Tragic accident...preventable

[pmj]

MOULTONBOROUGH, N.H. -- A Massachusetts man suffered a serious injury after diving into shallow water in Lake Winnipesaukee over the weekend.

Howard Abernathy, 37, of Haverhill, Mass., suffered a broken neck after diving off a boat at Wentworth Shores in Moultonborough on Sunday afternoon.

New Hampshire Marine Patrol officials said the boat was on a sandbar when Abernathy dove. Another man on the boat brought him to shore.

Abernathy was taken to Lakes Region General Hospital.


Ok, so, as sad as this is...I can't help but wonder how much ETOH this man had in his blood to even think about diving off a boat while on a sandbar.
Could there be another explaination? How tragic.

[idigtractors]

Ok, so, as sad as this is...I can't help but wonder how much ETOH this man had in his blood to even think about diving off a boat while on a sandbar.
Could there be another explaination? How tragic.
We are so fortunate that this is the only one this year. (At least that this writer has heard about) Hopefully it will be the one and only this year. I'm not a boater on the big lake, but when I travel by it both during the weekends and week days there just doesn't seem to be as many out there enjoying the lake. Is it just me or is this being discussed on another thread??

[masssteve]

I've seen some crazy stuff. Last week I saw someone jump off the Weirs Bridge!! We saw 3 kids standing in the middle of the bridge looking like they were up to something, I thought they were spitting on boats going by. After we went under I looked behind and saw 1 of them jump off!! I can't believe he didn't kill himself!

[jrc]

How deep is deep enough?

After reading about this poor man with the injury, I got to thinking, could this happen to me. I had an 8' pool with a diving board so I have some feel for it, I did bump my nose a few times. But how shallow would you need to be before you considered it dangerous to dive from a swim platform? From the bow?

Yes, I know that even in deep water, you have to check for rocks or other stuff before diving. At 8' feet on my depth finder, I can usually see the bottom, except in Alton Bay. If I can't see the bottom my first dive is feet first.

Now diving/jumping from the Weirs bridge is just insane.

[wildwoodfam]

The boat was "grounded" on the sandbar according to the local news here in Haverhill MA. Now even if it was not "grounded," we all have been anchored at many of the sandbars around the lake and you can see with your own eyes that people are WALKING around on them! This means the water is pretty shallow! The person who dives headfirst off a boat anchored at a sandbar - deserves our sympathy yes, but also that person should have known better!

We often overlook the simple points in these situations. COMMON SENSE still has its place in society - and while it is often overlooked and often there are excuses given in its place - COMMON SENSE should dictate what we do and guide our actions. Clearly this gentlemen (from my hometown of Haverhill) was not paying attention. Something I grew up hearing ALL THE TIME....whenever I did something that was an obvious "brain freeze" moment my dad would shout "PAY ATTENTION!" Whether it was jumping off the dock and landing squarely on the large rock (that had been there for 100 years!) at the end of the dock, to walking into the glass sliding door on the deck, to overfilling a soda glass on the counter - PAY ATTENTION!!! Jumping from the deck to the yard below - and spraining my ankle when I was 13 - PAY ATTENTION!

Now - All together people:

Diving off a boat anchored at a sandbar? - PAY ATTENTION!!!

Jumping off the Weirs Bridge? - PAY ATTENTION!!!!!!!!!! [And go see your therapist when you get home - you need your head examined!]

Cutting in front of a boat towing a skier or tube! PAY ATTENTION!!!

Cutting the line of boaters queued up at the Wolfeboro Docks - PAY ATTENTION!!!

List goes on and on......

We can feel badly for these people - but all the sympathy in the world won't help others realize the error of the action - common sense rules the day!

THINK PEOPLE - Next some local politician will want signs posted on Sandbars - "No Diving From Boats" - isn't that just Common Sense?!

[SIKSUKR]

Well written Wildwood.I think you speak for a lot members here when you say PAY ATTENTION!!

[KonaChick]

I'm reading all these posts and yes, I agree that poor judgement was used wether it was alcohol related or just inattentivness, we don't know the facts. He made a split second decision that ended his life and dramatically changed the lives of his loved ones. We all make split second decisions everyday..most of the time the outcome is fine but every now and again you hear a story like this one. I'm keeping his family in my thoughts and prayers and if per chance they're reading the messages on this forum my deepest condolences go out to them. God Bless.

[Newbiesaukee]

This was certainly a tragic accident and I agree with all the forum comments. However, I did not see that this was a fatality from the news article and I hope it was not.

[pmj]

I do not believe that the man died but he does have very serious injuries, from all reports. This forum is excellent for discussing issues that bring awareness to situations that can be prevented.

