Boating Accident/Death off Diamond Island

[fatlazyless]

Originally Posted by Ropetow

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....

........

Hello Everyone - just saw this thread, and no it was not me who wrote and posted it in the Union Leader. Someone, acting in bad faith, chose to write up a very rude and nasty letter and post it in the UL, under the name of F L Less.

It's not me....didn't write it and most certainly do not appreciate this deceit.

To whoever crafted this act of deception and miss-statement, you must be very proud of yourself for spreading bad feelings at the hurtfull expense of others.

No doubt, this can be chaulked up as collateral damage from the long running topic in the 'other' boating thread.
..........


Sympathies extended, at what must be a difficult time, to all close to the recent boat accident.

fll

[SIKSUKR]

Originally Posted by fatlazyless

........

Hello Everyone - just saw this thread, and no it was not me who wrote and posted it in the Union Leader. Someone, acting in bad faith, chose to write up a very rude and nasty letter and post it in the UL, under the name of F L Less.

It's not me....didn't write it and most certainly do not appreciate this deceit.

To whoever crafted this act of deception and miss-statement, you must be very proud of yourself for spreading bad feelings at the hurtfull expense of others.

No doubt, this can be chaulked up as collateral damage from the long running topic in the 'other' boating thread.
..........


Sympathies extended, at what must be a difficult time, to all close to the recent boat accident.

fll

This may or may not be the case but it is exactly the type of post we have seen from FLL on a non-stop basis.Sorry,not buying this post at all.If the shoe fits.

[VitaBene]

Originally Posted by SIKSUKR

This may or may not be the case but it is exactly the type of post we have seen from FLL on a non-stop basis.Sorry,not buying this post at all.If the shoe fits.

Based on his post and how the name was written in the paper- I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt here.

[Orion]

....but wouldn't a $350,000 boat be equipped with at least a $350 GPS?

[NHDOLFAN]

I have been reading all the posts and the back and forth banter going on. Unfortunately, society allows us to form opinions without the need for facts. I was on the lake Saturday night around midnight. I must say that I would not have attempted to go anywhere that evening without GPS. Even with GPS, I was very cautious and traveling at a slow speed. It saddens me to think that someone with her experience would not have this technology at her disposal. Regardless of the side that you have choose to take, there is an innocent person no longer with us. Everyone is focused on the boat and what it looks like. What about the idea of the anchor being propelled into the side of the cottage on impact?

Best wishes to those involved as the pain will always be there.

[Dave R]

Originally Posted by Orion

....but wouldn't a $350,000 boat be equipped with at least a $350 GPS?

Looks like it has a nice one, looks like a Raymarine C80 display and it is highly unlikely it came without a GPS antenna:



It may not have had the Winnipesaukee chart in it though. Can't say.

[kthy66]

Im sure it had the proper electronics but like anything else accidents happen. It doesnt matter how well you know the lake; things are different at night. “familiarity breeds contempt”
GPS is not foolproof..

I wish the victims and their families a speedy healing

[fatlazyless]

I obviously have no idea who wrote the letter from F L Less. One can imagine what their intent was.

What I do know, is that I absolutely - positively - absolutely did not write it!

As I said in my post from last night, someone acting in very bad faith crafted this nasty letter to the Union Leader and signed it F L Less.

It was not me!

With such a grave and serious accident that involves big injuries and death, it would be extremely rude and nasty. People have feelings! It is just totally out of good taste to be so disrespectfull.

On the human scale of importance, a grave boating accident emotionally outweighs a speed limit law by a million times......no comparision....

Again, please accept my condolences to all close to this boating accident!

I'm a boater too. Wave to me, and I'll wave back to you.

You know, I do not expect any apologies from anyone who wrote any of the nasty ghoulish replies about me. There was a terrible accident. People get very upset, and they see that nasty letter, and they assume it is real so they react in turn.

Let's just forget about that and move on.

Here's hoping the accident survivors will make a speedy & full recovery.

[SIKSUKR]

Originally Posted by fatlazyless

I obviously have no idea who wrote the letter from F L Less. One can imagine what their intent was.

What I do know, is that I absolutely - positively - absolutely did not write it!

As I said in my post from last night, someone acting in very bad faith crafted this nasty letter to the Union Leader and signed it F L Less.

It was not me!

