Articles Posted in Water Recreation

Written February 14, 2010 by John Bisnar

The first real dive of a scuba diving adventure for 14 divers aboard the Galapagos Aggressor II ended in the death of E.G., a 23-year-old kindergarten teacher from Galveston, Texas and New York.

Due to the numerous requests for more information about what happened and how E.G. died, the following account is provided. First, my deepest condolences to E.G.’s family and friends. I have no words that will alleviate your pain or give you back what you have lost. E.G. will, however, live in our hearts and memories. But for a twist of fate, both my wife, Kimberly and I could have been with E.G. today.
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My wife, Kimberly, and I took our first dive from the diving boat, Galapagos Aggressor II, off the coast of the Galapagos Islands today. We made the first dive of our trip in a strong current. Unfortunately, tragedy struck as a young schoolteacher from Texas, about 25 years of age, who was part of our diving group, drowned during her dive. My heart goes out to everyone who knew and loved her. I offer my deepest condolences to her parents and her closest family members.

Our dive was off the eastern tip of North Seymour Island. We began the dive 100 yards away from shore at about 8 this morning in calm seas. In-water visibility was about 60 feet. Kimberly and I came up after 30 minutes. We knew when we came up that the young woman was missing. We had not seen her for about 15 minutes at that point. The dive master, who was in charge of our group, had already been looking for her for about 10 or 15 minutes.
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Anthony Cole DeWeese, an 8-year-old boy was killed and five others were injured in a San Diego boating accident the night of December 20, 2009, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. The accident occurred after a U.S. Coast Guard vessel responding to an emergency call struck a pleasure boat during the San Diego Bay Parade of Lights. The 33-foot Coast Guard boat crashed into the smaller 24-foot boat near Harbor Island. Both boats made it to shore. The child, who was a passenger in the smaller boat, was transported to a local hospital where he later died. Officials said five people on the smaller boat were also taken to a hospital with major injuries. Several local law enforcement agencies as well as the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating the incident.

My heart goes out to the family of young Anthony, who has been tragically killed during this holiday cruise, when thousands had come out to witness the lighted boat parade. The news report indicates that the child was the son of Alan DeWeese, the pleasure boat’s captain. Tragic! Please keep this grieving family in your prayers. I also wish the five injured victims the very best for a speedy and complete recovery. They will be in my thoughts and prayers.
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New California Bill May Help Reduce Boating Accidents

The California Senate is reviewing a new bill, which if passed, will give authorities the power to suspend boaters’ licenses when they are caught operating a boat while intoxicated. According to a news report in the Daily Pilot, the bill introduced by Senator John Benoit, is looking to reauthorize the California Department of Motor Vehicles to suspend boating licenses if boaters are convicted of BUI or boating under the influence. The DMV had been treating BUIs like DUIs or driving under the influence since the 1990s, but an appellate court ruling last year deemed they do not have the authority to do that.

We at Bisnar Chase Personal Injury Attorneys support this new bill 100 percent. Numerous people suffer catastrophic injuries or death each year in California especially in the spring and summer months because of boating accidents caused by negligent boaters operating under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

Boating accidents are apparently on the rise and most of them involve recreational vessels such as personal watercraft. According to the U.S. Coast Guard’s 2007 boating statistics, the number of boating-related deaths fell from 710 in 2006 to 685 in 2007. But the number of boating accidents increased from 4,967 to 5,191. Boating related injuries rose from 3,474 to 3,673 and damages increased from $43 million to $53 million during that period Continue reading →

Three California men – 37-year-old Robert Moody, Sean Swanson, 41, and Gilbert Sanchez, 39 – suffered major injuries in a Lake Havasu boating accident on November 22, 2008, the News-Herald reports. The 11/22/08 accident occurred when the boat the men were riding in crashed into a shoreline just north of Black Meadow Landing on Lake Havasu. San Bernardino County Sheriff’s officials said the boat was traveling at an unknown rate of speed in the dark when it collided with a shoreline on the Arizona side of Lake Havasu.

Robert Moody, who was driving the boat, was listed in critical condition. Sanchez and Swanson suffered multiple fractures and facial injuries. Investigators are looking into what caused this accident and whether it was alcohol-related.

I’m glad the three men involved in this horrific boating accident did not suffer fatal injuries. I hope and pray that they make a quick and complete recovery.
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Jill Hullen, 47, of Discovery Bay died and her 14-year-old son suffered critical injuries after their personal watercraft collided with a 23-foot boat in Discovery Bay, according to a news report in the Contra Costa Times. Rescue personnel airlifted the boy to an area hospital after the California boating accident and later found his mother’s body 60 feet from the shoreline.

The article quoted David Piepho, town director of Discoery Bay, who said the area where Indian Slough passes over the north end of Discovery Bay can be dangerous because of the heavy amount of recreational traffic. According to the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Marine Patrol office, the driver of the bigger boat and his passengers were uninjured.

The California Department of Boating and Waterways recently released its “2007 California Boating Safety Report” providing data about boating accidents, injuries and deaths reported in 2007. According to this report California ranks first among all states for boating accidents, and when you consider that there are 964,881 registered recreational vessels in California, it is a wonder that the number isn’t higher.

My heart goes out to the Hullen family. Let’s keep the Hullen boy in our prayers for a complete and quick recovery.
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A fatal boating accident at Lake Havasu during the July 4th holiday weekend claimed two lives, according to a news report in the Havasu News. Tiffany Breslin, 14, of Murrieta and another unidentified 19-year-old woman died in the collision between a boat and a personal watercraft near the Needles Bridge. Officials are still looking into what caused the boating accident.

My condolences to the families of these two young women. Out on the river to have a good time and a horrible accident like this happens. If the families want to know their rights and options or just want the wrongdoers held accountable, they would be well served consulting with California boating accident lawyers with a history of boating accident cases.

My family often takes our personal watercraft, SeaDoos, to this very spot to spin, jump and skid across the water in this less trafficked, calmer water area. Usually the area up and down river from the Needles Bridge is a much safer area than down river around Lake Havasu City or up river in the Laughlin/Bullhead City area.
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In 2004, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 3308 unintentional, fatal drownings. That is an average of 9 lives lost per day. Boat-related deaths accounted for an additionally 676 drownings.

For every child under 14 who drowns – 5 others are treated at hospitals, some unable to regain their lives because of severe brain damage.

While in self-report studies men consistently reported more swimming ability than women, the hard numbers show that as men age they are more at risk of drowning in natural water settings, especially where alcohol is present. Men lead in so many of life’s statistics, and they can be risk-takers, so perhaps it is not surprising that of the unintentional, fatal drownings 76% were men.

Another group at risk seems more intuitive, as unintentional fatal drownings are the second leading cause of death in children ages 1-14. Surprisingly, most of the young pool drowning victims had only been out of sight for less than 5 minutes.

Additionally, responsible ‘fun in the sun’ activities require you to be good to your skin! Skin cancer can devastate your life. While many people like to get a head start on their summer tan by burning a couple of times medical experts say that after burning only 5 times your risk of skin cancer doubles. Be sure to use a good sun screen; stay out of direct sun if possible during the hours of 10-4, as the sun’s damaging rays are more potent during these hours. See your family doctor or dermatologist at least once a year for a complete body examination. Melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer has been known to kill a person who did not notice a mole between their toes or behind their ear. Your skin is the largest organ in your body-take care of it!
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