Report details events in missing boaters' accident- Jacksonville Florida Boating Accident Lawyers

TAMPA -- A state report on the Feb. 28 boating accident that claimed the lives of former two NFL players and a former University of South Florida player sheds more light on the cause and the fate of the men who died.

DNR inquiry of boating accident under way - infant injured

An infant remained in critical condition Friday as authorities continued to investigate what caused the deadly Georgetown County boating accident that injured the child and killed three others in the Waccamaw River.

Memorial Service Today For Missing Boater

A memorial service for a former University of South Florida football player lost during a boating accident in the Gulf last weekend will be held in Crystal River today. Family and friends will gather to remember Will Bleakley at 3 p.m. at Crystal River United Methodist Church.

Don Girvan - When the Knock Came He Was Ready - Shands Bridge Accident - Semper Paratus

When I was in the Coast Guard our motto (the Coast Guard motto) was Semper Paratus. It is latin for Always Prepared or Always Ready. We found in the Coast Guard that preparation often makes the difference when minutes and seconds count. On February 18, 2009 it did. This is not a story about the Coast Guard it is a story about some public servants and an ordinary citizen who was ready. Don Girvan was working in his home office when he heard a heavy pounding on his front door. It was two Clay County Sheriff's deputies. There had been an accident near the Shands Bridge near his home. People needed help. He volunteered his boat and he and the deputies motored to the site of the accident to render aid. This is the story as reported by the St.Augustine Record. Mr. Girvan had just serviced his boat the week before. He was ready. He guided his boat to two floating victims. They pulled a woman from the water and Girvan reported "I don't think she would have lasted five minutes longer". That's how stories end when people think fast and are prepared. We all should be grateful for people like Don Girvan and our deputies who always stand ready. Semper Paratus gang. Dwayne Clark

Victims of boat accident under Shands Bridge ID'd - Benjamin F. Heyward

A subcontractor who died when his safety boat capsized under the Shands Bridge Wednesday has been identified as Benjamin F. Heyward, 61, of Jacksonville. A co-worker who suffered minor injuries in the accident has been identified as Lakia L. Kiser, 33, of Jacksonville. Investigators are still trying to determine what caused the 11:30 a.m. accident on the St. Johns River at the border of Clay and St. Johns counties, said Karen Parker, a spokeswoman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Heyward and Kiser were in an 18-foot Capecraft monitoring an inspection being done by a Florida Department of Transportation crew hanging from baskets under the bridge. The boat began to take on water and capsized, sending the pair into the river. Someone from the work crew tossed life vests into the river and Kiser was able to grab one. A man on the crew jumped into the river and grabbed Heyward, who was unconscious. Another person on the work crew deployed a life raft and a third crewman jumped into the raft and pulled Kiser to safety. Heyward was pronounced dead at the scene. This is the FWC report. The subcontractors worked for Acme Barricades, Parker said.

See this also.

2 Arizona men killed, 4 saved after Virginia boat accident

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) -- Police say the two people killed in a Chesapeake Bay boating accident today have been identified as Arizona residents. Virginia Beach police spokesman Adam Bernstein says 89-year-old Ned Rokey and 69-year-old Allen Dedrick died after Rokey's 18-foot-aluminum boat capsized in cold, choppy water off Virginia Beach.

Last body in Quang Binh boat accident found

Boating safety is very different in other parts of the world. Witnesses had earlier said about 80 passengers were on board at the time of the accident. Some officials have said the boat’s capacity was about 12 people.

32-foot boat sinks at the 'Eagle' - www.lawboat.com - jacksonville florida maritime lawyers

The Eagle shipwreck off Islamorada had company drop in this week: A private sportfishing boat took on water and sank quickly while tied to a mooring ball at the popular diving site Monday. Three women and two dogs were on the boat when it went down. All were rescued by nearby boaters.

Maritime Law and The Jones Act re-posted by Jacksonville Florida Maritime Lawyers

Article by domanconsulting (513 pts ) Published on Dec 27, 2008 This article explores the doctrines and principles proclaimed by the Jones Act and the impact that this act has upon the maritime community.

