RIP - Tragic Boating Accident

[CLdrinker]

How would they even know if Greg was driving? Especially if he has let other members drive his boat over 100 mph. One of the other guys could’ve been the DD

That’s a valid point.

 

[ONE-A-DAY]

Investigation has been completed.

First off -
RIP to all involved in this unfortunate accident. Condolences to all those left behind.

I'm not posting this to stir the pot, more so to hopefully open some peoples eyes to the effects of excessive alcohol consumption and operating a vehicle, whether it's a boat like this situation, or car, or side-by-side, or whatever it may be. If we can learn anything from this crash and subsequent investigation, it's don't drink excessive amounts and operate your boat. Key word here is "excessive".

After an extensive investigation, the Bonner County Sheriff’s Office has concluded that the boat accident that occurred on June 28th, 2022 on the Pend Oreille River in Thama, Bonner County, Idaho was caused by excessive speed likely complicated by gusty winds reported in the area at the time.
Evidence indicates the boat was traveling about 100 miles per hour (MPH) at the time of the accident. Furthermore, it has been determined that alcohol was a contributing factor in this accident. The vessel’s owner, Gregory Daiker, was found to have a blood alcohol level of 0.228 BAC, which is well over the legal limit of 0.08 BAC, as well as small levels of Diazepam. Lastly, the boat lacked enough life jackets for the number of people onboard the vessel as required by law.

.228 and 100 mph never ends well

 

[sirbob]

How could that boat not have enough life jackets? I’m not talking about wearing them - just having them onboard?

Heck everybody I know has at least a couple of those 4 pack orange ones stuck in a sponson for when you have a crowd…

Not that that has anything to do with what happened - just a side observation.

It hurts when you read the names / ages of those onboard. I don’t know them but it sure seems like 4 dads just left families behind…

As I’ve said already - may the families somehow find peace and be able to move forward.

 

[Tony DCB Boats]

How would they even know if Greg was driving? Especially if he has let other members drive his boat over 100 mph. One of the other guys could’ve been the DD

You make a point but the real problem is "driving over your head" conditions always are a factor with anything you are in. If the conditions were as they stated, 100 MPH was way to fast and this is why this could have been avoided and should have been.
So sad for the families involved. Wear a damn vest!!

 

[Deckin Around]

You make a point but the real problem is "driving over your head" conditions always are a factor with anything you are in. If the conditions were as they stated, 100 MPH was way to fast and this is why this could have been avoided and should have been.
So sad for the families involved. Wear a damn vest!!

Yeah at. 22 he was probably standing next to the driver yelling Let’r Eat!!

 

[cofooter]

How would they even know if Greg was driving? Especially if he has let other members drive his boat over 100 mph. One of the other guys could’ve been the DD

Maybe because they completed an investigation.............

 

[poncho]

How fast do boats need to be moving typically for enough lift to occur?

What an awful thing to happen, RIP to that crew, I don't judge.

When I first got into what we call hot boats I was standing on the river with a friend of my Stepdads and the wind was blowing hard, I made the comment that its blowing hard enough to lift a boat.
He said to me a Cessna can lift off in the 70MPH range, think of your boat as a forward facing wing. Obviously a very broad analogy with a million mitigating factors but it's something I never forgot.

 

[ArizonaKevin]

Maybe because they completed an investigation.............

In crashes like this with ejection, it's almost impossible to know with 100% certainty where different people were sitting at the time of the accident, unless you have some pretty good video. Investigators can make educated guesses, generally the owner of the boat is driving, if someone saw them depart their last location and where they were sitting at that time etc, but it's unlikely we'll know with 100% certainty. Regardless, tragic for all involved.

 

[Ballyhoo]

Yeah at. 22 he was probably standing next to the driver yelling Let’r Eat!!

That is a very high BAC

 

[Your ad here]

How could that boat not have enough life jackets? I’m not talking about wearing them - just having them onboard?

Heck everybody I know has at least a couple of those 4 pack orange ones stuck in a sponson for when you have a crowd…

Not that that has anything to do with what happened - just a side observation.

It hurts when you read the names / ages of those onboard. I don’t know them but it sure seems like 4 dads just left families behind…

As I’ve said already - may the families somehow find peace and be able to move forward.

