Boating Accident/Death off Diamond Island
 

Channel 9 reported this AM that there has been a boating accident off Diamond Island with 1 death and 2 injuries. The accident was reported about 2 AM to the Marine Patrol. The only other info at this point was that the boat had struck something and when MP arrived the boat was found partially submerged in 20' off shore but there are no further details at this point from the Marine Patrol.

It was on the Boston News channels early this am too. No photos or more info than what was reported on WMUR. Just a fatality boating accident that left others injured off Diamond around 2:00 am.

WMUR just posted an update at 8:55 am.

Posted in the Union Leader

Lake Winnipesaukee boat crash kills 1

Blizzard
 

The operator of this boat I believe is the daughter of Paul Blizzard who owns Lakeport Landing. If so I believe she was a pretty experienced driver. It's sad!!

She is also president of a local boating organization.

http://nhrba.com/board.htm

My heart goes out to the families affected by this tragedy.

Boating Accident
 

Boat at Glendale being loaded

WMUR has a news video posted:

http://www.wmur.com/video/16614448/index.html

Very, very sad.

class personified
 

Check out the post of Less on the Union Leader website.

"Is this the same Erica Blizzard that is the President of the NHRBA (NH Recreational Boaters Assoc.)? This is the lobbying group of high speed/high horsepower ocean type racing boats owners that vehemently opposed day & night time speed limits on Lake Winnipesaukee! If so, the media needs to follow up on this aspect of the story, as it sheds a whole new light on the speed limit debate!
- F L Less, Meredith, NH"


Talk about crass....Give the dead and injured their time and respect instead of briging up the speed limit debate! Remember....there but for the grade of God go I....

What a tragedy...... my heartfelt condolences to the families involved.


Ropetow,

The ghouls have already started and should be ashamed of themselves. Just ignore them.....

Tragedy
 

Speculation is irrelevant, in my view. But, human nature, it seems, tends to focus on the negative or more sensational possibilities.

Who knows what happened. We received a call today from a friend in Litchfield who knows the sister of the victim. Information was provided to us. The game of telephone is not limited by age. Until the authorities release a final report, I view it as speculation.

Thoughts and prayers to family and friends of the victim. Let's wait and see what is determined by science.

GB

Lay off. please
 

I, too, am disgusted to read just a vile comment from FLL. I have read his cruel, sarcastic and nasty comments about anyone who thinks differently from he does many times over the past months.
My sympathies to the familes who are hurting tonight. I'm sure there will be details to be learned as the days go on, but FLL... be a gentleman and leave the Blizzards alone.

tragedy
 

This was a terrible accident and if wasn't for the quick response of Tom Rock on Diamond Island there could have been more fatalities.
A. Mekler

Come on, spare us your self righteous indignation. This is the whole point...the so called speed limit crowd has called attention to these risks all along. People debate speeding/DWI/weapons violations and such after any tragedy because there is a need for serious reform now, not next week, month, or year. This is not a mark of disrespect for the dead/injured but rather concern that these tragdies are not repeated. You are the one who is making this an issue of pro/con speed limits. Investigations over the coming weeks will shed light on the circumstances.

Sadly, this time of year there wouldn't be many residential lights to make Diamond Island more visible. NECN is adding that the boat was headed in a southeasterly direction and that the collision happened at 2:30am.

I was awakened at 12:15am by a weird-sounding noisy boat. Surprisingly, there were several other boats out after midnight Sunday. The weird-sounding boat showed up late this afternoon, and was all white. It may be a Sunsation or Sonic.

What could this Formula 37 have struck to cause such remarkable damage, while leaving the rest of the hull undamaged? Most boats drive onto or over, islands.

I hope this thread can stick to the facts and details of the accident. If anyone wants to discuss political opinions, I hope they take it to the other section.

The damage in the photos is amazing. I remember the photos from the smaller boat that hit Eagle Island. It seemed to go up on the rocks and eventually slide along the ground on the island. This boat seems to have absorbed all the energy by crushing hull. On the news, it looked almost like a rock wall just at the water line. I think were showing the point of impact. The picture is not really close enough but the hull is also surprisingly thin.

A word from science
 

It always saddens me to offer weather info in these situations. It has helped in the past, so I do.

The following is taken from automated observations; I was asleep for the night.