With such a grave and serious accident that involves big injuries and death, it would be extremely rude and nasty. People have feelings! It is just totally out of good taste to be so disrespectfull.

On the human scale of importance, a grave boating accident emotionally outweighs a speed limit law by a million times......no comparision....

Again, please accept my condolences to all close to this boating accident!

I'm a boater too. Wave to me, and I'll wave back to you.

You know, I do not expect any apologies from anyone who wrote any of the nasty ghoulish replies about me. There was a terrible accident. People get very upset, and they see that nasty letter, and they assume it is real so they react in turn.

Let's just forget about that and move on.

Here's hoping the accident survivors will make a speedy & full recovery.

Sorry FLL,I'm a little touchy right now.You have certainly made posts in the past along the same lines that lacked good taste.I accept your last post and hope you are sincere.

[SIKSUKR]

I thought I would put a link to Stephanie's Obit from the Laconia Citizen Online.She really was a wonderful girl with the most infectious smile.God Bless.
http://www.legacy.com/Citizen/DeathN...onId=111728081

[NHDOLFAN]

I understand that a GPS is not fool proof. However, an ounce of caution can go a long way. Each year, I am baffled by the stupidity of people on the lake (tubing with young kids in the middle of the broads on a busy summer weekend is just 1 example). I'm not sure if I agree with the statement " accidents happen" as many of them can be prevented with patience.

[kthy66]

It is what it is... ACCIDENTS do Happen regardless of whether there is someone acting foolishly or following all the rules..
You apparently believe that all accidents are due to people doing stupid things.. must be nice in your world.

[NHDOLFAN]

Give me an example where an accident happens when someone is using common sense with patience. My world is a great place because I choose for it to be. Try reading the book Don't Sweat the Small Stuff.

[kthy66]

ok... your driving down the lake... a submerged floating object takes out your prop... who is being negligent causing this accident?

Your driving down the street... A rock gets kicked up from a car in front of you.. your windshield cracks.... who is being negligent causing this accident?

Try reading the book.. boating for dummies... I think it will do you some good

[kthy66]

BTW I will not respond to anymore of your inane posts... its disrespectful to the people involved in the ACCIDENT.. Go somewhere else and spew your hate and ridicule.

[SIKSUKR]

Originally Posted by NHDOLFAN

Give me an example where an accident happens when someone is using common sense with patience. My world is a great place because I choose for it to be. Try reading the book Don't Sweat the Small Stuff.

Gee,there's a tough one.I walking on a path and a big branch of a tree suddenly breaks off and falls on me.Maybe I was lacking comman sense by walking near those trees and was not patient enough to wait for that tree to fall before walking by it.Hopefully,if you use all your comman sense,a tree does not drop on you.

[ITD]

Originally Posted by fatlazyless

I obviously have no idea who wrote the letter from F L Less. One can imagine what their intent was.

What I do know, is that I absolutely - positively - absolutely did not write it!

As I said in my post from last night, someone acting in very bad faith crafted this nasty letter to the Union Leader and signed it F L Less.

It was not me!

With such a grave and serious accident that involves big injuries and death, it would be extremely rude and nasty. People have feelings! It is just totally out of good taste to be so disrespectfull.

On the human scale of importance, a grave boating accident emotionally outweighs a speed limit law by a million times......no comparision....

Again, please accept my condolences to all close to this boating accident!

I'm a boater too. Wave to me, and I'll wave back to you.

You know, I do not expect any apologies from anyone who wrote any of the nasty ghoulish replies about me. There was a terrible accident. People get very upset, and they see that nasty letter, and they assume it is real so they react in turn.

Let's just forget about that and move on.

Here's hoping the accident survivors will make a speedy & full recovery.

I believe Less' statement here and want to apologize for calling him ghoulish. Less, that statement is still in that article, I would be outraged if someone did this to me. I suggest that you call the Union leader and ask them to remove it if you haven't already. I'm sure that the UL ip logs the responses it receives, maybe it would be possible to associate that IP with an IP used in this forum, who knows.

I still stand behind my ghoul statement for the person who wrote that response, no matter which side of the SL debate they are on and the others, who were waiting for this tragedy to say "see, I told you so".

I would also like to point out that hitting an immoveable object like a wall at 25 mph with a boat will cause massive damage and probably death. I would be very surprised if this boat was going over 25 mph. If you don't believe me, drive your car into a concrete abutment at 25 and see what happens.