People cheap out on stuff when it comes to expensive hobbies. Life vest in this case. Brakes on that red Mercury Comet. Tires on trailers. Driving a Ford. Stuff that needs to perform when things get shitty. I joke about the Ford. It will perform, just that you'll be the last to finish.

 

[sirbob]

People cheap out on stuff when it comes to expensive hobbies. Life vest in this case. Brakes on that red Mercury Comet. Tires on trailers. Driving a Ford. Stuff that needs to perform when things get shitty. I joke about the Ford. It will perform, just that you'll be the last to finish.

Haha - I’m with you, except for the Ford part

Seriously however - with all the talk of safety checks alone, I don’t need any BS while out boating… I always have 10 - 12 life jackets in a sponson.

What else are we going to float on in a cove!

Ski vest diaper fit for floating and couple of packages of orange ones just to meet the safety regulations.

 

[Your ad here]

Haha - I’m with you, except for the Ford part

Seriously however - with all the talk of safety checks alone, I don’t need any BS while out boating… I always have 10 - 12 life jackets in a sponson.

What else are we going to float on in a cove!

Ski vest diaper fit for floating and couple of packages of orange ones just to meet the safety regulations.

Life vest are important. It's very important to have infant sized life vest for small/young children on board as well. Something I can see being overseen by many.

 

[NicPaus]

Life vest are important. It's very important to have infant sized life vest for small/young children on board as well. Something I can see being overseen by many.

I have a plethora of infants and kids size vests on hand. But they all have them on before we launch. Seems every other trip they are growing and swapping sizes. I think I have over 40 vests now plus the orange ones that stay on the boat to be legal.

 

[RiverDave]

I am very sorry for your loss @Track Man

 

[92562]

How would they even know if Greg was driving? Especially if he has let other members drive his boat over 100 mph. One of the other guys could’ve been the DD

Often it is by the injuries sustained in the accident and matching the DNA with where DNA is found on the boat from an injury (blood, etc. at the helm).

So tragic, RIP!

 

[McKay]

Often it is by the injuries sustained in the accident and matching the DNA with where DNA is found on the boat from an injury (blood, etc. at the helm).

So tragic, RIP!

In crashes like this with ejection, it's almost impossible to know with 100% certainty where different people were sitting at the time of the accident, unless you have some pretty good video. Investigators can make educated guesses, generally the owner of the boat is driving, if someone saw them depart their last location and where they were sitting at that time etc, but it's unlikely we'll know with 100% certainty. Regardless, tragic for all involved.

Pretty likely the driver had a lanyard on.

 

[Deckin Around]

Maybe because they completed an investigation.............

Yeah because that’s solid.?? Any more info I would think they would have said driver specifically.
It did not say he was driving. Poor guy if he was just out for a good time letting a buddy drive. It could effect insurance claims etc to his family/estate. Rip

 

[RiverDave]

Often it is by the injuries sustained in the accident and matching the DNA with where DNA is found on the boat from an injury (blood, etc. at the helm).

So tragic, RIP!

I am not a cop, but I’d be shockingly surprised if they went all CSI / Crime Lab on a boating accident..

 

[RiverDave]

Pretty likely the driver had a lanyard on.

That would make more sense the dna results

 

[lbhsbz]

In crashes like this with ejection, it's almost impossible to know with 100% certainty where different people were sitting at the time of the accident, unless you have some pretty good video. Investigators can make educated guesses, generally the owner of the boat is driving, if someone saw them depart their last location and where they were sitting at that time etc, but it's unlikely we'll know with 100% certainty. Regardless, tragic for all involved.

Maybe a lanyard was clipped around the driver's wrist/jacket....We're not the ones who performed the investigation....

 

[25Elmn8r]

Sorry, I didn't copy the entire report that stated he was last seen as the driver. I didn't realize it was going to create a debate. I should have known better, this is RDP.

 

[lbhsbz]

There's 2 types of performance boaters....those that have gotten unintentionally wet and those that will get unintentionally wet. If you have an air entrapment hull....it's on the edge of boat/plane when it's working right....one wrong move and you're wet/dead.

You won't see me in my boat at over about 40mph without a jacket on.....Luckily it's a shitty outboard so it slows down about 10mph with the weight of a passenger in it....limits the risk to others to some extent.