Long Island - Fatal Boat Accident

[SageVigiles 1,194]

Three Kids Dead After Boat Capsizes on LI Sound During Fireworks Show

New York Post

Erin Calabrese and Pedro Oliveira Jr.

July 5th, 2012

The bodies of three children were pulled from Long Island Sound and 24 others were rescued after a yacht capsized late last night, officials said.

All three victims – David Aurelino 12, Harley Treanor 11, and Victoria Gaines, 8 -- were found in the vessel’s cabin, authorities said. The Suffolk County children are not siblings but they’re all related, according to law enforcement sources.

Investigators said they have no immediate theories on what caused the accident, but will look at weather conditions, weight of the passengers and movements of other nearby boats as their first considerations.

The two men operating the boat were not drunk or otherwise impaired, authorities said. The men are brothers-in-law.

"We are currently researching the cause for this boat to sink,” said Nassau County police Detective Lt. John Azzata.

“We're looking at several avenues, one of which would be overcrowding on the boat. There were 27 people on this boat, that's a combination of adults and children."

The 34-foot Silverton began sinking when it was in just 21 feet of water, officials said. By the vessel sank, it was seven-tenths of a mile out and in waters 60 feet deep.

Every single adult on that boat should be charged with a crime. How do you have 27 people on that boat and kids running around without PFDs? Disgusted.

[ny10570 745]

Because children in the cabin are not required to wear pfds.

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The ultimate responsibility belongs to the owner/operator of the vessel. There needs to be a properly sized PFD for each and every occupant of the vessel. 27 persons on a 34 foot vessel is too many. As it sank where were the adults who should have been looking out for these children? Could not each child have gone into the water with one or more adults tasked with making every effort to care for that child?

This is just another inevitability that came to pass. Oh, how soon before the lawyers come in to sue the vessels' manufacturer for a perceived defect?

[peterose313 345]

A yacht that capsized with 27 friends and family aboard on an outing to watch Fourth of July fireworks was severely overcrowded and doomed to tip over, safety experts said Thursday as the skipper blamed the tragedy on a wave that came out of the dark.

Sal Aureliano, who was at the helm of the Candi I, told TV’s News12 Long Island that he saw two lightning bolts and then a wave suddenly hit.

“It turned the boat around,” he said, his voice cracking. “It just turned the boat. I didn’t see it. It was dark. I didn’t see it.”

The cause of the accident was under investigation, but it could have been the weather, overcrowding, the wake from another vessel or a combination of factors, said Nassau County Detective Lt. John Azzata. The area was crowded with boaters watching the fireworks, he said.

http://www.washingto...ToOW_story.html

The ultimate responsibility belongs to the owner/operator of the vessel. There needs to be a properly sized PFD for each and every occupant of the vessel. 27 persons on a 34 foot vessel is too many. As it sank where were the adults who should have been looking out for these children? Could not each child have gone into the water with one or more adults tasked with making every effort to care for that child?

This is just another inevitability that came to pass. Oh, how soon before the lawyers come in to sue the vessels' manufacturer for a perceived defect?

The manufacturer filed for bankruptcy in April.

Oops, I think I hit MultiQuote there by accident. lol

[IzzyEng4 427]

The boat was built in 1984 but the news didn't have the model. I read that this style boat was only to have no more than 12 people

On it. Still that many people on 34' boat is insane! Another needless set of deaths.

(*)

[peterose313 345]

The boat was built in 1984 but the news didn't have the model. I read that this style boat was only to have no more than 12 people

On it. Still that many people on 34' boat is insane! Another needless set of deaths.

(*)

Phil Cusumano, a Boston-based safety instructor and yacht captain with 35 years of experience, said there is no question the boat was badly overloaded. He said he would limit a vessel of that size to six adults. Other boating sites suggested a maximum of 15 passengers.

Pulled from the Washington Post article I linked above.

[ex-commish 490]

A boating expert on the news last night said there should of been no more than 10 people on the boat. Now with the understanding that there could be other factors that caused the accident as well we will have to wait untill the investigation is done. I am sure the lawyers are lining up now. This will no doubt be a huge case.

God Bless those young lives that were taken.

[PFDRes47cue 653]

HEard on the news tonight that the survivors were saying that they knowingly were over the manufactures recommendation in regards to occupancy but the majority of the persons on the vessel were younger children. Factoring to less weight but higher physical numbers. The operator of the vessel at the time of the incident stated that there was a wave that made the boat roll. He never imagined a boat of that size would roll so easily but he could not control it. They also mentioned that at the time, the majority of the people were on the top level, putting the balance of the boat way of when it listed.

Whatever happened and whatever comes from the lawsuits.... this is a terrible tragedy. RIP.

[PCFD ENG58 1,085]

Nassau County boat sitting on the wreck this afternoon in Hunnington harbor. Photo taken from my boat