Jet Ski Death

[wbwilly]

Will this get TWRA's attention and put some agents in this area to crack down on all the violations? Too many times I've seen jet skis at night as well as boats with no lights running wfo. I've had a couple of close calls that could have been avoided with proper lighting. Sadly, it may take someone's life to get some attention.

http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_109599.asp

 

[hl&s]

Prayers for the families and Ms Stohler's health.

If we could get the proper agencies to allocate more funds to TWRA I think they would be glad to increase the number of agents protecting our waterways. I've heard that the revenue from the upcoming boat title fees in Tennessee will not be available to TWRA although they will have to handle all the paperwork. More taxes and fees, no increase in service. Politics?

 

[Guest]

I'm not trying to be critical here but why do the game wardens bear the responsibility of patroling the waterways? What about the Hamilton County Sheriff or the Coast Guard.

Cheez

 

[fishinfeller11]

That's an excellent point cheez

 

[NRG]

Maybe we need a volunteer traffic cop force, something like vol fire dept, or just volunteers to help in the office to get the officers out on the water more like this sheriffs dept http://www.cocosheriff.org/support/emergency_services/volunteer_services/SAVES.htm if nothing else just something that looks official to hand out warning tickets, to violators of the law, and to inform them of the laws they are violating.

Have more police officers patrol public ramps day and night would even help alot.. most people are just unaware of the laws or even common courtesy on the water, they drive like they drive a car, the one prob is that there are no lines on the water, no red lights, no speed limits .. hey my boat will do 100mph so thats what I drive it at.. open lake or narrow channels.. public awareness would help alot and stiff fines for violators of the existing laws.

Having free boating safety classes setup at each marina, say 1 to 2 times a month from april - sept ran by the marinas them selves, surely they have enuff issues with safety they they would welcome such ideas ???

Maybe the volunteer group could run these or some of these, give all jet ski buyers a video on what to do and not do on the water. and really all boaters should also watch this

These are just ideas Im throwing out there .. if it is to be safer for all of us then we need to all do something to help make it better ?!? ???
Im I the only one that feels this way .. or do we all just want taxed more to pay for what we can do our selves??

What do yall think ??

 

[DHaun]

My condolences and prayers to the families and victims of this tragic accident. Please remember that someone on CFF may very well know the people involved. I have already had to delete a disrespectful post here...please show some respect for the victims, families, and their friends in your comments.

 

[bassnvol]

I didn't see the post you speak of, but I agree with you......No matter what the circumstances, a family lost a loved one and the only way to look at that now is with respect to the family.......May God be with them and give them strength to endure thier loss..My heart and prayers goes out to them ....The "Reel" Doctor

 

[rsimms]

wbwilly - 7/1/2007 7:24 PM

Will this get TWRA's attention and put some agents in this area to crack down on all the violations? Too many times I've seen jet skis at night as well as boats with no lights running wfo. I've had a couple of close calls that could have been avoided with proper lighting. Sadly, it may take someone's life to get some attention.

http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_109599.asp

Tennessee state law says TWRA bears ultimately responsibility for enforcing boating laws in the state. However other agencies (sheriffs, coast guard, TVA, etc.) can and do enforce boating laws as well. But the bottomline... ALL of those agencies combined have a grand total of about six boats to patrol Chickamauga Lake ... IF they are all working at the same time and IF that was the only thing they were expected to do. In reality, due to other responsibilities there might be two, maybe three enforcement boats on all of Chickamauga Lake in a given weekend. Just like yu and me, they can't be expected to work 24 hour shifts (although they often work much longer than 8 hour shifts) It is 58 river miles from Chickamauga Dam to Watts Bar, then add in twice that many miles of the Hiwassee River, and other creeks, sloughs and embayments. A total of 36,240 acres (or nearly 57 square miles of water).

You do the math... boating safety is up to boaters, not enforcers.

 

[TennesseeTalker]

I also feel sorry for the families of the girls who were in the mishap. Shame that either inexperience, unawareness or defiance to the rules is so costly. Prayers to the families of both.


TT

 

[DoubleB]

May the God of love hold the families of these young ladies in his arms and bring them Peace in this time of Pain. This is sad. And I really don't want the waters over regulated. I'd just like to see common sense and responsibility become the norm.

 

[Fishin Fool]

Terrible tragedy. I'm certainly sorry to hear about it and I know the family is hurting also. Imagine if this had not been a dock that they had hit, but a family out on the lake in another boat, a person swimming, or someone fishing. I must say that I am amazed that things like this don't happen more often. I was on the lake the other evening about 10PM and had several young guys on Jet Skis blowing by at top speed. It does no good to call TWRA because by the time they get there the problem may be many, many miles away. It's certainly not TWRA's fault either that they are spread thin. It would be great to have a volunteer force to help TWRA BUT the problem would be confrontation. Most of the folks that violate the law in the first place would never respect a volunteer telling them they were behaving reckless. I think the coast guard actually operates a volunteer force something like Bigfish's idea. Unfortunately the only thing that will help is force of law, but that means someone has to be in place to enforce it.

 

[SpurHunter]

I have always been told, "If you dont have anything nice to say, dont say anything"
I think it wraps up my thoughts on a person driving a jet ski in the dark.
I pray thier families are able to cope with this.