Boats and alcohol don’t mix
It’s funny, but people seem to think that it’s mandatory to drink alcohol if you’re on a boat. The truth is, it’s not a good idea, and it’s definitely not a good idea if you are at the helm. Arthur King Hall discovered this the hard way when a boat he was operating crashed into a seawall in Connecticut, resulting in the death of one person and the injuries of two others. His blood-alcohol level was four times the legal limit at the time of the accident. He was arrested and charged on a number of counts, including second-degree manslaughter and first-degree reckless endangerment.
In addition, the injured passengers have filed lawsuits against Hall, and it appears they are placing some blame on the boat’s owner, Hall’s father. The lawsuits contend Arthur King Hall acted recklessly and was negligent. He operated the boat at unsafe speeds and was intoxicated.
This was a tragic accident that could have been avoided. As long as drinking while boating is condoned, more accidents will no doubt occur. The passengers were severely injured and their lives changed. I’m betting from now on they will think twice before boarding a vessel with an intoxicated operator.
For the complete story, go here.
This was posted
on Thursday, September 9th, 2010 and is filed in the Legal, Public Safety categories.
September 27th, 2010 at 3:05 pm
People think that its okay to drink on a boat because they are out in the open where nothing can happen but it never registers in their non-existent brains that to get off the boat they are going to have to come back to shore where they must navigate much closer to objects which can be more dangerous in a boat than a car because there are no brakes.