Boat Operator Reckless in accident that Killed two Middleburg students

The boat operator involved in a Presidents Day accident that ended with the deaths of two Middleburg High School students, including his son, has been cited with reckless operation. Ted Hanner, 49, was operating the 1985 Baja bass boat on Black Creek near the Knight's Boat Ramp and Marina facility when he left the controls to pump the fuel bulb, a piece of equipment that helps get fuel to the motor, said Karen Parker, a spokeswoman from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. She said the boat was running kind of ragged and Hanner was trying to get more fuel to the motor. The boat veered to the north bank and crashed into a tree 3 feet off the water, according to commission at the time. Hanner's son, Travis Hanner, 17, and the teen's girlfriend Halee Mickey, 15, were sitting in the bow of the 18-foot, 4-inch boat at the time. The teens died at the scene from severe blunt force trauma, the commission reported at the time. Ted Hanner was treated at Shands Jacksonville hospital and later released. Alcohol was not a factor, and the boat was traveling about 20 mph, Parker said. Reckless operation of a boat is a first-degree misdemeanor. Read more at Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/2011-06-10/story/boat-operator-reckless-february-accident-killed-2-middleburg-students#ixzz1PGQAgeUt

Crime or tragic accident? --Trial opens in boating fatality

The driver of a boat on trial for negligent homicide in the Father's Day 2008 death of a 34-year-old Meredith woman had a blood-alcohol level one-and-a-half times the legal limit of .08 when the power boat she was piloting hit Diamond Island, according to the state. Prosecutor Jim Carroll told jurors during opening arguments Monday in the trial of Erica Blizzard, 37, of 36 Gold Street, Lakeport, that the defendant was "impaired" when she crashed the 37-foot 2008 Formula 370 SS she was piloting into the 27-acre island located in The Broads — the widest section of the lake.

Boat’s owner convicted in Fremont Canyon crash - Partying Ends Badly on Boat

CASPER — A jury on Thursday found a Casper man guilty of two counts of aggravated assault for his role in a boat accident last spring that left four people seriously injured. Seth Linaman, 31, was also found guilty of boating under the influence. The jury of seven men and five women needed roughly two hours to reach a verdict. Linaman, standing with his attorney, showed no emotion when the announcement was made. Deliberations began at roughly 3:45 p.m., following closing arguments by Assistant District Attorney Daniel Itzen and defense attorney Richard Jameison. Including Linaman, the boat’s owner, there were four people aboard the vessel when it struck a Fremont Canyon wall at Alcova Reservoir on May 16. Everyone aboard suffered severe injuries.

Names of 3 rescued boaters released - One dead

FORT MYERS, Fla. - We have an update on last night's fatal boat accident. Fish and Wildlife tells us a 12-foot vessel was towing a 10-foot vessel in the Caloosahatchee River's choppy water. The operator of the first boat fell in the water after his seat broke. Another passenger fell in after attempting to take control of the boat. The operator ultimately drowned, and was recovered within 100 feet of the accident site at nearby Rat Island. Officials say the accident was alcohol-related.

UPDATED: Destin man arrested in boating accident that killed three

OKALOOSA ISLAND — A Destin man has been charged with boating under the influence manslaughter in connection to an accident Sept. 4 that killed an Alabama couple and one of their relatives from Texas. Click here to view a photo gallery of the two boats involved in the collision » Augusta Frederick Kennedy, 41, was arrested Wednesday on three counts of BUI manslaughter. He was also charged with boating under the influence, causing damage to property and five counts of violation of navigational rules resulting in an accident. -------------------------- Drinking and boating just don't mix. This kind of incident is far too common on Florida waters. Dwayne

Coast Guard joins effort to crack down on drunken boaters in Keys

KEY WEST - The Coast Guard will be teaming up with state and Monroe County officials in the Florida Keys to make sure boaters don't overdo it on the water this weekend. The effort is called Operation Dry Water, and it's designed to highlight the dangers of operating a boat under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Boating under the influence is illegal in all 50 states and territories. Impaired boaters can expect fines and possible arrest.

Clay County updates county’s ordinances regarding boating safety

From the Clay County Sheriff's Office: ATTENTION BOATERS!Clay County has updated and made corrections to the county’s ordinances regarding boating safety. The following is a list of the changes that you, as a boater need to be aware of. These changes will take effect on 12-13-2009 or when posted (as appropriate).

Boat's driver not intoxicated, lawyer says

Some of the passengers might have been drinking, but the person at the wheel of a 22-foot boat that crashed into an Intracoastal Waterway construction site Sunday wasn't intoxicated, an attorney representing three of the victims said Friday. A statement from the Medical Examiner's Office seems to back up the claim. Five people were killed and nine injured in the 7:15 p.m. wreck about a mile north of the Palm Valley Bridge. It started off as a Sunday cruise to St. Augustine. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, National Transportation Safety Board and Coast Guard continued their joint investigation Friday into what caused the boat to veer into a 25-foot tugboat.