A few Years ago I sold My friend Rick my 16.5 foot Procraft bass boat. I didnt use it anymore and was tired of paying storage. Well this morning he called and told me something I thought and hoped I would never hear.
Yesterday evening He and his friend and his friends girlfriend took the boat out to go for a ride as they often do, accept rick forgot to put the bilge plug in before he launched, he noticed the boat riding low in the water and put the plug in. He switched on the pump to get the water out but for some reason it didnt all of it, it didnt get alot of it, about 200 pounds worth. He didnt notice it and took off, the boat will go about 60mph wide open and thats the way they always run it. Well rick made a left turn and all that water shifted to one side, when he straightened it out the water sloshed back and over to the right side making the boat lean wildly to the right and the side of the boat knifed into the water doing an almost instant 180 degree turn, all of them were thrown out. He friend and his frineds GF were sitting in the front deck fishing set and when the front of the boat was spun out from under them the back came around and the prop struck the girl in the head killing her instantly. It will probably be ruled a freak accident and he will not be criminally liable for anything. But Those of you who have boats PLEASE remember that no matter how long you have had your boat or how well you know its characteristics, things can go wrong, please be careful.
We had been going to the lake on in that thing since we were 15, all those years of using it and not a single accident or mishap and now after 6 years THIS. I really dont know what to think about all of this, im still trying take it all in, I just wanted to mention it here, for some reason it make me feel better, and maby this will keep someone else from making a similar mistake.
