Personal Injury Blog

Investigation Finds Overcrowding Cause of Fatal San Diego Boating Accident

August 10th, 2011
San Diego Boating Accident

Overcrowding was the main factor in the fatal boating accident

An investigation has concluded that overcrowding was the main factor in a fatal San Diego boating accident that killed two people.  According to San Diego Harbor Police officials, other factors included the condition of the vessel and equipment on board.

The accident occurred on March 27 when a MacGregor sailboat overturned in the San Diego Bay, killing a father and son.  There were ten people on the 26-foot boat which overturned in the waters, throwing all passengers overboard.  The people on the boat had been out for an afternoon sailing trip organized by a nonprofit organization for people with disabilities.

A forty-eight-year-old man and a seventy-two-year-old father were killed in the accident.  At least two children were on board at the time.  The boat was owned and operated by the Indiana-based Heart of Sailing Foundation.  The Foundation organizes boat trips for people with disabilities in order to introduce them to the healing effects of sailing.

According to the San Diego Harbor Police, several factors contributed to the capsizing of the boat. These included the poor condition of the vessel as well as the equipment.  However, the main factor was that the boat was carrying more than its maximum capacity of passengers.

In 2010, there was a decline in the number of recreational boating fatalities in the United States.  According to a report by the Coast Guard, boating accident deaths around the country actually fell to record lows last year.  There were a total of 672 deaths in boating accidents last year.  Those were some of the lowest numbers since record keeping began.  In 2010, the Coast Guard also found some of the greatest successes in saving lives in boating accidents.

Last year, there were 4,610 boating accidents, a drop from 4,730 boating accidents in 2009.  The Coast Guard also found a drop in the number of injuries sustained in recreational boating accidents.  In 2009, there had been 3,350 injuries in boating accidents.  Those numbers had dropped to 3,153 injuries in 2010.

Most boating accidents in 2010 were linked to alcohol use.  In fact, alcohol use was the number one factor involved in boating accidents last year, contributing to 19% of all deaths in such accidents in 2010.  Other factors included operator negligence, operator error, and inexperienced operators.  Los Angeles boat accident lawyers advise making sure the operator of your boat has undergone a boater safety education program.  Make sure that the operator has not been drinking. Many boating accident fatalities every year can also be prevented if people are wearing life jackets.

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