Terrible boating accident today

So many lives tragically changed forever. I can't imagine the pain being felt by the girls operating the boat. Please no guessing or second guessing or talking about what and how and how it might have been avoided right now. That's for later. Just think of those involved and the immense tragedy of the events now. I know we're both shedding tears as we imagine the horror the individuals and their families are experiencing right now. And thank goodness the police are making their effort. I find nothing more offensive than reporters trying to stick their microphones in faces or get stories at times like this. This isn't about the story. It's about such tremendous human suffering. How quickly life can turn. I can't hug my wife or the others here right now enough. I'm not capable of fully imagining the loss.

It's their job, like it or not.

This is from a local paper - note the variation of the story.

UPDATES (2): Tubing Accident Fatality in Greater Greenwich Harbor | Greenwich Free Press

Every summer we hear these stories. Boating is fun, BUT IT'S DANGEROUS.

Please everyone. When you approach your skier, tuber, etc. don't just put the boat in neutral. Shut it off and let the person in the water approach you.

Horribly tragic. My heart goes out to all involved and their families & friends.

Another local source:

16-year-old Greenwich girl dies in tubing accident at Greenwich Point - GreenwichTime

I feel so bad for everyone involved, I'm assuming the Families were friends as well...I can't imagine how they feel towards the operator, and the fact the the driver has to go through the rest of her life with that nightmare that will probably never go away. I will pray for all of those involved...I hate hearing things like that...it senseless.

CTdave,
I have a friend of mine who's grown son was driving a huge company pickup, and there was a road that "Teed" into the road he was on and while they were both texting on their phones, pulled out without even looking and he T-bone their car without having but 2 seconds to brake and he saw the terror in their eyes prior to killing them both. He had nightmares for 11 months and hours of therapy. I can't begin to even imagine what people like that go through....and I never want to find out. Probably something else to talk to the kids about.

It's always sad to hear about something like this. It usually happens in places like Miami, so I'm even more surprised to hear about it happening in Connecticut.

NEO56, I'm sure you heard about the kid who got chopped up by DJ Laz's boat when everyone tried free the boat from being stuck in the sand and Laz gunned all 3 outboards with several people back there.

Best wishes to everyone affected by the incident.

Their job is to report stories, not to torment victims and their families. That mentality has caused reporters to walk all over individuals rights for years. Any reporter who goes after victims and their families directly after a situation like this deserves to lose his/her life the same way the victim did. Although more slowly and drawn out if preferred.

My condolences to the family and friends, and RIP to the girl who lost her life.

Now, it's time to make sure the operator of the boat knew and understood boating safety. If not, the parents who let her operate the boat need to be charged with murder.

It only seems like Miami has more, because you have a longer season. Up here people try to cram a years worth of boating and a year's worth of stupidity and stupid mistakes into 3 months. Every year there's at least a half dozen people killed on the waters up here and innumerable people injured. Case in point: Here you have a guy who anchored too close to shore at high tide so the girls wouldn't get wet going ashore. Now he's stuck on the rocks. His brilliant idea is to put all the girls on the bow and have a group of guys pushing from next to the motors while he runs them at full speed forward on the rocks. Fortunately God saved these fools.

Yea, that's exactly how that guy got chopped up by the propellers a few months earlier. Multiple people were behind the vessel to help free it while the operator had all 3 engines gunned. When the vessel suddenly got freed, one of the samaritans slipped and his torso fell on top of the running propellers and effectively killing him.

Q and A

Police Identify Greenwich Teen Killed in Tubing Accident | NECN

Ed, sadly that is the case the world over. Even the good guys get rusty and forget the basics. They may have done the recommended courses but that was quiet a few years ago.

"Ah, no bother, how dumb do you have to be to screw-up something so simple"?

Well we see that question answered all around us every season.

Every year.

Year after year.

In other News, we have just had to commemorate a war 100 years ago that would end all wars. That worked well

Once Again

"A Bay Shore man was struck and killed by a boat propeller Sunday evening in Baldwin Bay and the boat’s operator faces a vehicular manslaughter charge after authorities determined he was drunk at the time of the accident, police said.

According to police, Raymond Balboa, of Baldwin, was operating a 50-foot Sea Ray with about 10-14 people on board when he stopped the boat in the bay so the passengers could go swimming. After a short time, Balboa, 53, requested that everyone get back on the boat, police said.

Balboa started the boat’s engines and began to navigate the vessel while one passenger, Cesar Hernandez-Rodas, 34, remained in the water, police said. Hernandez-Rodas was struck by the boat’s propeller and suffered multiple lacerations to his lower extremities, police said.

Hernandez-Rodas was brought on board the boat, which moved to a nearby home. Hernandez-Rodas was then transported by a Nassau County ambulance to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

During an investigation, Balboa showed signs of intoxication and he was placed under arrest without incident, police said.

Balboa is charged with second degree vehicular manslaughter, operating a vessel while intoxicated and operating an unregistered vessel. He will be arraigned on Monday at First District Court in Hempstead."

Here's hoping he gets some serious jail time and the victim's family bankrupts his.

Your idea of justice has been tried before ... look up the concept of "Sippenhaft" to get a glimpse of the kind of people you want to share your world.

It's not a matter of the family sharing liability under the law. It's a matter of a rich guy who is the sole support of the family. Take away his income; take all assets purchased by that income, and take him out of the picture for several years, and the result is a very poor family. Sometimes lawyers can be wonderful. His own will probably take the house or boat to cover his fees. Of course his wife will probably be the first one out the door and her lawyers will be at the top of the list. At least we can only hope. I have zero sympathy for drunks, especially those who kill. Seen their carnage too many times.