I hate to hear stories like this

[skunkman]

https://www.yahoo.com/news/girl-4-fatally-struck-houseboat-161000893.html

A little girl is killed by a houseboat and her father is severely injured trying to save her. I don't know the real details but the operator of the boat was charged with negligent homicide. I'm not sure if this is fair. Tragic for everyone involved.

I approached a sand bar in heavy current and moderate wind and a very drunk mother and her two young children trying to make their way back to an anchored boat ended up wading too close to my boat for comfort - one under the bow and two on my starboard side. I couldn't drop my bow anchor for fear of hitting the one child, I didn't dare try to maneuver under power and I was drifting towards another anchored boat. Fortunately I had other people on the boat to help monitor the situation. With a boat hook we were able to get one of the children to the swim platform and the drunk mother and the other child finally drifted away. I was lucky that all of this resolved before hitting the anchored boat. In retrospect I should have had my rear anchor out and ready but I didn't. I guess my point is that your environment can change fast and swimming around boats is inherently dangerous and injuries and even deaths aren't always the captain's fault. My situation could have led to an injury but fortunately it didn't.

Again, I don't know the real details of this tragedy but I did read in one of the comments that the captain had someone on board who gave him the "all clear."

 

[trflgrl]

Agree--I'm sure this is unimaginably horrifying for all involved, and there may have been things going on we don't know. I'm guessing that until a detailed investigation is done, authorities are defaulting to "must be in control of your vessel at all times." My heart hurts for the operator and the girl's family.

Reminds me, too, to stay vigilant and wear my "cove monitor" badge without shame: in our group, I'm the most likely to ask people to get out of the water or otherwise relocate while boats are maneuvering, rafting, launching, etc. Some others snicker about it, but if my anxiousness prevents even a small accident, I can sleep more peacefully at night.