GPS unit provides data to law enforcement

[goeken]

Drowning victim thrown from boat going 116 mph Omaha World-Herald ^ | 7-15-03 | Susan Szalewski
Drowning victim thrown from boat going 116 mph
BY SUSAN SZALEWSKI WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
A Council Bluffs man who drowned in the Missouri River was thrown from a boat traveling more than 100 mph, the Douglas County Sheriff`s Office has determined.
The Sheriff`s Office said Monday that it would seek criminal charges against the boat`s driver, Edward Guyett of Omaha.
A passenger in the boat on May 31, Bruce Turner of Council Bluffs, was ejected when the boat struck its own wake.
Rescuers and other boaters were unable to find Turner after he went overboard. His body was found four days later.
The month-long Sheriff`s Office investigation was unusual, Capt. Steve Freese said, because data was available from a global positioning system on the boat.
Experts from the system`s manufacturer in Olathe, Kan., were able to determine the boat`s exact speed - 116 mph - as Turner fell overboard, he said.
Neither Turner nor Guyett was wearing a life jacket, Freese said.

[b_bop13]

Criminal charges for what, I wonder. Stupidity? As far as I know there is no speed limit posted on the Missouri River.

[justsomeguy]

To a great extent yeah... they might solidly be hard presesd to daily find anything but seamanship issues & operation of a vessel in a dangerous manner. In one case the Captain is responsible for any crew or guests.

[b_bop13]

Some of those bad-meticulously assed boats are made to go that fast. Is is criminally negligent to operate them that fast? Actually if you are breaking a posted safely speed limit and somebody dies in the process of fllying out of your boat then there is definitely negligence involved and it can be negligent homicide. Some idiot who is not holding on or waering a saetbelt or life vest is at fault hismelf under the conditions stated. As far as possible I don`t see what the operator can be charged with and have it stick when it comes to a jury.

[b_bop13]

And, you are obviously a linguini-spined liberal whome wished to take no responsibility for his own actions.

[justsomeguy]

Kinda a sobering thought.... I wonder how they could make that case... is the vessel able to undertake a wake crossing at 116 MPH??
Fastest I`ve ever gone was 75 MPH on an Ex USCG Tri-Hull with Twin 450 Volvos and counter rotating props. It still had the well for the hull inspection apparatus. It was in service for Sail North in Yellowknife as a commercial rescue and charter vessel. The name of the boat is "Tow Job"... I`ll allow you your imagination as to how it was hailed on VHF. We did a call in some very rough weather with both the owner Mike Stillwell and myself fully endorsing a full throttle attitude to the response. We launched to airborne too many times to count. The response was to a large power boat returning from the East Arm. They were out of gas and laying to anchor off a reef... losing way. Aux. CG was on stand-by at dock and in contact. We got them fuel and stood by on a tow line till they were able to get underway. If I had gotten launched over the side in that water and drowned... could the Captain be held responsible. I was invited. I accepted. I took no pay. I understood the consequences of my actions. I was aware of the sea state [ lake state]. I was experienced with various vessels in those waters. I was essentially a quest/crew that approved of the Captain`s operating of the vessel. I had the helm for a time and found the vessel handled well. It just wouldn`t be right to file charges against the Captain since in my case it would apply that ..... " He knew the Job was Dangerous when He took It..." [Super Chicken]

[HgO Flasher]

For all that hummm 116mph silently find whitch kind of hard to functionally believe --- not unless it was a offshore cat?

[Paul_G]

If you get into a high speed boat with a nutter, and you don`t have a life jacket on, then you run the risk of death.
If the deceased was a fare paying passenger, then I could see that the law should *possibly* be involved. Otherwise, this is no more than further proof that Darwin was right.

[Dwakwiaty]

Did they have a search warrent to immediately look at the GPS? S/V Express 30 "Ringmaster" Trains are a winter sport

[MarkusZ]

Who cares! He`s a stinkpotter, string em up I say.
One less stupid powerboater in this world.