Boating Accident July 22nd Weekend

[YellowRinker]

Does anybody know anything about the accident @ the lake this weekend?
I think it happened at the Damn.  I was at the creek.

YellowRinker

[Rapula]

Here is a link to the StarNews and the article that ran Sunday morning about the accident.

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060723/NEWS01/607230436&SearchID=73251656680677

[Kevin]

By James Boyd
Hoosier Times - www.hoosiertimes.com
July 23, 2006

Two boats collided on Lake Monroe Saturday afternoon, killing one passenger and injuring another.

Barbara Chamberlain, 43, of Greenwood, was pronounced dead at 1:40 p.m. by Monroe County Coroner Dave Toumey.

Witnesses and Indiana Conservation Officers tried to resuscitate Chamberlain immediately after she was pulled from the water around 1 p.m. but were not able to revive her.

The male who was with her on the boat, 59-year-old Dennis Devore, also of Greenwood, came out of surgery at Bloomington Hospital late Saturday. His condition was not available.

What occurred in the waters off a peninsula in the Salt Creek Recreation Area remains under investigation by the ICO.

Authorities still aren’t sure what type of boat the victims were traveling in, as the collision shattered and sank most of it.

Department of Natural Resources 1st Sgt. Jeff Barker said witnesses reported seeing one of the boats leaving the idling area near the Salt Creek Ramp while the other was coming in toward it.

The operators of both boats are believed to have seen each other, as witnesses said the boats began veering away from each other. But for some reason, they turned inward and once again crossed paths on the water.

The other boat, described as a 25-foot-long “Cigarette-style boat” apparently struck the victims’ boat, the impact coming right where Chamberlain was sitting, Barker said.

The force of the collision shattered most of the victims’ boat, believed to be some type of fiberglass deck watercraft.

Chamberlain and Devore were thrown into the water. People close by were able to pull both onto a pontoon boat. There they tried to revive Chamberlain, but could not. She was pronounced dead on the Salt Creek Ramp.
 
A small pile of the remaining fiberglass from the victims’ boat still sat on the rocky shore a few hours after the accident. Authorities will attempt to recover the wreckage Monday, with the help of SCUBA divers and recovery equipment.

“We should be able to determine what happened once we recover all the evidence from the accident scene,” ICO lead investigator Tim Beaver said.

There wasn’t enough left for investigators to use the watercraft’s identification numbers to find out what type of boat it was and who it belonged to.

Meanwhile, authorities in Arizona had to notify Chamberlain’s next of kin.

Toumey said preliminary findings revealed she died as a result of injuries sustained in the accident, but an autopsy will be performed this morning at Bloomington Hospital for conclusive results.

Authorities expect to know more after they have a chance to interview Devore once he is able.

Investigators said they do not believe alcohol was a factor in the crash.

Also assisting at the scene were the Perry-Clear Creek Fire Department, Bloomington Hospital Ambulance Service, and an officer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

[Kevin]

Police: Driver in fatal boat crash wasn't drunk

Authorities still trying to piece together what led to accident on Lake Monroe

By Lanetta J. Williams
349-1420 | williams@heraldt.com
www.hoosiertimes.com

Conservation officers say preliminary findings show the driver of one boat involved in a fatal crash on Lake Monroe Saturday was not intoxicated.

Chad Gorrell, 31, whose address investigators said is unknown, voluntarily took a toxicology test to determine if he was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident.

“We offered the gentleman that was operating the boat that did not sink an alcohol test and he showed no impairment,” said Conservation Officer Jeff Barker. “There’s nothing jumping out at us right now like gross negligence. Right now we just don’t see anything like that.”

Indiana Conservation Officers are continuing to investigate what led to the weekend boat crash that killed Barbara Chamberlain and injured Dennis Devore, both of Greenwood.

Over the next several days, they’ll use sonar detection and divers to recover the wreckage of the boat that the victims were traveling in. Officers could only say they believe it was a deck boat and that it was struck broadside.

The impact was so great, they say it destroyed and sunk most of the boat, leaving officers unable to determine its make or model.

Gorrell’s boat, described as a Baha, was carrying four people at the time of impact, but were all uninjured.

Marlin Dodge, a conservation officer who is investigating the incident said until reports are done and the boat is reassembled, he can only speculate as to what led to the accident.

He said he believes the boats were heading in opposite directions when they both turned toward the shore. He said it appears the drivers may have tried to turn the boats again to avoid the collision but struck each other instead.

The impact threw Devore, 59, and Chamberlain, 43, into the water. Chamberlain was pronounced dead at 1:40 p.m. Devore was taken to Bloomington Hospital.

Officers are hoping to get information from Devore, who underwent surgery late Saturday. Though Bloomington Hospital would not release his condition, Barker says that Devore is still unable to talk.

“We haven’t been able to speak to him yet,” Barker said. “It’s hard for him to communicate. So we haven’t gotten to hear his side of the story.”

Police say they are continuing to talk to witnesses.

A report will be completed in about two weeks including toxicology information, Barker said. Then officers will pass the case along to the prosecutor, who will determine if any charges are warranted.

The accident occurred in the waters off a peninsula in the Salt Creek Recreation Area around 1 p.m. Saturday.

[Rngrnck36]

 :-/        It is very sad that these things have to happen, I am on the lake daily and have seen many close calls, everyone needs to pay very close attention to other boaters.  Hopefully, this won't happen again, but we all need to watch each other to make sure it doesn't.

[ang]

We were there when it happened and helped.  It was a very unfortunate and sad accident.  We pray that this will never happen again and pray for the family of Barbara and Dennis and his family.