Comments about ‘Wrongful death suit filed against boaters in fatal Pineview accident’

Accidents do happen, but driving away and not offering aid to someone who is severely injured is not forgivable. Especially if the person not offering the aid is the one responsible.

I contend that the swimmer failed in her "duty" to use "reasonable care" when swimming by being hundreds of feet offshore and not marking her position with an appropriate buoy and/or flag.

Three hundred feet. That's the length of a football field. That distance offshore is in the middle of the *channel* or area of water safe for high speed navigation by watercraft. A swimmer has no business being out in that part of the lake... it's like playing in the middle of the road.

Admittedly, the men who hit her should have attempted to render some kind of aid, but as a person who spent years on a lake and around boats I can tell you that the swimmer endangered her own life by being out that far.

I do not understand why these men have not already been arrested, and charged with negligant homicide, and leaving the scene of an accident?
If someone ran over a person in with a car, got out and asked if they were alright, and then took off leaving them person bleeding to die in the street, they would be arrested, wouldn't they?

I hope they win the law suit big time. Most law suits are frivolous. But since the county is doing nothing I support this law suit. Leaving someone who is bleeding and dying in the middle of the lake is homicide.

Regardless of the criminal and civil cases results, the bottom line is we lost a tremendously gifted researcher at the hands of rather callous individuals whose past and future contributions to society are thus far unknown.

I think this accident (and it clearly was an accident, not a malicious attack) and the absurd decisions made in its wake cost society a lot more than we realize. And it can never be rectified.

cjb and DeltaFoxtrot,

Don't forget the part of the story where the defendents had consumed marijuana and alchohol prior to the accident. That's really what's going to drive the negligence charge in all of this.

Why does our judicial system move at such a glacial pace in Utah?

These young mens lives should be impacted for rest of their natural lives....if they have a conscience?

But given their character actions in this case....don't hold your breath!

Re: DeltaFoxtrot | 1:29 p.m. Nov. 9, 2011
"Admittedly, the men who hit her should have attempted to render some kind of aid"

Yes, most of us agree that when you run over a person with your boat and realize they are badly hurt it wouldn't be inappropriate to render some kind of aid. Some of us might even go the extra mile and take the victim to shore and try to stop the bleeding while calling 911 for help.

@Last Stand: Last time I checked it is perfectly legal to operate a boat while under the influence. Though I would never do so myself I've seen it done so many times its not even funny.

@Rifleman: The woman was hit by a boat propeller, there really isn't much that could be done for her. I've never personally seen anyone killed by a boat... but I do know a guy who lost a leg because the driver of the boat put it in gear while he was climbing the ladder.

I can imagine being the driver of that boat. Out having a good time cruising down the channel and *thump* you hit something that you didn't see. No boater, drunk/high or otherwise, would expect a swimmer to be 100 yards from shore. In a lake you always swim parallel to the shore, not away from it.

DeltaFoxtrot | 4:34 p.m. Nov. 9, 2011

Check again, operating a boat while under the influence is illegal, and there are many people charged each year with DUI, while driving a boat.
The sheriffs in the boats are not there to get a suntan.
Please tell me you do not drive a boat in the water
the things you are writing are unbelievable and on the fringe.
do you have the same attitude when you drive a car?

Re: DeltaFoxtrot | 4:34 p.m. Nov. 9, 2011
"Last time I checked it is perfectly legal to operate a boat while under the influence"

News flash!! It is illegal to drink and operate a boat as any law enforcement officer will tell you.

A witness heard her screaming in pain as the boaters left her. I suspect that the thought of helping a dying woman out of the water, even if she was dying, might cross my mind ..... especially if I didn't have anything better to do.

Delta Foxtrot. I have always been under the impression operating a boat under the influence is illegal. I can't cite a source it just makes sense. I know state park rangers are always on the watch for intoxicated boaters.