Boating Accident

Zach Donnell, 13, of Yorba Linda and John Donnell, 69, of Orange were injured in a San Bernardino boating accident when two watercraft collided on a river, the afternoon of May 13, 2012. According to a news report in The San Bernardino County Sun, the watercraft accident occurred on the Colorado River in Needles north of Needles Bridge. Officials have not stated what caused the two watercraft to collide. The teenager suffered major injuries and has been listed in stable condition. John Donnell may have sustained a life-threatening injury, but his condition has not been released. Investigators are seeking information from anyone who may have witnessed the accident. They are still trying to determine if alcohol was a factor.

My heart goes out to Zach Donnell and John Donnell following this boating accident. I wish them both the very best for a quick and complete recovery.

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Eight people suffered injuries in a boating accident after a powerboat exploded in Huntington Harbour, the morning of November 26, 2011. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the incident occurred on a boat that was headed to Long Beach. Officials say nine people, ranging in age from teens to 50, were on the 26-foot powerboat. The boat was two to three minutes away from the harbor’s main public launching ramp when the driver noticed gasoline leaking and told passengers that they should turn back. That was when the engine began sputtering and exploded. The impact from the explosion caused passengers to be thrown into the ocean. Passengers suffered a variety of injuries including broken bones, scrapes and bruises and were transported to area medical centers. Officials are looking into the cause of the explosion.

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Eric Norris, 30, was killed in a boating accident in Lake Havasu after he was hit by another boat whose driver left without stopping. According to a KTLA News report, Norris fell off an inflatable chair as he was being towed by a boat the evening of July 3, 2010 near Havasu Landing Casino. Norris was floating in the water waiting for his boat to come back and pick him up when he was struck by another boat, San Bernardino Sheriff’s officials said. Read the rest »

The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s office is considering filing charges against two boaters who caused a boating accident on the Colorado River, which seriously injured 45-year-old Stefani Rhoades. According to a news report in the San Bernardino Sun, the accident occurred when Russell Beck, 45, was operating his 2000 Ultra jet boat west on the river with three passengers. At the time Kirk Tahmizian was speeding in the area in a 27-foot Calibre power boat and ended up colliding with Beck’s watercraft. Rhoades was taken to the hospital with serious back injuries. Beck was arrested on suspicion of felony boating under the influence with injuries. Officials are considering filing charges against Tahmizian for causing the collision.
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Allyssa Squirrell, a 11-year-old junior lifeguard in the city of Huntington Beach’s summer program, died after she was struck by a boat propeller during a routine ocean training exercise off the Orange County coast on July 14, 2009. According to a news report in the Los Angeles Times, this is the first fatal accident since the city started its junior lifeguard program about 45 years ago.

The incident reportedly occurred when the program’s participants were being dropped off in the ocean and then retrieved by a lifeguard boat during what was a regular training exercise. However, Lt. Greg Crow, the driver of the boat and a 32-year veteran, did not see Allyssa in the water and struck her with the boat. The boat’s propellers hit the girl and she died of massive cuts to her back and extremities, the Orange County Coroner reported. Read the rest »