Two People Extracted from Wreckage of California Boating Accident

A watercraft accident at Lake Havasu resulted in all aboard being injured and the extraction of two Chino men from the wreckage. Accident investigators say the accident occurred near California Cove in Needles late in the evening on April 16. San Bernardino County Sheriff’s personnel responding to the accident found the wreckage of the large ski boat around 10:30 p.m. that evening in the desert nearly 50 feet from the shoreline.

The Chino men were found trapped inside the wreckage and had to be pulled from under the boat’s steering wheel and passenger side glove compartment by firefighters. One of the men and two other passengers were airlifted to area trauma centers. Deputies believe that one of the trapped men was driving the 21-foot Shockwave ski boat at about 50 mph around 10 p.m. that evening toward a launch ramp when it struck the shoreline. The investigation is ongoing, but deputies believe that alcohol was a contributing factor in the accident.

California watercraft and boating accident lawyer Samer Habbas would like to remind boaters that boat operators with blood-alcohol concentrations above the legal limit are more than ten times more likely to be fatally injured in an accident than sober boaters. He and other Southern California watercraft and boating accident attorneys would also like to remind boating enthusiasts that more than one-third of all boating and watercraft accidents involve alcohol. In alcohol-related boating accidents, roughly two-thirds of fatalities are passengers.

People who operate watercrafts from jet skis to aircraft carriers have an obligation to operate their vessels in a safe and responsible manner. If negligence is found to be a contributing factor in an accident, operators can be held liable for damages. If you or someone you care for has been injured or killed in an accident caused by a negligent operator, call 888.848.5084 to schedule a free consultation with Long Beach watercraft and boating accident lawyer Samer Habbas.

Resource link:  Two People Extracted from Wreckage of California Boating Accident