did they not hit a pontoon boat full of a family with little children.

[bwalker42]

Originally Posted by sailingdog

Unfortunately, there is a major difference between the tragedy that happened with Dale Earnhardt Sr. and the events on Lake Texoma.

Dale Earnhardt Sr. was racing in a proper racing venue, in a car that was kitted out with the proper safety gear and had no known mechanical issues, and no innocent bystanders or spectators were at any real risk.

The people in the two speedboats were not in a proper racing venue, one of the boats had a known mechanical issue at a time just prior to the racing, and the spectators were definitely at risk. Just by the grace of God did they not hit a pontoon boat full of a family with little children.

Yes Baby,
That's right! more differences than similarities.... In that I totally agree with you.
I believe that there should be tougher regulations and education where these superfast types of vessels are concerned....
The problem is that these are people who died, people are valuable. And I'm having a hard time thinking that a man of this caliber would do anything intentionally to harm anyone much less himself and his family who put their trust in him.
Therefore...I wonder what would cause him to override his conscience.

And I believe that regardless, he and his family, survivors and non survivors of this collision/accident, as well as friends who loved them should have gotten a little bit more respect, sympathy, and empathy.
(After all.. wasn't there a wedding that was supposed to take place that never happened?)
As I did take the time to read this whole thread and found their friends that loved them were looking for information. Broken down with overwhelming grief, looking for support from another boating community, agreeing that there are issues that need to be changed regarding these types of vessels of which they love, and found some very hard feelings when it was a time to embrace them.

However, I am not here to change your mind about that, even though I wish I could.

Still I am very thankful and grateful to God there were no other casualties in this terrible collision/accident.
Hoping that stricter regulations, especially regarding education for the owners/operators, and places of operation, have been put into place regarding these types of vessels seeing that they have the ability to wipe someone out before they know what's happened. (children)
Again,
I am not here to argue..
Kisses baby,
Brenda