[parrothead]

Also don't wear a seat belt while driving into the abutment.

[kthy66]

ITD... you are so right... I was thinking last night about what happens to a car in a low speed crash... I saw a picture of a corvette this morning that hit a wall at 30 MPH.. As you know corvettes are also all fiberglass... The car was crushed almost beyond recognition.
Got me thinking that this boat was not going that fast at all... probably less than 20 miles per hour... Had it been going at any significant speed there wouldnt have been anything left and there would have been much more significant damage to the underneath of the hull and not just the bow.

[NHDOLFAN]

kthy66

those are examples of life and things that happen, not accidents. the only disrespect is you not understanding that everyone is entitled to an opinion. everything happens for a reason, so there is no accident! the reason sometimes is not as OBVIOUS as others.

[Seaplane Pilot]

Originally Posted by NHDOLFAN

kthy66

those are examples of life and things that happen, not accidents. the only disrespect is you not understanding that everyone is entitled to an opinion. everything happens for a reason, so there is no accident! the reason sometimes is not as OBVIOUS as others.

What is the definition of the event in this article, if it wasn't an accident? God help the poor girl who was the victim of this falling rock - she did not cause this event. Of course there are accidents!

http://www.boston.com/news/local/art...had_to_happen/

[kthy66]

Originally Posted by NHDOLFAN

kthy66

those are examples of life and things that happen, not accidents. the only disrespect is you not understanding that everyone is entitled to an opinion. everything happens for a reason, so there is no accident! the reason sometimes is not as OBVIOUS as others.

like i said,,, it must be nice in your world

[NHDOLFAN]

half empty or half full, it's a simple choice with profound outcomes. the decision is yours and only yours!

[Wolfeboro_Baja]

Originally Posted by PennyPenny

Speed was an issue. His aunt is the deceased. The boat hit some rocks and went airborne?? and landed on or near shore. I only know that the families are grieving. The nephew is my future son in law and works at the Whining Butcher in Gilford.( not that that matters) I am not a boater but I have seen what speed can do whether it be a rock or tree or whatever. People kill people. It just brings me to tears. RIP

SIKSUKR, my condolences on the loss of your friend and my apologies for bringing this up; I thought I had already said all that I needed to say or that I was going to say in this thread but the quote above really angered me.

How can someone get "first hand" information from a deceased victim? I don't understand that. By now, we've all looked at the picture of the damaged boat in post #8; if that boat was "airborne??", why was the entire hull bottom not destroyed instead of just the first 8-12 feet of it as we see in the picture? Looking at that pic, I don't believe that for an instant! Imagine the force it would take to cause a 15,000 lb boat to become airborne!! People that admit to not being boaters should not be speculating; allow the professionals to investigate the accident and file their reports, based on their experience, expertise and knowledge.

DaveR, regarding your comment about speed being an issue since "obvious(ly) the boat was closer to Diamond Island than 150'," allow me to suggest to you that given the darkness, rain, fog and maybe an inaccurate GPS reading, Ms. Blizzard may have thought she was much further away from land than she actually was. We know GPS is not 100% accurate (it can vary as much as 50 ft) and there was also a report of another boater getting inaccurate readings in the same vicinity as this accident. There have been many comments about her abilities at the helm of a boat and I believe those comments; does anyone actually think a boater with that much experience would intentionally make a mistake like this?? I don't believe that. My thoughts are, she probably thought she knew exactly where she was, the only problem was, she was drastically mistaken. Yes, I know, I'm speculating myself. Enough said.

FatLazyLess, as much as I disagree with most of your comments on the speed limits threads, I believe you were being honest and sincere when you said you did not make the comment on the Union Leader article. I just felt it was important for you to know that I believed you and, setting the speed limit issue aside, we can all agree this was a very tragic accident.

Finally, my thoughts and condolences go out to all the families of the victims and to the friends of the victims that have lost someone so near and dear to them.

[Dave R]

Originally Posted by Wolfeboro_Baja

DaveR, regarding your comment about speed being an issue since "obvious(ly) the boat was closer to Diamond Island than 150'," allow me to suggest to you that given the darkness, rain, fog and maybe an inaccurate GPS reading, Ms. Blizzard may have thought she was much further away from land than she actually was. We know GPS is not 100% accurate (it can vary as much as 50 ft) and there was also a report of another boater getting inaccurate readings in the same vicinity as this accident. There have been many comments about her abilities at the helm of a boat and I believe those comments; does anyone actually think a boater with that much experience would intentionally make a mistake like this?? I don't believe that. My thoughts are, she probably thought she knew exactly where she was, the only problem was, she was drastically mistaken. Yes, I know, I'm speculating myself. Enough said.

The boat could not hit Diamond Island unless it was closer than 150 feet so we know it was within 150 feet. If it was exceeding 6 MPH, it was going faster than the law allows. That's it. I wrote that in response to claims that speed was not a factor. I never implied that the operator was aware of her position, nor did I imply anything else.

[4Fun]

Originally Posted by Dave R

The boat could not hit Diamond Island unless it was closer than 150 feet so we know it was within 150 feet. If it was exceeding 6 MPH, it was going faster than the law allows. That's it. I wrote that in response to claims that speed was not a factor. I never implied that the operator was aware of her position, nor did I imply anything else.

Your point makes sense to me Dave. To the posters comparing a falling tree or a random rock kicked up on the highway those things are largely out of your control. This accident, while I am sure there were many contributing factors, was within the control of the boat operator.

Simply put she thought she was heading in a different direction or in a different spot. This is operator error plain and simple. I don't think this is jumping to a conclusion. What the contributing factors were that caused the confusion can be debated, but whether or not she is at fault how can you debate that???

I am very sorry to hear about the loss of a life and certainly don't think Erica should be condemed for life or smeared through the media. Discussing it to make a safer lake should be viewed as a positive not a negitive.

[NHDOLFAN]

4Fun

Very well said. My comments are not to cast judgement or identify fault. I simple stated that this tragic situation may have been prevented. Unfortunately for Erica, she will always live with this pain, regardless of the circumstances.

My hat goes off to Dr. Rock and his wife for their help in this situation, which may have saved some lives.

[sa meredith]

As I very recently stated, the only thing that matters is the fact the lives of the two survivors have changed forever, and another girl has lost her's. You have to feel for them. However, it seems people just want to talk about speed, and the definition of the word "accident".
My take is this....at some point, responsibility is going to be accessed by the proper authorities. A woman has died, after all. And the finding will not be "oh, just an accident". I'm sorry. That just won't be the case. As a precident, I would look to the incident (not accident) involving the son (as opposed to the daughter) of the owner of a Marina (Irwin or Channell, I forget) who ran over two people in Meredith Bay at night, killing one. He was held responsible for it. Yes, he was drunk. But if he was not drunk, I believe he still would have been held responsible for the "incident".
This is a terrible, terrible thing that has happened. But unless there is severe mechanical failure, someone will be held accountable. Simple truth.

[Bear Islander]

Here is the information on donations in the event someone is interested. I can tell you first hand that donations like this will mean a lot to the family.


For those who wish, the family suggests expressions of sympathy in Stephanie's name may be made to the American Cancer Society-Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, c/o Eileen Willet, 2 Commerce Drive, Suite 110, Bedford NH 03110, on memo line of check please insert MSABC-Laconia-Laconia Clinic Team-In Memory of Stephanie D. Beaudoin, or visit www.cancer.org/stridesonline or to the New Hampshire Humane Society, PO Box 572, Laconia NH 03247, or visit www.nhhumane.org.

[SIKSUKR]

Thank you BI for posting that info.

[Bear Islander]

By a strange coincidence Phillip, the Bear on Bear Island came up in another thread. When our son died many years ago we asked that donations go to the Bear Island Conservation Association. The money donated was used by the association to have the Bear carved, put in place, and a plaque at the base. Over the years it has been wonderful to see children get a kick out of that bear.

I mention this by way of passing along the idea that a living, working memorial is the best kind. It can be a park bench, playground equipment or a wooden Bear.

[pats fan]

Originally Posted by sa meredith

As I very recently stated, the only thing that matters is the fact the lives of the two survivors have changed forever, and another girl has lost her's. You have to feel for them. However, it seems people just want to talk about speed, and the definition of the word "accident".
My take is this....at some point, responsibility is going to be accessed by the proper authorities. A woman has died, after all. And the finding will not be "oh, just an accident". I'm sorry. That just won't be the case. As a precident, I would look to the incident (not accident) involving the son (as opposed to the daughter) of the owner of a Marina (Irwin or Channell, I forget) who ran over two people in Meredith Bay at night, killing one. He was held responsible for it. Yes, he was drunk. But if he was not drunk, I believe he still would have been held responsible for the "incident".
This is a terrible, terrible thing that has happened. But unless there is severe mechanical failure, someone will be held accountable. Simple truth.

