Personal Injury Blog

San Diego Boat Accident Blamed on Speed

August 12th, 2011
San Diego Boat Accident

Boating at excessive speeds is one of the biggest factors involved in accidents every year

A San Diego boat accident in December 2009 that killed a young boy was caused by excessive speeds and a lack of oversight by the Coast Guard.  The National Transportation Safety Board blamed these two factors for the tragic accident.

The National Transportation Safety Board has released its final report into the accident.  In December 2009, a Coast Guard vessel crashed into a recreational boat with 13 people on board.  An eight-year-old boy was killed in the accident.  At least four people in the boat sustained injuries.  The boat had been stopped in the San Diego Harbor, while the occupants of the boat watched the annual Parade of Lights.  The Coast Guard vessel was on its way to respond to an accident at the time.  The vessel was on its way to the site of a reported grounding, which is not classified as an emergency.

According to the National Transportation Safety Board, the Coast guard vessel had been operating at planning speeds, which is at least 19 kn and could have been up to 42 kn.  The National Transportation Safety Board lays the blame for the accident squarely at the door of the Coast Guard, blaming the speed of the vessel and ineffective oversight of small boat operations by the Coast Guard for the accident.

According to the investigation, at least one crew member on the Coast Guard vessel saw the smaller recreational boat.  Besides, according to the report, the Coast Guard has very little oversight over its small boat operations.  The report makes special mention of the Coast Guard Station San Diego, which did not have an effective oversight and monitoring system in place.  The National Transportation Safety Board report says that if such a system had been in place, then this accident could have been prevented.  Additionally, the Station’s officer of the day, who had been present on the Coast Guard vessel at the time, did not advise the Coxswain to reduce speeds.

The National Transportation Safety Board report has many recommendations for the Coast Guard.  The Board is recommending that the agency establish procedures to check the speed of its vessels, and establish programs that ban Coast Guard crew members from traveling at excessive speeds.  The National Transportation Safety Board is also recommending a monitoring system that would help to detect when vessels that deviate from standard established guidelines and procedures.  The National Transportation Safety Board is also recommending that the Coast Guard establish procedures to compensate for reduced visibility conditions.

Boating at excessive speeds is one of the biggest factors involved in accidents every year.  To Los Angeles boating accident lawyers, it’s bad enough when ordinary Americans operate boats at high speeds, increasing their risks of an accident.  However, Coast Guard crew members should know better.

 

 

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