Sad PWC story

[unleashed]

Someone just told me about this and supposebly the father is going to sue the PWC rental place(Not absolutely sure about the lawsuit but my bud said he saw the story somewhere). Another sad story...
Tahoe Daily Tribune 7/21/04:
A media storm hit South Lake Tahoe Police Department on Tuesday as investigators looked into a personal watercraft accident that killed two young cousins.
"I have talked to every news crew in the entire region it feels like," said Lt. Terry Daniels. "The investigation got delayed a couple hours because of that."
Daniels fielded requests from television stations in Reno and the Bay Area and newspapers from Barstow and Sacramento.
"It's the most (media attention) we've had in some time and I'm sure that's attributed to the victims being children," Daniels said.
Interest was spawned from an accident Monday off Ski Run Marina Village that killed 15-year-old Ashley Wagner and 6-year-old Jordan Cockrell. The two cousins were sharing a rented Waverunner. They lost control of the personal watercraft and hit another cousin as he sat on an idling Waverunner.
A final report by Boating Safety Officer Steve O'Brien is expected to be completed today.
"He's writing like crazy," Daniels said. "You can imagine the paperwork involved with this."
Coroner Pete Van Arnum was waiting Tuesday afternoon for a doctor so an autopsy can be conducted. Van Arnum said Jordan, from Hayward, and Ashley, from Barstow, either died from internal injuries or drowning, even though the two were wearing life jackets.
Attention may turn toward the ages of the victims. California law states a person must be 16 to operate a personal watercraft. In Nevada, it's 14 and drivers must have taken a boat licensing course, according to Kirk Kelly, the executive director of the American Personal Watercraft Rental Association in Reno.
To rent them in either state, Kelly said, a person has to be 18 years old.
The association represents 3,000 personal watercraft rental companies nationwide and helps set safety policies.
"In our opinions a personal watercraft operated by a noneducated driver would equal major safety problems," he said.
Assistant District Attorney Hans Uthe said his office was waiting for the reports.
"We're not in a position to comment because we haven't received anything," Uthe said. "We'll wait and see what gets presented."
Phone calls to the manager at Ski Run Boat Company were not returned.
At Zephyr Cove Marina on the Nevada side, the minimum age to operate a Waverunner is 15 years old, one above the minimum. Assistant Manager Josh Bainton said workers are vigilant to assure riders are old enough.
"We just want (riders) to be safe, including ourselves," he said.
Nita Boles, national spokeswoman and co-founder of the Coalition of Parents and Families for Personal Watercraft Safety, was saddened by the news of the two deaths.
Boles' 16-year-old daughter was killed in a 1998 Fourth of July personal watercraft accident on a lake in Texas. Her group's goal is to have mandatory education in boating safety.
"Imagine the pilot of your plane not having some form of education and he's flying you somewhere," she said. "Personal watercraft is the entry level craft. They're quite dangerous in the hands of someone who is an uneducated boater."

[Boozer]

If the parents were to sue I would see that being both a justice and an injustice.
It's BS that the father would sue because his child dead due to his own negligence. He allowed the child to operate the vessel therefore he is just as responsible for the childs death as anyone else and suing really isn't just.
However, if the father does sue and manages to win there is going to be a hail storm of law suits over the next couple of years that will result in a lot changes. Changes for the better. Ultimately the jet ski rental business will fold due to no longer being able to obtain affordable insurance or they will make changes so that uneducated people can not and will not get their hands on PWC's. That IMO would be a great justice.

[Dr. Eagle]

I just wonder about renting PWCs. They always seem to be the ones on the lakes I boat and ride my PWCs in that are causing problems, through total lack of knowledge and judgement.
That is really sad...
I agree that manditory boating training would be a good idea, especially for PWCs and perhaps those rental places should just go away.