Candlewood Lake boating accident victims to sue

The Candlewood Lake Authority and the five towns surrounding the lake are guilty of "willful, wanton and reckless disregard for safety" on the lake, said the attorney representing the estate of Jason Wanat of Redding, who died in a boating accident in July.

See also, this on the story.

Missing woman’s husband acted odd, passengers say

At 8 p.m. on Christmas night, a surveillance camera on a Caribbean cruise ship captured the image of a woman in a bathrobe falling over the railing. Two days later, her husband accepted condolences from a fellow passenger and announced his immediate plans — a trip to the ship’s casino.The husband, identified as Ray Seitz of central Florida, had reported his wife missing around 4 a.m. Friday, eight hours after the camera recorded the image of the woman identified as his wife, 36-year-old Jennifer Seitz. No announcement was ever made to other passengers, and the ship continued on its way as if nothing had happened, according to Jim and Suzanne Nestor, who talked about the incident with TODAY’s Lester Holt Monday in New York.

Former Texas Seaman Files Jones Act Suit

"Jones Act Lawsuit against Diamond Offshore Services Company" A worker from Dewitt County has filed a Jones Act lawsuit against a maritime company in Galveston, Texas County District Court, claiming he sustained serious injuries while on the job. Richard Dean Dewitt alleges his employer, Diamond Offshore Services Company, failed to protect his safety while he worked on the Ocean Clipper. According to the lawsuit, Diamond Offshore violated the Jones Act and U.S. Maritime law, and did not ensure a safe environment for its workers.

Jones Act suit blames Weeks Marine for seaman's fall - negligence and unseaworthiness

GALVESTON - A local seaman blames his employer for a fall he suffered on the job three months ago, recent court documents say. Isidro Perales Madrigal's personal injury lawsuit against Weeks Marine Inc. alleges the defendant neglected to assure the plaintiff's safety as he worked on a company-owned vessel on Sept. 14. The suit was filed by attorneys from Clark, Dean & Burnett GP on Dec. 9 in Galveston County District Court. Galveston County 212nd District Court Judge Susan Criss is presiding over the case. It states Madrigal was climbing down a ladder between the unnamed ship's booster and turntable barges when he reportedly took a spill. "The plaintiff was injured when the ladder he was climbing down slipped, causing the plaintiff to fall into the water with the ladder," the complaint says. "This incident was caused by the negligence of the defendant and those for whom it is liable." The suit also accuses Weeks of failing to keep the vessel in proper working order, which is a violation of the Jones Act. "The defendant's vessel was unseaworthy because it was not reasonably fit for its intended purpose and such unseaworthiness was a proximate cause of the plaintiff's damages," it says. Madrigal says he sustained serious and disabling injuries to his right knee and back as a result of the incident. The plaintiff adds he experienced losses of earnings and household services as well as great physical pain and mental anguish. "(Madrigal) has suffered loss of enjoyment of life as a result of the injuries incurred," the suit says. Consequently, he seeks damages to cover medical and hospital expenses. "The defendant is also liable to the plaintiff for payment of maintenance and cure until such time as the plaintiff reaches maximum medical improvement," the suit says.

Late-night fun turns deadly on Fox River - Boating Accident Kills 3 - Posted by Jacksonville Florida Maritime Lawyers

ALGONQUIN — Three Chicago teenagers drowned in the Fox River early Friday morning after sneaking away late on their last night at a nearby youth camp and launching paddleboats into the dark, quickly-moving water. All three bodies were recovered from the water near Camp Algonquin on Cary Road in the northwest suburb by 11:15 a.m. Friday. Authorities searched the river throughout the morning using divers, sonar and other equipment to skim the surface, according to Lt. Julie Didier of the Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Fire Protection District.

N.C. tourist dies in Florida Keys diving accident

KEY LARGO -- A 51-year-old woman from North Carolina died Thursday after diving at French Reef, about 4 ½ miles off Key Largo in the Atlantic Ocean. Joanne Page was pronounced dead on the scene. Her boyfriend, Eugene Jackson of Salisbury, N.C., gave Monroe County Sheriff's Office and Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission officers this account: