In March 2012 Yamaha announced a new stainless steel propeller guard for outboards on flood rescue boats in the UK and made several statements about how great it was, how well it performed, and even how prop guards were necessary when people were in the water near the boat. About October we became aware of Yamaha’s new propeller guard. In mid October we began posting
Most college students in engineering and design take one or more design project classes, often a Senior Capstone Design Projects Class, in which they work individually or as teams to develop solutions to problems. We are trying to tap this resource and encourage students to consider selecting design projects related to propeller safety. More student design projects would help grow the body of knowledge available
Three boys in a sailing class at Centerport Yacht Club on the north side of Long Island, New York were out sailing in Northport Harbor Tuesday afternoon 18 July, 2017. Their boat was capsized on purpose as part of a man overboard exercise. Two of the boys stayed with the sailboat. The third boy was picked up by an 18 year old sailing instructor on
Ten people were onboard a 21 foot Ski Nautique on Lake Gage in Steuben County Indiana about 7:15pm Saturday July 15, 2017. Dominique Effinger a 20 year old female was operating the boat. The boat took a hard turn and all ten people on board were ejected. The unmanned boat went into the Circle of Death at an estimated 30 mph with ten people in
U.S Coast Guard has released a Public Service Announcement (PSA) reenacting the June 1994 accident on Table Rock Lake in Missouri that maimed Phyllis Kopyto and claimed the lives of her husband Bob Kopytko and of their fishing guide, Paul Brundridge. Phyllis speaks over the reenactment video. The video is very forceful.
The National Safe Boating Council (NSBC) “Get Connected” campaign, funded by a U.S. Coast Guard grant, encourages boat operators to connect the kill switch / engine stop switch. The purpose of connecting the kill switch lanyard / engine stop switch or using a virtual lanyard is to cause the boat to stop if the operator is ejected. Unmanned outboard motor boats underway tend to circle
Hunter Bland and Conner Young of the University of Florida Bass Fishing team were ejected from their bass boat at speed during a Collegiate tournament in January 2017. A steering system failure caused the boat to abruptly turn to the right. Hunter was operating the boat and had the kill switch lanyard attached. Both young men were wearing life jackets. Today, July 10, 2017 the
Earlier, we covered the accident in which Patrick and his daughter Katlyn Oliver were swimming behind a houseboat on their way back to shore. Katlyn Oliver, 4, killed by houseboat propeller on Lake Belton in Texas. They were returning to shore after Katyln’s first boat ride. The house boat engines were started and reversed, Katyln was entangled in the propeller, Patrick tried to rescue her
Katlyn Oliver, 4, was swimming behind a houseboat at Temple Lake Park, on Belton Lake near Fort Hood Army base in Texas. On Monday 26 June KWTX reports Katlyn and her father were swimming back to shore after taking a ride in another boat. Katlyn was excited and anxious to tell others about her first boat ride. They were in about waist deep water in
Yu Chen, 43, an accomplished wakesurfer (Sail Surfer) was teaching lessons on Lake Mendota in Wisconsin about 6 pm Wednesday 31 May 2017. The University of Wisconsin maintains a Lifesaving Station on the lake. Their boat was returning from a rescue to Governors Island when Yu Chen was struck between the UW LifeSaving Station and Edgewater Hotel. The accident is under investigation. Among the agencies
Deputy Devin Hodges of Anderson South Carolina Sheriff’s Office drowned while entrapped on a boat propeller on Lake Hartwell, 1 June 2017. We previously covered the accident at Deputy killed by boat propeller. As a well liked young man, serving in law enforcement, leaving behind a wife and four young children, there has been a tremendous outpouring of compassion and support from the community and
Anderson County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) in South Carolina was conducting on water training exercises in conjunction with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) on Lake Hartwell in the Singing Pines Recreational area near Starr South Carolina on Thursday 1 June 2017. ACSO Deputy Devin Hodges and another ACSO person were on a USACE boat thought to have been being operated by a USACE participant