[unleashed]

Im all for a safety course for people that want to rent or buy for that matter.
Deano
Unleashedclothing (http://www.unleashedclothing.com) :devil:

[Scream]

This is a terrible story. I think the father suing anyone for his missed opportunity to parent is rediculous IMO. Be that as it may, it seems to me that even those PWC style boats are missused. The owners/opperators of those Seadoo boats or Yamaha boats (if that's what they're called) are just as senseless as the Lake Lice drivers.
Today, coming home from Powell/Vegas, a PWC Boat owner passed me doin about 75 or 80 in the #1 lane (far left) like it was the right thing to do...BONEHEAD.

[Dr. Eagle]

Originally posted by Scream
This is a terrible story. I think the father suing anyone for his missed opportunity to parent is rediculous IMO. Be that as it may, it seems to me that even those PWC style boats are missused. The owners/opperators of those Seadoo boats or Yamaha boats (if that's what they're called) are just as senseless as the Lake Lice drivers.
Today, coming home from Powell/Vegas, a PWC Boat owner passed me doin about 75 or 80 in the #1 lane (far left) like it was the right thing to do...BONEHEAD.
If I wasn't an owner and operator of two Sea Doos, I'd have to agree... Only problem here is that I do agree. Since the PWCs have been around for a number of years, one can be had for a song, compared to our more expensive boats. Folks that get them for a thousand or two, have generally had little experience boating or riding before. As a consequence, you end up with a bunch of yahoos riding like they are the only ones on the lake or river.
The industry would be well served to provide training BEFORE they product leaves the showroom. Problem with that is there are a gazillion out there on the used market. It really needs to be a responsibility of everyone to get that kind of training.
Most of the operators seem to have no regard for safety or don't understand the possible consequences of riding irresponsibly. Better enforcement would help, but if the industry doesn't step up and push safety training... they may all be out of jobs one of these days...

[Blingette]

Originally posted by unleashed
Im all for a safety course for people that want to rent or buy for that matter.
Deano
Unleashedclothing (http://www.unleashedclothing.com) :devil:
Absolutley a training course. But for a rental how much time do you spend before they can rent it? It's an awful thing that happened and any parent who reads this will think about a similar situation in the future. The responsible parent in this inncident should be ashamed of letting a child take a PWC out by themselves. I'm seeing ignorance. Water. PWC. Child.
DUH

[Scream]

Originally posted by Dr. Eagle
If I wasn't an owner and operator of two Sea Doos, I'd have to agree... Only problem here is that I do agree. Since the PWCs have been around for a number of years, one can be had for a song, compared to our more expensive boats. Folks that get them for a thousand or two, have generally had little experience boating or riding before. As a consequence, you end up with a bunch of yahoos riding like they are the only ones on the lake or river.
The industry would be well served to provide training BEFORE they product leaves the showroom. Problem with that is there are a gazillion out there on the used market. It really needs to be a responsibility of everyone to get that kind of training.
Most of the operators seem to have no regard for safety or don't understand the possible consequences of riding irresponsibly. Better enforcement would help, but if the industry doesn't step up and push safety training... they may all be out of jobs one of these days...
You're right on point here Doc. Training or something that resembles training...The problem is most boaters will resist any form of regulation, as you well know. Too bad but that's the reality.

[MagicMtnDan]

Of course the fathers of the two children will sue. They'll sue anyone they can, anyone around them, and there'll be an unlimited number of lawyers calling them to tell them how much money they can get them for their pain and suffering.
Too bad John Edwards is running for VP otherwise he'd be calling them too. Bastages!

[unleashed]

Originally posted by Blingette
Absolutley a training course. But for a rental how much time do you spend before they can rent it? It's an awful thing that happened and any parent who reads this will think about a similar situation in the future. The responsible parent in this inncident should be ashamed of letting a child take a PWC out by themselves. I'm seeing ignorance. Water. PWC. Child.
DUH
Yeah I dont know what the answer would be about how much time to spend before renting. Maybe a 1/2 or 1 hour video or something then sign a release form stating you viewed the safety course and are releasing the company of liabitlity. This would most likely kill business for the rental companies but thats what we may be headed for. I'll be honest years ago when I rode these things I had no ideal of what I should be watching out for.
Deano
Unleashedclothing (http://www.unleashedclothing.com) :devil: