Missing Boater on Lake Norman

[dfunde01]

The picture of the circling boat is a Donzi. When will folks learn about kill switches.

http://www.wsoctv.com/news/11205550/detail.html#

Dave

[Morgan's Cloud]

Very sad indeed , but I'm not so sure it's a Donzi ...

[ChromeGorilla]

Very sad indeed , but I'm not so sure it's a Donzi ...


Uh... the BIG ZX on the sun pad gives it away..... looks like a 25ZX. Regardless of brand or model... you hate to see this stuff anyway... especially this early in the season....

[Morgan's Cloud]

Doh .... I just could'nt quite make out the very thing that gives it away... I keep forgetting about those other Donzis .....

[Carl C]

Very sad and very sobering. The lanyard is so easy to use and causes no discomfort. I'll go without a life jacket if the water is calm but always use the lanyard. Makes you wonder if the missing guy got run over by his own boat. Let's keep it safe this year guys.:(

[peregrine]

I guess my ignorance plays into my question, how the hell did he drown? Did he fall overbaord drunk? I just don't understand. What did his fiancee say happened? I guess the lack of information just makes me angry that something like that could happen. Anyone care to shed light onto this please.

[ChromeGorilla]

What most likely happened was that the boat "hooked" or "spun out" ejecting both occupants. Coulda hit something submerged as well...no one knows for sure.... but fisrt scenario is most likely..... Unfortuanetly it appears the operator wasn't wearing his lanyard as the boat was still running cicles without anyone on board.:frown:

[peregrine]

WOW didn't realize they hooked that hard. So much to learn so little time. Thanks for the explanation

[BUIZILLA]

25ZX didn't have the stepped hull, not sure how that happened..

26ZX does however...

[Carl C]

No one knows for sure what happened so it doesn't do any good to speculate. It could have been a mechanical failure. A lot of accidents happen from getting agressive in turns or he may have hit a large wake badly. Are there any updates? Did they recover a body?

[Greg K]

Still no recovery of the male on board this morning. No one knows for sure how this actually happened and officials are not releasing much info as of yet.

[22billyzx]

very sad indeed....i have a friend that lives there,and had given some thought on taking my 22 there this spring

[Greg K]

Update, still no recovery of the male driving. Also, police reported the cause of the ejection, he was attempting a powerslide with the boat. Their description was turning the boat hard left at a high rate of speed.

[Carl C]

It seems most accidents happen during agressive turns. I like to slow down and do a slow high banked turn, then raise the drive some and straighten it out and roll on the throttle. Gotta try to get the rubrail in the water! (22C)

[justleft]

The driver was trying to do a power slide like the Ausi jet boats do.

Couple of the neigbors saw him playing.

Drop the nose as you throw it into a tight turn. Slide Spin.

I guess he didn't realize deep-V's just hook, violently.

[dfunde01]

Apparently he had just recently purchased the boat and didn't know what he was dealing with.

Dave

[peregrine]

Power sliding V bottom boats? You guys think I am crazy for wheelying my bike at speeds in excess of 100mph? Yeah.... OK!

[BigGrizzly]

Respect for the water and respect for the boat. I guess he forgot both very sorry for the incident. Now the boat not only the driver, will be a target.

[Woodsy]

Powersliding a V-bottom??? WTF! :mad: :mad: :mad:

We had a similar accident on Lake Winni 7 years ago or so.... long story short, dumbass boat mechanic doesn't use LANYARD and gets ejected from 28ZX... grabs rail on way out of boat and gets chopped to death by the props... Donzi got sued...

It is this type of MORONIC behavior that will kill our favorite pastime! It really is time for NATIONWIDE MANDATORY BOATER EDUCATION! These stoopid accidents do nothing but make us look bad, raise our insurance rates and they are COMPLETELY PREVENTABLE!!


Woodsy

[twinkiemb]

I am a friend of this missing boater. I can't say much since they still have not recoverd the body. He was a great guy and leaves behind a 12 year old daughter. He had been on the boat before. He was not chopped up by his boat, like I said I can't say much. I am sorry there are those of you that feel he has messed up a pass time for many others. He loved being on the water if he was not in the woods. Keep in mind there are things you don't know and may never know, as well as his family. I wish you all a safe boating season and keep in mind terrible accidents happen even if you are safe and careful.

[dfunde01]

This was posted on another site from a reliable source.

Here is the account of what happened by the girl that survived:

After coming under slanting bridge road and heading back toward the main channel they came to a shoal where there were a lot of birds. They buzzed the birds to make them fly. Then her boyfriend said watch this, and made a VERY hard left hand turn to power slide the boat. She said the boat bounced, then the next thing she knew she was flying toward her boyfriend, hit him and they both went in the water. They were fully clothed for conditions and she was wearing a leather jacket. They both came up and had to swim to avoid being hit by the boat which was traveling now in circles around them. She was okay, but her boyfriend was in pain and they suspect that he received many injuries when ejected from the boat do to the condition of the cockpit of the boat and things broken and bent. He probably had broken ribs and maybe even a collapsed lung or other injuries. They were both struggling to stay afloat and she was trying to help him but they were getting very tired. He asked her to try and remove her leather jacket and she could not. At that time he told her that he did not think he could make it and went under, but surfaced again gasping for air. Then he went under again and did not come back up. She barely made it and was seconds from going under when a boat arrived and pulled her out of the water.

[ChromeGorilla]

Then her boyfriend said watch this, and made a VERY hard left hand turn to power slide the boat.

Nuff said.....:(

[Carl C]

Nuff said.....:( Yeah, he paid the ultimate price. Let him be.