Recently, a powerboat smashed into a concrete footing on the Hudson River in Dutchess County, causing it to sink, killing four of its occupants and injuring two others in the process. Known as a “bow rider”, because it consists of a single deck sans quarters below it, this powerboat is designed to have the driver sit behind the passengers who are stationed up front. According to police reports, when it hit the concrete footing, the inboard-outboard motor was torn from its mounts, which they believe resulted from the driver speeding. To make matters worse, it appears that alcohol was involved in the crash, as a number of empty beer bottles were found to be on board.
Apparently, the powerboat was speeding just north of Tivoli, a village in upstate New York, and was traveling outside of the navigable channel when it slammed into the U-shaped concrete structure. Because the boat’s bow and underside were critically damaged, police believe that this is indicates that the boat had been traveling at extremely high, unsafe speeds. Four people were killed, and their bodies were recovered from the Hudson River by divers, while two others were injured, each sustaining multiple fractures. Luckily, these two made it to shore, and were able to contact emergency services. The crash happened around 4:30 AM, while it was still dark outside, and the call was made shortly thereafter. First responders arrived at the scene a bit before 6:30 AM, at which point they found part of the boat actually sticking out of the water, while the rest was smashed against the aforementioned concrete shoreline structure.
Boating accidents can be terrible occurrences. Compound that with the fact that drinking may have been involved, and that the majority of the casualties were under thirty years of age, and it is quite clear that this is a tragic story. We can hope, however, that perhaps those reading this story will perceive it as a cautionary tale, and make different choices when they are out on the water. But If you or a loved one has been a victim of such a heinous event, the personal injury law offices of Antin, Ehrlich & Epstein are here to help. We will do our utmost to secure fair compensatory damages, but most importantly, we pride ourselves on our ability mete out justice on behalf of our clients.