Boating Death: Defense Blames Inner Tube

[RitcheyRch]

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=di...55&format=html

[Rexone]

More people who can't take responsibility. The guy'd been drinking and on a tube that flys (activity with significant risk on a device thats unpredictable).
If I go skydiving (activity with significant risk) and my chute fails and I dig a hole is that the chute makers fault or my fault for going skydiving which I know is a risk when I leave the plane.
If I go to a rodeo and the saddle comes loose and I fall and get trampled to death is that the saddle makers responsibility or mine?
If I go to McDonalds and purchase hot coffee and spill it like a dumass in my lap is that McDonalds fault..... oh nevermind. The lawyers and bs justice system that allows their bs own this country. http://www.***boat.com/image_center/.../732biting.gif

[Havasu47]

Did the boat driver "whip" the tube towards a parked boat? I believe the story said the boat driver was .08 ???

[Some Kind Of Monster]

If the driver drove the tube into a parked boat how can you blame that on the tube? The tube didn't fail, or even not work like it was supposed to.

[No Name]

I say we tie the attorney who is representing this guy on a kite tube and tow him around at 100+ mph.
Just a happy thought.

[blown65]

I forgot the law but isnt it either 100 or 300 feet from other boaters? He must of flew a long ass ways then.

[RitcheyRch]

Typical attorney looking for a loop hole. With most companies pulling the kite tubes off the market this opens the door for such loop hole.

[Seadog]

The scumbag will probably win due to the stupidity of most juries. Then he will sue SportStuff for millions.