DEKALB TEACHER DIES IN BOATING ACCIDENT
A first-grade teacher from DeKalb died in a June 25 boating accident on the Vermilion River in Oglesby. Her co-worker, a third-grade teacher from the same school, has since been charged with operating a watercraft while under the influence of alcohol. Also charged was a 38-year-old Florida man.
The three were rafting on the Vermilion River in Oglesby when their raft went over the dam and was caught in the "boil" of recirculating currents at the dam's base. Instead of moving to the river right passage, their raft went over the low head damn. Although all three were wearing approved flotation, devices, the one teacher drowned and was pronounced dead at Illinois Valley Community Hospital in Peru.
The National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) just recently spearheaded an initiative called "Operation Dry Water" aimed at reducing the number of alcohol-related deaths and injuries due to boating while intoxicated. During the weekend of June 26 through June 28, the NASBLA, in conjunction with the U.S. Coast Guard and other partner agencies, coordinated a national weekend of Boating Under the Influence (BUI) detection and enforcement aimed at reducing the number of alcohol-related accidents and fatalities and fostering a stronger and more visible deterrent to alcohol use on the water.
Coast Guard statistics indicate that 21% of all boating fatalities in 2007 were a result of alcohol use. This continues an upward trend in the percentage of fatalities where alcohol was the primary cause of the accident. Alcohol can impair a boater's judgment, balance, vision and reaction time. It can increase fatigue and susceptibility to the effects of cold-water immersion. Sun, wind, noise, vibration and motion – "stressors" common to the boating environment – intensify the effects of alcohol, drugs and some medications.
As the 4th of July weekend approaches, I urge everyone to designate a driver...for both the roads and the waterways. Celebrate safely this Independence Day!!
If you or a loved one have been injured in a boating accident, please contact The Law Offices of Jeffrey J. Kroll.
