Go-Fast boat flips, kills one, severely injures others

PNJ has shut me out, but here's the link to their article http://www.pnj.com/article/20130331/NEWS01/303310043/Speed-boat-crash-kills-1-near-Gulf-Breeze



Yesterday, the boat was haulin' butt near Gulf Breeze, hit a wave and flipped. The boat broke up like there was a bomb aboard. They're still picking up pieces

This isn't the accident, but here's a video that was viral a few months back. Those boats are dangerous!

Late last nite....there were 2 MVA's in Santa Rosa County with fatalities. One in Navarre and one on the Bob Sikes bridge involving a motorcycle. Very sad a life can be taken so quickly.

I saw a motorcycle that was involved in a crash yesterday on Pine Forest Rd close to the I-10 interchange. I didn't see the driver but there were people standing around directing traffic.

I bought a speed boat a few years ago... and got very lucky the first day I took it out. I was goofing around and caught a wake that sent us airborne... I was very lucky that we landed perfectly straight. The slightest bit off and at the least it could have ejected us. I've tamed it down twice with props to limit the speed... but it still does fifty. I'm going to get another prop this summer because my kids are getting close to driving it by themselves... I want the top end about forty... which is plenty fast enough.

PkrBum wrote:

I bought a speed boat a few years ago... and got very lucky the first day I took it out. I was goofing around and caught a wake that sent us airborne... I was very lucky that we landed perfectly straight. The slightest bit off and at the least it could have ejected us. I've tamed it down twice with props to limit the speed... but it still does fifty. I'm going to get another prop this summer because my kids are getting close to driving it by themselves... I want the top end about forty... which is plenty fast enough.

Does that mean that your engines turn higher RPMs, PKR?

Yes... But the first time I went to a 21 it didn't actually slow it down... although it did get out of the hole quicker. The 19 is really perfect... but it tops out at 3300 rpm's. I think I can go to a 17 and still not over rev it. It's a merc v6 150 on a 17 ft checkmate.

My boat has 24" diameter propellers, 2" diameter shafts, and I run the engines at about 1200 RPM, lol. At 8-10 knots, it is not going to win any races...

Good safe riding to you and your kids, PkrBum! Please watch out for dolphins.

The PNJ posted a controversial video taken by a passenger of one of the first boats on the scene. 100% of the comments were that the PNJ had overstepped their bounds in posting the video, especially at the top of their website. Women are heard calling for help and people are announcing bodies face down in the water.

I was inclined to agree with all of the commenters. There was nothing newsworthy in the video in it was the day after the paper had announced the condition of the passengers, making it only sensationalistic in my view.

While not a fan of the PNJ...Sensationalism is the only thing the PNJ has and using reader submitted video and stories is a lot easier and cheaper than investigative journalism.....a term unknown to the PNJ.

For what it is worth....the driver of the boat, Gary Lowery, was face down in the water and unresponsive, the other victims were screaming for help.

Joanimaroni wrote:

While not a fan of the PNJ...Sensationalism is the only thing the PNJ has and using reader submitted video and stories is a lot easier and cheaper than investigative journalism.....a term unknown to the PNJ.

For what it is worth....the driver of the boat, Gary Lowery, was face down in the water and unresponsive, the other victims were screaming for help.

I agree w/SheSurfs and the commentors on the video... It should be or have been taken down. Better yet, never have been posted to begin with.

Also agree w/you Joani. They seem to be sinking and the quality of their "reporting" is simply dismal. North Escambia does a far better job and I hope to see them come up in the ranks someday soon.