[KonaChick]

This was certainly a tragic accident and I agree with all the forum comments. However, I did not see that this was a fatality from the news article and I hope it was not.

Sorry if I spread some misinformation! I pray for his recovery then and that his family and friends have the strength to get him through this.

[wildwoodfam]

He is in Fair Condition (as reported by the local papers down here) recovering in a Boston Hospital - he broke his neck and dislocated his shoulder. Still - tragic and yes, our thoughts go out to him and to his family. BUT remember, it was a preventable tragedy - and that itself is as tragic as the accident was.

I remember when I was 13 or 14 - my neighbor diving off the end of her grandparents dock at a lake down here in Mass - they even had the words "NO DIVING" painted on their dock because the water was quite shallow. She broke her neck - it was horrible to witness and I did witness it! She dove in, and floated up to the surface - we had to jump in and flip her over so she could breath - we floated her out to the beach and the EMT's were called. She was in a halo for the rest of that summer and into the school year - but today she is perfectly fine. Let's hope this man has a similar recovery!

[KonaChick]

He is in Fair Condition (as reported by the local papers down here) recovering in a Boston Hospital - he broke his neck and dislocated his shoulder. Still - tragic and yes, our thoughts go out to him and to his family. BUT remember, it was a preventable tragedy - and that itself is as tragic as the accident was.

I remember when I was 13 or 14 - my neighbor diving off the end of her grandparents dock at a lake down here in Mass - they even had the words "NO DIVING" painted on their dock because the water was quite shallow. She broke her neck - it was horrible to witness and I did witness it! She dove in, and floated up to the surface - we had to jump in and flip her over so she could breath - we floated her out to the beach and the EMT's were called. She was in a halo for the rest of that summer and into the school year - but today she is perfectly fine. Let's hope this man has a similar recovery!


NO he is not dead thank God!! I misread the story :) I'm thinking as he lies in his hospital bed reliving the accident in his mind he keeps thinking over and over that his choices got him in that bed and yes it was preventable. That's not to difficult to figure out...why keep hammering it home? As I said earlier we all make split second decisions everyday...99% of the time they DO NOT have devastating consequences like this. I'm sure he didn't wake up that morning thinking how fun it would be to dive into shallow water and break his neck. It goes without saying that this accident could have been avoided. It's a good story to share with your kids so they can realize their actions have consequences wether good or bad. Let's move on now and send this man our positive thoughts and posts and pray he has a full recovery. I'm done now..thanks for reading! :)

[wildwoodfam]

I'm thinking as he lies in his hospital bed reliving the accident in his mind he keeps thinking over and over that his choices got him in that bed and yes it was preventable. That's not to difficult to figure out...why keep hammering it home?

Not because we want the victim of the accident to relive it over and over - but in hopes that by pointing out this mistake - and hammering home the message that you have got to think about these things before you do them - it will lead to fewer and fewer of these events.

As I said earlier we all make split second decisions everyday...99% of the time they DO NOT have devastating consequences like this. I'm sure he didn't wake up that morning thinking how fun it would be to dive into shallow water and break his neck. It goes without saying that this accident could have been avoided.

Apparently not - otherwise it would have been avoided. Lessons are learned - from the mistakes of others. We prevent future incidents by reflecting on the outcome of the initial accident. Retelling or disecting the incident is not meant to embarrass or remind the man who was injured, rather to prevent future events...I think that is pretty clear by whats been posted in this thread. :rolleye2:

OK - I've said enough on this thread....time to move on. Will let folks know if I hear anything in the local press as to his condition - as he improves.

[KonaChick]

If you do hear anything, thanks for keeping us updated Wildwoodfam. I for one would love to hear how he's doing. That's the type of positive energy he needs. :)

[Aquadeziac]

Is this guy related to the guy that took the bachflip dive into 6 inches of water at The Naswa a few years ago? Stuff like this looks like something you see Wile E Coyote do in the Roadrunner cartoons.

[wildwoodfam]

Maybe it is just that they eat or drink a lot of really cold ice cream or beverages, and get brainfreezes right at that very moment they are about to attempt some idiotic stunt....and WHAM! OUCH! Off to the ER!

A news story down here in MASS last night - a teenage boy is in serious condition at a local hospital when he fell from a rope sing head first (from about 10 feet up) into 2 feet of water! I'm no engineer - but I can figure out that falling from 10 feet into 2 feet of water (HEAD FIRST) is not going to have a good outcome.

Lets hope that we do not hear of anything else like this happening - but it does seem inevitable....:rolleye1: