Posted on 05/30/2006 8:25:58 AM PDT by ConservativeStatement
KEY WEST, Fla. — A 13-year-old boater was arrested Monday after authorities said he hit and killed a 6-year-old snorkeler, then sped away.
The 6-year-old was snorkeling off Key West with his father and a sibling next to their 22-foot motorboat when he was struck, said Lt. Steve Acton of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
An 18-foot skiff sped over the boy, then crashed into his father's vessel, causing it to sink. The driver paused momentarily before taking off, Acton said.
Authorities found the skiff tied to a dock at a home and arrested the 13-year-old driver. He will be charged with failing to report the accident, failure to remain on scene and may face vessel homicide charges, Acton said.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
13 years old. I live on the Colorado River. One side is Nevada, the other side is Arizona. The part I live on is a very well-known family vacation spot. People are dying every weekend because of these jet skis. Now, I have nothing against jet skis, I think they're fun, IF YOU KNOW HOW TO DRIVE THEM. I see kids as young as 10 on these things and on a river that's a quarter mile wide, you get a bunch of weekend jet skiers, mix that with boats, fisherman, swimmers and BOOZE and people are gonna die. I'm looking out my window right now and seeing these things go by and ridiculous speeds. There are laws, they just don't enforce them. They rent to anyone and they don't even give them instructions. It's crazy.
Wow...I hate these cases where there's no satisfaction in justice...
good
What kind of upbringing did this little sh!t have that his furst impulse was to leave instead of offer help?
What might have been a tragic accident is now going to ruin his life.
Another Kennedy?
I wonder if the snorkelers were flying a dive flag either on their boat or on a float? Not that you'd expect a 13 year old without a boater's safety course to be able to recognize it and react accordingly...
Tragic no matter what but what a punk to not stop!! He paused momentarily? Realized he was in big trouble and then left. What a friggen coward.
While I agree 100 percent with your comments on jet skis and the idiots who drive them, it is not clear to me that a jet ski was involved in this incident. They describe the craft being driven by the 13 year old as a "skiff." That would be an odd term to use to describe a jet ski.
I know..this wasn't a jet ski accident. It's just that this long weekend brought out a lot of craziness here on the river and I just thought I'd mention it.
The kid also hit and sunk the boat. Doubt he would have seen a dive flag.
Very sad & tragic...but I'd cut the 13 y.o. a little slack. He probably panicked and headed for the only safe haven he could think of - mom and dad. Granted, that was not the "best" choice, but understandable given his age. I remember being his age and throwing a rock and hitting a classmate and before I even quite knew what I was doing, I had run home in a panic(scared s***less of my teacher). My folks made me do the right thing. I hope his folks do too.
I dunno. If he is that irresponsible at 13 years of age his parents should not have allowed him to be out alone in a boat.
Yeah, like I said... 13 year old, inexperienced, untrained -- wouldn't have mattered one way or the other.
I stay off the water during the holiday weekends due to the high drunken idiot numbers. They are the most dangerous weekends of the year.
This sounds like a 14 foot boat with an outboard motor, driven by an inexperienced driver, who let the boat get out of control. I can't believe the kid maliciously rammed another boat, and he clearly didn't see the swimmer.
Had his parents allowed him to use it? Had they encouraged it? Does he have any history of being a kid who is reckless and dangerous, or not? Was he using alcohol or drugs?
The answers will help determine the extent to which he should be held culpable and the extent to which his parents have been.
Me too. I refuse to go on the waters here. I only go during the week. We take our boat out on the weekends, just in case I get weak. There are so many completely crazy people operating these vessels. Most of them are boys under the age of 20.
An 18-foot skiff sped over the boy, then crashed into his father's vessel, causing it to sink. The driver paused momentarily before taking off, Acton said.
Maybe he didn't realize he'd run down the 10 year old snorkeler. He certainly realized that he'd rammed another vehicle, and then he fled. You want to pin some blame on his parents? Go ahead. That doesn't let the coward off the hook.
Dang. All I see are Mexican landscapers...
Yea, we've got an incredible view from every window abd a dock downstairs/ I love the Colorado River, but people just don't respect it's force or they just don't know better.
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