Black Cat Island weather at 2 a.m. was most likely a light fog, based on the fact that the temperature and dewpoint were only 2 degrees apart. They were 57 and 55, respectively. Wind was absolute calm: Average zero, gust zero. The temperature was in the process of cooling. The air was laden with moisture (rel. humidity above 90%) and was not experiencing any drying.

Water temperature was 65 at the surface, 66 at 10 feet. Water temperature warmer than the air temperature can produce lake fog, or thicken an existing fog over the lake.

Per info in a weather-section thread on water temp, several warm pools of water (around 70 F) developed in the lake during the most recent heat wave. In the two days of northwest winds following the heat wave, the warm pools relocated to the southeast end of the lake. The water temperature has been greatly variable from place to place. This would have made patchy dense fog (visibility under 1/4 mile) a possibility. Patchy dense fog is often deadlier than widespread dense fog because of its ability to create sudden, dramatic loss of visibility for anyone riding into it. For anyone traveling outside the fog patch on open water at night, a localized fog patch can hide an object in such a way that it looks like open water. The local fog patch would not be obvious in the dark, and therefore the traveler would have no reason to question what is really there.

Conditions at Laconia were similar, also conducive to light fog (temp/dewpoint about 2 degrees apart, and calm wind).

It would be good to have data from the Varney Point and Weirs Beach weather stations also.

I offer all of the above only as a possible answer to anyone who asks how this event could happen to an experienced boater. While the accident investigators will determine the official cause and will probably consider weather, this is something we can think about in the meantime: It is entirely possible that it was a factor. Whether or not patchy dense fog was part of the cause this time, it is a phenomenon on this lake that can catch the most experienced boaters amongst us completely off-guard. Conditions at the time could have supported it.

My condolences to all those involved.

F L Less is sick.
 

He doesn't have the facts if speed was a factor. It was foggy on The Broads Saturday night, Sunday morning. I have seen many accidents due to fog. And they were not high performance boats.

Condolence to the Beadoin family and wish the others for a speedy recovery. The Blizzard family are well known and respected member of the boating community.

In my expert ( :rolleye2: ) opinion, it looks like whatever the boat struck was above the water, but below the level of the gunwale. I'd "speculate" a large, wide rock. Based on the bottom of the hull it doesn't seem that it hit much else--if anything--before it struck whatever damaged the bow, which seems a bit strange. What tends to happen is the boat goes over the obstruction, rather than into it. Notice the hull delaminated from the deck the entire way back.

The bow must have absorbed all of the energy from the moving boat--stopped--in those few feet.

edit: if you watch the video, it will show that the boat hit a rock wall on the shore, and the anchor chain had enough inertia to continue on shore and damage a house a few feet away.

All speculation, of course. Condolences to those involved.

video
 

Click the link on the 3rd post of this thread, they have a video which shows the rock the boat struck and also the account of what the person living on the island heard and saw immediately after...

Let's all wait for the facts, I hate when 30 replies from now assumptions become fact. But do check the video out, location on the island, and other comments do shed some light.

Regardless, my sympathies to all the families involved.

Seaplane is right......totally tasteless and uncalled for.Three families lives changed in a tragedy.......guess we should have expected someone to take to low road.

Does anyone know if that boat was particluarly loud? I woke up very late that night and heard a loud boat out on the lake. Couldn't see it from my vantage point but it was loud enough that I got out of bed to take a look.
Might have no connnection at all, just wondering.

I think that's a Formula Super Sport, which has through transom exhaust as an option. So it's possible that that's what you heard.

Superb Jounalism
 

In the Laconia Citizen

http://citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/art...660/-1/CITIZEN

and in the Concord Monitor

http://concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs....PAGE/806160371

The Union Leader became 'tabloid trash'

http://unionleader.com/article.aspx?...8-7adf8d429017

That boat would not typically be loud, even with the through transoms. I pass by one that looks just like it in Glendale daily and have heard it running. There are plenty of loud boats on the lake so unless you were in the vicinity it is doubtful they were the same.

With no power (other than if by generators) on Diamond and only a few houses tucked in the trees in that area it would be extremely dark at 2:30am, especially with the weather conditions that night. I have been to the Rock's house in the past and know the area well. They are lucky to have a Doctor be the first on scene.

I am sure the rumors and speculation is certainly flying around, but lets have some respect and restraint. There is plenty of time for speculation and criticism later as I am sure many will do. Someone lost their life and no matter what happened or if anyone was at fault there are pleny of lives affected. For all we know, a member of this very forum could be involved or part of one of the families.

Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, " martini " in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"

Broadhopper, perhaps you should consider suspending this signature...clearly the family of the victim would disagree with you here. The victim's cousin has already weighed in. This thread contains references to the so called lack of respect to the victim and her family by supporters of speed limits...your beliefs echoed in your signature are part and parcel of the problems faced on the lake caused by a few people cloaking themselves in the "Live Free or Die" banner".It's pathetic.

I didn't even take notice of Broadhopper's signature and I'm sure i'm not alone in this oversight but it sure was good of you to point it out. :rolleye1:
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims of this tragedy.

Diamond Island accident
 

Why is it, before any facts are released some people feel they have to have little or no respect for those involved in this tragedy and post what they feel are facts? I stopped viewing and posting years ago for this very reason. Unlike many other web sites where some sort of restraint is used in determining what is and what is not allowed to be posted, hurtful comments seem to be the norm on this site.
I found it was easy to get drawn in and become like so many others that’s why I stopped posting.
It is amazing how fearless people are when all they have to face is a computer screen.

Turtle Boy, that was one fine piece of creative writing. My god, you really believe this stuff, don't you?

So you are suggesting that anyone with a "life is short" outlook on life should suspend his/her opinions anytime someones life is cut short? Ya, ok.

Condolences go out to the families of all involved in this accident. Speculation needs to stop. Period.

Facts? Why would anyone want to let the facts get in the way of their respective agendas?

Crazy
 

My thoughts and condolences to the family and friends of Stephanie Beaudoin for the tragic loss of her life and I wish Erica Blizzard and Nicole Shineopelus a quick recovery. My thoughts also go out to Erica for the loss of her friend and the knowledge that she will have to live with this memory the rest of her life. I'm sure that will weigh heavily on her for a long time to come.

Several years ago a friend and neighbor was killed in another needless tragedy on Winnipesaukee. At that time many of us came together in hopes of bringing about change and to prevent these types of accidents. Through years of name calling and hostility we have attempted to improve safety on the lake. Its good that at least one newspaper remembers Jack's name. How many years will it be before yesterdays accident is considered to long ago to be relevant?

We can't sweep another accident under the rug and wait until the next. Some good can come from even the worst tragedies. The best way to honor the dead and console the living is to work to keep it from happening again.

I cannot understand how anyone can possibly imply that excessive speed was a factor in this accident, without even seeing the official report from the investigation. Yes, the photos show what appears to be severe damage to the bow of the boat. However, if you think about it, hitting a solid granite wall at even 25mph will do severe damage to a boat that's just simply made of fiberglass and wood. What do people think - it's just going to bounce off the rocks? In my opinion (which is worthless), if the boat had been traveling much faster than 20-25mph, there would have been a lot more damage to the boat. Think about those front impact tests the insurance companies do on cars at 5mph? We're talking about a steel car suffering significant damage from a crash at a very low rate of speed. I think in the end that the investigation will determine that the boat's speed was a lot less than people believe it was. Reading some of these cruel comments on The Union Leader website is totally sickening and uncalled for.

I agree I.L. We should not sweep these under the rug. We should learn from these tragedies and avoid them in the future. Would a 25MPH speed limit have helped here? Who knows, I personally think no. People make mistakes and make bad choices all the time. Depending on regualtions and laws to prevent this is not going to work.

Even without hearing any real facts other than seeing the picture of the boat you can figure out she was going to fast for the conditions, probably less than the proposed limit, and made some bad decisions. She broke the basic rule of driving any vehicle. How do you write a law that encompases so many variables withour crippling the entire activity? you can't. We somehow need to educate drivers so they can make better decisions.

My thoughts go out to everyone involved.

This is Fat Lazy Less who frequently posts on this forum.... This guy has NO CLASS!!! Without knowing ALL the facts, he has already made some assumptions.

I know Paul Blizzard and his family... and they always promote boating safety!

This was an unfortunate tradegy, one that took a young lady's life and severly hurt the driver and another passenger.

Our hearts are with all three families as they suffer through this tradegy.

Tank

The more I study the photo, the more it looks like speed wasn’t a factor as evident by the trim tabs and the out-drives being in the down position. And, the way the front is damaged, it appears the boat never went up and over the object….. Wolfeboro Baja, I also echo your sentiments. My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone that is touched by this tragedy.