I was not there when the Littlefield accident occured a few years ago, however, Mr. Littlefield was found NOT guilty of being drunk. It can be your opinion that he was, but you should refrain from stating that he was drunk. Right now is probably not the time for the peanut gallery to be deciding that Erica needs to be held responsible in any legal manner. At this point she is still in critical condition and putting up the fight of her life. Could she have been impared? Speeding? Operating in an unsafe manner? Perhaps. But right now I think it is very disheartening to hear people beating her up when she is in the physical condition she is in. She will have terrible mental and physical scars to deal with from this and right now she needs the community to pray for her speedy recovery and pray for Steph and her family. There are evil people who do horrible things. Erica is a good person who had a horrible thing happen to her, weather she inadvertantly contributed to it or not.

[Skip]

Originally Posted by pats fan

... Mr. Littlefield was found NOT guilty of being drunk. It can be your opinion that he was, but you should refrain from stating that he was drunk...

Out of sympathy and respect for the individuals and families affected by this collision I will refrain from comment about the original topic under discussion, except for offering my sincerest condolences.

As to your assertion quoted above, it is obvious that you have not read the original court transcript or the opinion of the NH Supreme Court which heard the Littlefield appeal.

I have covered this topic in the past, provided links to the transcripts and posted pertinent passages numerous times. The regular reader is clearly familiar with the evidence I have covered previously.

The jury found ample evidence of Littlefield's impairment by alcohol the night of his crime, and found that intoxication was one of the leading factors that led to his inability to maintain a proper lookout, with death resulting.

On appeal, the Justices of the NH Supreme Court acknowledged that the jury could consider, did consider and rightfully concluded from ample & credible testimony of Littlefield's impairment. That is a matter of fact, not opinion, clearly annotated in both Court decisions.

Littlefield was not found guilty of the higher of the two homicide charges simply because the coward fled the scene and verifiable evidence of the level of his intoxication could not be introduced, for obvious reasons.

Additionally, ample evidence of his intoxication played a significant factor in the awards given during the subsequent civil proceedings.

Mr. Littlefield was intoxicated, a coward and remains a convicted felon for the rest of his life.

Cowardice is the only subject up for debate, but clearly is indicative of my opinion then and now.

Finally, given what little is actually known about the tragedy that just occurred, it is highly inappropriate and extremely irresponsible to be drawing any conclusions or references between the two events.

Skip

[pats fan]

http://www.citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll...WS02/709126805


Skip,
See paragraph 3 of the above Citizen article. I don't disagree with your comments above about Mr. Littlefield, but it certainly does seem to me that he was aquitted of being drunk. Do I think he probably was? Sure. But I think he was not found guilty of that charge.

[Skip]

Originally Posted by pats fan

http://www.citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll...WS02/709126805


Skip,
See paragraph 3 of the above Citizen article. I don't disagree with your comments above about Mr. Littlefield, but it certainly does seem to me that he was aquitted of being drunk. Do I think he probably was? Sure. But I think he was not found guilty of that charge.

PF, please don't take my previoius post as a personal criticism.

The trial and appeal were very technical, and the transcripts lengthy. One paragraph in the local paper by an underpaid reporter cannot substitute for the actual gist of the charges.

It would take me several pages of legal jargon to explain the technical differences of the two homicide charges Littlefield was charged with, and how (legally) a not guilty finding of the higher charge does not mean he was not intoxicated.

In the end it is neither your's nor my opinion that matters, it was what the jury concluded and what the NH Supreme Court opined in the matter. And a reading of the transcripts clearly shows that they both came to the conclusion that Littlefield was intoxicated. The inability to show to what technical degree is what allowed him to escape a lengthier stay in the State prison system.

Like someone once said...."you could print volumes of what they don't tell you in the papers!"...

[robmac]

you people are rediculous! First off who and why are you being a jury in an already settled situation? why are you assuming that the two accidents are the same? Let the families and the professionals(not you rank ametuers) determine what happened and who's at fault.The web master should put a stop to this assault on situations and unknown facts and let families grieve and wait to see what the final outcome is.

