This past Saturday tragedy struck on Lake Conroe when a young man on a party boat drowned. The incident occurred when the man jumped from the second level deck of the boat to the water but struck the first deck on the way into the water and did not re-surface. Later that evening Montgomery County Sherriff divers we able to find the man’s body.
This incident should serve as an unfortunate reminder of the dangers posed by drinking while on the water. With the Memorial Day holiday and summer approaching more and more people will be taking to area waterways for fun in the sun with alcohol in tow. Drinking and boating is just as dangerous as drinking and driving on the roads and holds all of the same legal consequences. The added danger with boating is that many times drivers do not have nearly as much experience behind the wheel of a boat as they do in a car and maneuvering in a boat is far less responsive and requires the driver to plan his or her moves much farther in advance. Add to this the potential of drowning and you have a very dangerous situation.
If you do plan to drink while on the water, always have a designated driver just as you would on land. And just as seat belts are essential in a car, life vests should always be worn by all who are on a boat. More often than not people fail to wear life vests because they think they think their ability to swim makes the life vest unnecessary. However the incident this past Saturday is a perfect example of why life vests should always be worn. If someone falls in the water and becomes incapacitated as this man did, the ability to swim means absolutely nothing. Had he been wearing a vest he would not have sunk and he very well may have been saved.
Just as in a car, an operator of a boat can be held liable for injuries caused to others by the negligent or reckless operation of the boat. If you or a loved one has been injured or lost their life on the water due to the negligence of someone else the attorneys at Ben Bronston & Associates are here to help. Our Houston boat accident lawyers have many years of experience assisting clients in Texas navigate the legal system in order to get justice. Should you contact us we pledge to work tirelessly to attempt to get our you the recovery you deserve.