RitcheyRch
07-21-2006, 02:54 PM
SAN FERNANDO - The attorney of a man charged with manslaughter in a Memorial Day boating collision on Pyramid Lake said Thursday that a defective inner tube may have contributed to the death his client is accused of causing.
Because of the dangerous reputation of the tube - which was recalled last week - John Galvan, 46, of Panorama City was not responsible for the death of his friend, Galvan's attorney Steven Cron said Thursday.
Galvan appeared in court Thursday to schedule his preliminary hearing for Aug. 28.
On May 29, Galvan's friend Edward Gomez, 38, was ejected from his inner tube head first into a stationary boat and later died from his injuries at Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital.
Cron said the 10-foot-wide tube Gomez was riding on was a Sportsstuff Wego Kite Tube, which was recalled by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission on July 13 after 39 injuries and two deaths were reported to the sports product manufacturers.
Since the recall, the company has pulled the tubes off the market.
"There have been many reported injuries and two deaths related to this tube," said Cron, adding that the tube is designed to fly in the air behind a boat.
At the time of his arrest, Galvan had a blood alcohol level of 0.08 percent, the legal limit for intoxication, Cron said.
http://www.the-signal.com/?module=displaystory&story_id=31655&format=html
Because of the dangerous reputation of the tube - which was recalled last week - John Galvan, 46, of Panorama City was not responsible for the death of his friend, Galvan's attorney Steven Cron said Thursday.
Galvan appeared in court Thursday to schedule his preliminary hearing for Aug. 28.
On May 29, Galvan's friend Edward Gomez, 38, was ejected from his inner tube head first into a stationary boat and later died from his injuries at Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital.
Cron said the 10-foot-wide tube Gomez was riding on was a Sportsstuff Wego Kite Tube, which was recalled by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission on July 13 after 39 injuries and two deaths were reported to the sports product manufacturers.
Since the recall, the company has pulled the tubes off the market.
"There have been many reported injuries and two deaths related to this tube," said Cron, adding that the tube is designed to fly in the air behind a boat.
At the time of his arrest, Galvan had a blood alcohol level of 0.08 percent, the legal limit for intoxication, Cron said.
http://www.the-signal.com/?module=displaystory&story_id=31655&format=html