Tuesday, September 26, 2006

"Thank God and the United States Coast Guard..."

USCG HH65-A On Deck St. George Reef Lighthouse

7 survive two nights on life raft

‘Thank God and the United States Coast Guard’

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There is a happy ending to this one…..

Dwayne

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Houston Firm To Assist In Grand Lake Boating Accident Investigation

 

GROVE, Okla. (AP) -- An engineering firm will attempt to create a computer-generated simulation of a Grand Lake boating collision that killed a Georgia man.

ATA Associates Inc. of Houston will be at the lake September 26-27 to inspect the two boats involved in the crash and take measurements, said Bryce Lair, a Delaware County assistant district attorney.

Prosecutors are trying to determine whether criminal charges should be filed in connection with the July 30 collision that killed Murray McGarvey, 35, of Brunswick, Georgia.

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ATA Associates can be found here.  http://www.ataassociates.com/Marine.htm

Dwayne

Officials may never know cause of fatal boat crash on Texoma

 The investigation into a Labor Day weekend boat crash that killed five people has all but ended without a determination of who or what was to blame, Oklahoma authorities said Monday.

Investigators have looked for clues in salvaged pieces of the two high-performance boats that collided on Lake Texoma, but evidence was inconclusive, said Oklahoma State Highway Patrol Trooper Kera Philippi.

"Investigators may never know if the collision

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Sounds as if there was not enough evidence left to determine the cause.  Without good eye witnesses this report may be correct.  They may never know the cause of the accident.

Dwayne

Monday, September 18, 2006

Marine and Boating Deaths from NTSB

Marine deaths showed a slight increase from 765 in 2004 to 769 in 2005. Recreational boating deaths, the largest marine category, jumped to 697 from 676, while cargo transport fatalities dropped substantially to 12 in 2005 from 26 in 2004.

Dwayne

Parties settle in boating lawsuit - Deadly Boat Crash

Mark de Tournillon Sr., who pleaded guilty to causing the boat wreck that killed a Moneta couple last year, agreed Friday to a substantial $2.75 million settlement with the estates of Lawrence and Judith Lewis.

Although most of that amount will be paid by insurance companies, de Tournillon intends to pay $250,000 out of the proceeds from the sale of his business, Shoreline Marina. The business has not yet been sold, said William Stanley, one of de Tournillon's defense lawyers.

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This case is indicative of the high costs of boating accidents…in human life and money damages.

Dwayne

Thursday, September 14, 2006

The plan offered by Democratic leader Harry Reid would have bolstered security on trains and buses and at chemical plants. Republicans charged it would have slowed efforts to improve security at the nation's ports.

We need a lot more help with the security of our ports.  Lets hope this bill has some teeth in it and that our ports are made safe before we have a serious attack.

Dwayne

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

McKinney family mourns after fatal boat collision - Texoma Poker Run Boat Collision

MCKINNEY - While visitors continued to enjoy Lake Texoma the day after the accident that claimed five lives Saturday, Bruce Lane's day in McKinney was far from normal. Lane's son, 25-year-old Justin Lane, and his son's wife, 31-year-old Amy Lane, were both passengers on the "Flash Gordon," which was one of the boats involved in the high-speed fatal collisionHere is news on a memorial service for the young couple. Dwayne

Speedboat collision investigated - Lake Texhoma Poker Run - Collision Deaths

WILLIS (AP) -- Investigators were trying to determine Sunday why two high-performance boats collided while participating in a "poker run" on Lake Texoma, killing five people, including a well-known former race car driver.

Oklahoma Lake Patrol investigators plan to reconstruct the two boats in an attempt to gather clues to how and why they collided Saturday, Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper Kera Philippi said.

"They're going to investigate the mechanics of both boats, too, and not just focus on whether it was driver error," Philippi said. "The driver of the second boat is still alive, so they're going to want to talk to him."

Deaths cut Coast Guard cutter mission short - Healy - Hill - Duque

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Deaths cut Coast Guard cutter mission short
Somber crew brings Healy to home port

By LARRY LANGE
P-I REPORTER

The Coast Guard cutter Healy returned to its Seattle home port Sunday, weeks early, and things will not be the same.