[Belmont Resident]

First let me say that you people who keep bring up the 150' headway speed thing are really ignorant. Do you honestly think that if someone knew they were heading for an island they would not have taken action to avoid hitting it?
Even though someone sells a particular model of boat doesn’t automatically mean they know everything about every boat in that model line.
Now lets say the operator was on a brand new boat, one that they had just purchased and were out on for the first time, one they were not totally familiar with and therefore were not using GPS but rather relying on there life long knowledge of the lake to guide them.
Now for all you boaters, where do you keep your right hand when operating your boat?
Not sure but I believe 90% would say that it was resting on the controls.
What direction propels the boat forward?
If I was operating a boat and it came to a stop unexpectedly there might be a good chance I would push the throttles full forward thus adding to the boats forward momentum.
Granted this is only hypothetical but a scenario that very well could have played out this past weekend.
So please have a little respect for those who were involved and let the facts come out before you show so much disrespect for the families by assuming the people involved had to have done something wrong.
We take our lives in our hands each and every day. To say that someone should not have been boating in those conditions is ridiculous. Who are you to say what optimum conditions to boat in are? As for the GPS, anyone who is a real boater knows that GPS is only a backup system. If you cannot navigate a body of water without a GPS then you do not belong out on it.

[tis]

I don't know how many of you have been caught in a thunderstorm at night, but I can tell you from experience, the lake can be very, very dark and you cannot see an inch in front of you. You can't even see the buoys. It is very scary. We are seasoned boaters and were out there many years ago in that situation. We got lost and took three and a half hours to find our way home. We just couldn't tell where we were.

[Orion]

Originally Posted by Belmont Resident

As for the GPS, anyone who is a real boater knows that GPS is only a backup system. If you cannot navigate a body of water without a GPS then you do not belong out on it.

That's exactly right. There is a lesson here for all boaters, and that is really the intent of the so-called "criticism" and hypothesizing. All boaters need to understand that when they are navigating at night on Lake Winnipesaukee, they are already in a SERIOUS condition that demands total attention of the captain. If you don't know exactly where you are, you should be at headway speed. Headway speed does not cause the damage shown, but I'm not speculating it was over 25 mph either. As far as navigation is concerned, you need to employ backup systems. The depth sounder, chart, eyes, spotlights, ears, and GPS all complement each other. In aviation, you don't rely on one instrument, but correlate all other indicators where possible. If you are heading across a certain area of the broads and expect 80' depth and the bottom is rising rapidly, cut the throttle until you figure out what's going on.

Let's all learn something from this mishap.

[Tank151]

Originally Posted by pats fan

http://www.citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll...WS02/709126805


Skip,
See paragraph 3 of the above Citizen article. I don't disagree with your comments above about Mr. Littlefield, but it certainly does seem to me that he was aquitted of being drunk. Do I think he probably was? Sure. But I think he was not found guilty of that charge.

Drunk conviction or NOT, Mr. Littlefield admittingly was drinking which was verified by receipt information at the Dockside Restaurant and by accounts of witnesses who observed him impaired!

His accident killed an person as well as put himself, his wife and children and friends lives in jeopardy. Let's not forget, he cowardly left the scene of the accident, leaving the injured and could have assited them with Medical assistance.

We don't have the FACTS on the Diamond Island accident, so these two incidents can't be compared!

[SIKSUKR]

I had a look at the crash site on Saturday.I stayed a good 500-700 ft away as not to bother the homeowner,although I did not see any indication of anyone there.It seems little doubt in my mind Erica was headed for Sleepers Island and crashed into Diamond.Obviously she did not see this very unlit island.It appears the the boat hit a 5-6 ft shear wall of granite that would be in the direct path to Diamond.Looking at that wall and also the damage to the boat,it would appear to me it would not take very much speed to result in the damage seen on her boat.The boat had to come to an immediate stop.This is ONLY my uneducated perception of what I've seen.Take it for what it is but I'll be very surprized that when the investigation is complete and if there is a speed determination that it will be more than 20-30 mph.Let me say again that this is just a pure guess on my part but I would think weather will turn out to be the main factor in the crash.

[NHDOLFAN]

I am very curious as to why Marine Patrol has taken this amount of time to make a statement. If the driver was impaired in anyway shape or form, I would think Marine Patrol would make a statement about the incident. If you think about crashes that take place and kill or seriously hurt someone, the police always make some statement about whether alcohol or drugs were a factor. This incident has been hush hush, which I don't understand.

