We lost another traditional boater.
Gregg Cohn
There have been two boating fatalities, in two days, here in California.
PWC were NOT involved!
There was an accident at Folsom Lake, on Sunday, where a *boater* ran
over his fiance. Alcohol was a contributing factor. My sincere
condolences go to the families involved.
When will we see a 20/20 or Frontline on the number one killer on the
water??????? It isn't PWC, it is alcohol!
Boating and drinking do not mix!
Gregg "I prefer a natural high....15ft above the waves!" Cohn
grc...@cats.ucsc.edu
Santa Cruz, CA USA
Drew
killed. Remember my buddy with the 32 foot Fountain with twin big block
Chevy blower motors? He was heading to Norfolk to watch Miss Budweiser
and the other hydroplanes, and hit something at 55-60 mph. He thinks it
was a log. Anyway, one of the out drives either ripped off, or twisted,
because the big boat made a violent spin. All passengers were thrown,
except my friend (driver). Broken collar bone on #1, broken pelvis on
#2, and some big bruises on #3 passenger. Do not forget, people...55
mph can REALLY hurt on the water. They are lucky they didn't get
knocked unconcious and drown (no life jackets on, Harry), or worse yet,
get run over by the boat. Sometimes it takes something like this "close
to home" to really make you think...
-Drew (could have been me) ski
Brian Victor Jarvis
Gregg Cohn wrote:
>
> There have been two boating fatalities, in two days, here in California.
> PWC were NOT involved!
>
> There was an accident at Folsom Lake, on Sunday, where a *boater* ran
> over his fiance. Alcohol was a contributing factor. My sincere
> condolences go to the families involved.
>
> When will we see a 20/20 or Frontline on the number one killer on the
> water??????? It isn't PWC, it is alcohol!
>
> Boating and drinking do not mix!
>
> Gregg "I prefer a natural high....15ft above the waves!" Cohn
> grc...@cats.ucsc.edu
> Santa Cruz, CA USA
Woman killed in boating accident: Fiance ran over her, officials say
By Yvonne Chiu
Bee Staff Writer
(Published July 14, 1997)
Two boating accidents in area reservoirs over the weekend killed a
30-year-old Sacramento woman and apparently a 34-year-old Hayward man,
officials said Sunday.
Alcohol was involved in one accident, and the lack of a life jacket was
believed the cause of the other -- prompting officials to renew warnings
about the potential for tragedy when boating safety measures are not
observed.
A Sacramento man was taken into custody early Sunday morning at Folsom
Lake after he accidentally ran over his fiancee with their boat after
she fell out, authorities said.
The couple apparently had been drinking during their outing Saturday
night, said Placer County Sheriff Edward Bonner. Scott Pedicord, 34,
faces a charge of committing vehicular manslaughter while operating a
vessel with gross negligence, he said.
Pedicord flagged down a deputy on patrol in the Granite Bay area about
12:40 a.m. He reported that his fiancee, Donna Marie Lago, was dead from
a boating accident.
The deputy found her body near the boat, which had been beached on rocks
near a dock, Bonner said.
Pedicord told the deputy that Lago had fallen out of the boat while
riding on the bow. Both had been drinking alcohol during their outing,
deputies said.
Further information about the couple was not released by the sheriff's
office.
The state Department of Parks and Recreation is investigating the
accident and the cause of death.
Officials are also investigating a presumed drowning at the Camanche
Reservoir, near Horse Island in Amador County. Romualdo Gomez III dove
into the water Saturday evening to rescue his son, but no one saw him
resurface.
Gomez's 8-year-old son was found shortly after 7 p.m. floating in the
water, and was taken to North Shore Marina, where he rejoined his mother
and other family members, Amador County sheriff's officials said.
The boy told authorities he had fallen out of his father's boat. Gomez
then followed him into the water. The boy said he last saw his father
behind him, telling him to swim back to the boat. But then the boy lost
sight of his father, and Gomez has not been seen since. The boy was
wearing a life jacket, but Gomez was not.
The Amador County Sheriff's Boat and Dive Team was called out. Efforts
to find Gomez on Saturday failed, and the search was continued Sunday.
The Calaveras and Tuolumne county sheriff's departments and the
California Highway Patrol are assisting with a search of the surrounding
area.
Both accidents illustrate the dangers of the waterways, officials said.
"Whether you're sober or not, the water is a very dangerous place," said
Sgt. Jim Cooper, spokesman for the Sacramento County Sheriff's
Department. "People need to be very careful."
People playing in or near water should always wear life jackets as a
safety measure, he said.
And boating under the influence, one of the largest factors contributing
to accidents, needs to be done conservatively.
"It's not against the law to drink on a boat, but you have to know how
much you can drink and still be able to operate a vessel," said Larry
Painter, a member the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department's marine
boating detail.
Bee staff writer Edgar Sanchez contributed to this report.
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