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Child Killed in Lake Elsinore, California Boating Accident

The high risk of boating accidents and injuries has been a special concern to California boat accident lawyers this summer. Last week, a tragic boating accident in Lake Elsinore, California claimed the life of a five-year-old boy.

According to news reports, the boy was with two adults in a boat when the vessel hit a large wave. According to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, the little child was thrown off the boat. People at the scene were able to bring him to shore, and take him to the hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. The two adults, including the boat operator, were also thrown into the water, but were rescued. At least one of them was injured seriously enough to require medical treatment in the hospital.

Causes of Boating Accidents in California

The US Coast Guard has been increasing its efforts to draw attention to the fact that more numbers of people will now be at risk on the water as summer season continues. Recreational boating will reach at its peak during the season across California, and unfortunately, for far too many people, recreational boating means alcohol use and recklessness.  Both of these are primary factors in a boating accident.

Alcohol use may actually be a far bigger risk on the water than it is on land. Take all the risks associated with drunk driving, and multiply it by 10. That’s the kind of risk that drunk boaters face in the water. As with drunk drivers, boating under the influence causes voters to have delayed response times. Alcohol use affects your gait, and your body movements, and this can impact how a boater responds to an emergency. Delayed response times can be fatal on the water when it will be too late to avoid another boat, or swimmers.

Besides, boaters are much less likely to be able to rise above the effects of alcohol than motorists. That’s because people are much more experienced on the roads than on the water. This lack of experience on the water combined with slower reaction times brought on alcohol use, can prove deadly. Unfortunately, California boating accident lawyers often  see that for too many boaters, being on the water equals drinking.

Boating at excessive speeds is a primary factor in boating accidents.  Even the most experienced boater may find it hard to bring the boat under control at high speeds. A collision at high speeds can mean catastrophic injury or instantaneous death for the occupants of the boat.

Part of safe boating this summer is being a skilled boat operator. In fact, California personal injury attorneys recommend that anybody boating this summer, take time to prepare by undergoing a special boating safety program. It’s not enough that you merely know how to steer a boat on the water. There are emergency situations that might require you to have special skills, and a boating safety program can equip you with these. A boating safety program will also prepare you for the use of emergency safety gear.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of boating accidents. Please visit our website at trlglaw.com. If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.

The Reeves Law Group is not representing any party in the matters discussed in this posting.

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One response to “Child Killed in Lake Elsinore, California Boating Accident”

1. Personal Injury lawyer Ft Lauderdale writes:
   

   Thanks for focusing on this matter. Most of the injuries occur due to small negligence. I am a lawyer in Ft Lauderdale. I represent personal injury cases. I enjoyed your post. It is very informative. I will keep stay.

   @ April 8th, 2011 at 00:14