[chipj29]

Originally Posted by NHDOLFAN

I am very curious as to why Marine Patrol has taken this amount of time to make a statement. If the driver was impaired in anyway shape or form, I would think Marine Patrol would make a statement about the incident. If you think about crashes that take place and kill or seriously hurt someone, the police always make some statement about whether alcohol or drugs were a factor. This incident has been hush hush, which I don't understand.

The boats driver was in critical condition, I believe in an induced coma. They would most likely need to interview all parties involved before they can make a statement of any kind.

[Skip]

Originally Posted by NHDOLFAN

I am very curious as to why Marine Patrol has taken this amount of time to make a statement. If the driver was impaired in anyway shape or form, I would think Marine Patrol would make a statement about the incident. If you think about crashes that take place and kill or seriously hurt someone, the police always make some statement about whether alcohol or drugs were a factor. This incident has been hush hush, which I don't understand.

This is an extremely serious & sensitive incident. And unlike motor vehicle fatalities, which hapen at an all too often pace even here in New Hampshire, boating fatalities remain a rare event.

The New Hampshire Marine Patrol has perhaps its best and most seasoned investigator at the helm of this investigation, Lt. Tim Dunleavy. I am confident that Dunleavy will conduct an accurate and thorough investigation, and the results of his labor will become fully public at the appropriate juncture.

I would rather the authorities involved, which are obviously the NHMP and most likely a review being conducted by the Belknap County Attorney's Office, take all the time possible to examine all the evidence before coming to any conclusion. Premature speculation on behalf of the investigating authorities could have extremely damaging effects on the victims.

Each case is diufferent. For example, a few weeks ago a woman was killed just over the border in Berwick, Maine in a hit & run accident. The authorities quickly identified the driver but have continued to investigate with no arrest imminent, even though the driver has been identified. Initially the family was upset and went to the media. But after a meeting between the family and the investigators the family is now satisfied with the case and willing to be patient.

There is a lesson to be learned here.

As long as the families directly involved are satisfied with the pace and scope of the investigation, maybe we, as curious spectators, should be respectful and patient as well.

[RI Swamp Yankee]

Originally Posted by fatlazyless

........ Hello Everyone - just saw this thread, and no it was not me who wrote and posted it in the Union Leader. .... fll

FLL, looks like a lot of people condemning others for jumping to conclusions .... were jumping to conclusions.

[SAMIAM]

ITD and RI SWAMP YANKEE.....are you really buying FLL's denial ?? That post is right in line with his previous postings. So, some stranger just happened to dream up the name FL Less and make a post that is very typical of his views.
Sorry....I don't buy it FLL......GUILTY AS CHARGED

[brk-lnt]

Originally Posted by SAMIAM

ITD and RI SWAMP YANKEE.....are you really buying FLL's denial ?? That post is right in line with his previous postings. So, some stranger just happened to dream up the name FL Less and make a post that is very typical of his views.
Sorry....I don't buy it FLL......GUILTY AS CHARGED

Honestly, who cares? I've yet to see "Less" string together a coherent thought, and on the random occasions something intelligible escapes his keyboard it is juvenile and non-value-add.

It is either his own post, or a spot-on impression of him. Either way my personal opinion of him is cast and he is not worth the effort to debate with, or consider.

I urge you to simply ignore him, and/or his "imposters".

[ITD]

Originally Posted by SAMIAM

ITD and RI SWAMP YANKEE.....are you really buying FLL's denial ?? That post is right in line with his previous postings. So, some stranger just happened to dream up the name FL Less and make a post that is very typical of his views.
Sorry....I don't buy it FLL......GUILTY AS CHARGED

Yeah, I buy it and I believe him. The guy is out in left field sometimes and he does like to stir up the pot, but for the most part I think he is a good guy. I think if he had actually done it, he would be man enough to own up to it. It would be pretty easy to post under someone else's name in another venue, in fact I think if I look back I could find some admissions of people posting clandestinely in an off shore forum, collecting information.

I think the person who did it is lower than low and should be hiding like the little wuss they are............

[RI Swamp Yankee]

Originally Posted by SAMIAM

... Sorry....I don't buy it FLL......GUILTY AS CHARGED

I am still not ready to jump to conclusions and you are free to believe what you want.