Boaters stranded in marshStaff reports
Sunday, July 6, 2008
GOOSE CREEK — Rescuers plucked five people from a boat that ran about 40 yards into the marsh Friday night on the Cooper River in front of the Naval Weapons Station. Three people were taken to Medical University Hospital. Information on their conditions wasn't available Saturday night. The Berkeley County Rescue Squad and state Department of Natural Resources responded to cell phone calls placed from the boat around 11:30 p.m., Rescue Squad Chief Bill Salisbury said. They were unable to reach the party with a boat designed to run in shallow water, Salisbury said. The Charleston County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Squad brought its air boat out but also couldn't reach the group. A Coast Guard helicopter lifted Brian Frasier, 45, from the boat and took him to the Bushy Park boat landing, where an ambulance was waiting, Salisbury and Coast Guard Chief Jeremy Blanton said. The helicopter flew Brian Frasier II, 23, and Kimberly Balantine, 45, to the hospital. The rescue took several hours, Salisbury said. The names of the two boaters who weren't injured weren't available. |
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Comments
This article has 25 comment(s)
Posted by Neponset on July 6, 2008 at 6:02 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Just another case of folks riding around after dark who just don't know what they are doing. To travel that far into the marsh, with injuries, sounds like they were going pretty fast. At moderate speed, the drag of hull and motor foot would have slowed/stopped the boat much sooner, with no injuries, other than to the driver's pride.
Posted by RTC on July 6, 2008 at 8:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I'm sure they were going too fast. It was also Friday, the 4th, so I wouldn't be surprised if some people were not a wee bit intoxicated.
I'm just glad that no one was killed.
Posted by daf29485 on July 6, 2008 at 9:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)
To folks who think they want to speak their minds without knowing the situation: It was still around high tide at the time of the crash which means that the water was still up pretty high in the marsh, it wasn't until later when the water receded that you could tell the boat was that far into the marsh. And I too am glad that nobody was killed, but I'm quite sure the driver wasn't drinking.
To Post and Courier: Check your spelling.
Posted by daf29485 on July 6, 2008 at 9:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)
PS:
Maybe the Post and Courier should have asked if the driver was intoxicated and indicated in this article that field sobriety tests were completed successfully and decided the driver was 100% sober.
Posted by sfrazier on July 6, 2008 at 10:24 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I agree, the story is not a complete story and should have been investigated more before it was put out in the news.
Posted by Neponset on July 7, 2008 at 6:02 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Daf
You are correct - we do not have all the facts, but the two facts we have “in the marsh with injuries” suggests:
didn’t know where he/she was going and possible excess speed.
Posted by wpc3iop on July 7, 2008 at 6:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Intoxicated on a holiday weekend in a boat? Say it ain't so! Glad it turned out OK...
Posted by Hutch on July 7, 2008 at 7:36 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Alcohol must have been in play somewhere.
Posted by grannyofsix on July 7, 2008 at 7:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)
where did it say the boat wrecked
i didnt see that was it in another story
Posted by katrenavantassle on July 7, 2008 at 8:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)
No matter what the circumstances, isn't it tax payers money that paid for the rescue? Even if it isn't it is risking other lives to rescue them. I think it is inexperienced boat owners who have no clue what they are doing that this happens too alot. They risk their lives and the lives of others on their "knowledge as a captain" and do not realize how dangerous the water really is. Why in the world would someone be out in a boat at 11:30 pm ???? That is a recipe for disaster. I have been to the bushy park landing and the same spot they were numerous times. It is not a bad place but you would have to be blind to not see the marsh.I would definately say the "SPEED" is the contributing factor here. To run your boat at that time of night, there is no way to be safe. This person needs reprimanding and boating safety course!!
Posted by ysillyme on July 7, 2008 at 8:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Hutch--it did, when you posted at 7:36 this a.m.
Posted by Neponset on July 7, 2008 at 8:46 a.m. (Suggest removal)
kat
I think you summed it up very nicely.
Posted by shoelaces on July 7, 2008 at 9:20 a.m. (Suggest removal)
We were out around 10:30 that night with all the other crazies. Tide was up pretty high, as it has been lately. They must have been traveling at a decent speed.
We have been boating around here for about 20 years. I don't care how many times we travel in certain areas we use extreme caution and a Q Beam at night. Especially on "event" nights when everyone who thinks they know what they are doing are on the water.
Many of us have made mistakes on the water and hopefully this crew has learned a very important lesson about safe boating.
Looking forward to hearing more on this and hoping all involved are safe.
Posted by beth1070 on July 7, 2008 at 10:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)
If you are not familiar with the waterways, it's easy to get lost and end up where a boat ought not be. We were out Friday night around Folly Beach and it was an extremely high tide that night making marsh grass and sandbars very difficult to navigate around. And there was the added difficulty of traveling with little or no moon light that night. We are very familiar with the channels but it still took us over 2 hours to make a trip that normally only takes us about 45 minutes (from the end of Folly Island back to Oak Island). I'm glad that there were no serious injuries.
Posted by ColdBeer on July 7, 2008 at 11:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I'm on the Cooper at night quite frequently (fishing). You do have to use extreme caution. The Cooper, with all of it's rice patties and marsh fields, is a completely different river at night. A mapping GPS unit is extremely helpful. Even with that, I keep the speed way down when it's dark. There was almost no moon the night this accident happened. Be careful how you use a Q-Beam on the water. A lot of times, they can do more harm than good by ruining your night vision and the night vision of boaters around you. Travel slow enough and you won't need one. I only use one when docking if my dock lights on the boat don't light things up well enough.
Posted by Neponset on July 7, 2008 at 12:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)
ColdBeer
Good advice. When sailing in the harbor (mostly the Ashley) I use the high powered light (Q beam) to pick up the next bouy in the channel.
Posted by number1volsfan1 on July 7, 2008 at 12:59 p.m. (Suggest removal)
When these idiots are forced to re-inburse the State/Federal Govt the expense of saving their dumb arses, these incidents will then decline.
Posted by number1volsfan1 on July 7, 2008 at 1:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Sorry, should be "reimburse".
Posted by Neponset on July 7, 2008 at 2:59 p.m. (Suggest removal)
In this day of waterman (scratch that and insert inexperienced boat owners) looks like 911 will get lots of calls.
Posted by sfrazier on July 7, 2008 at 3:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)
the driver was NOT under the influence, maybe you all should READ before you speak your mind
Posted by beth1070 on July 7, 2008 at 4:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Coldbeer...I agree, very good advice. But even using your tips, an unexperienced boater, or someone who is not familiar with the channels could get into serious trouble at night during high tide. I grew up in the Folly and Stono and feel pretty confident with my ability to navigate those creeks and even I was nervous Friday night. I would have felt a whole lot better if we'd at least had a little more moonlight.
Posted by RTC on July 7, 2008 at 6:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Public forum = Freedom of speech, opinions, speculation, trading of theories and ideas.
Some people need to get past this, and quit telling others what they should, or should not post.
Most posters mean no harm by what they say; they are just simply expressing their opinions.
Posted by daf29485 on July 7, 2008 at 9:38 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Well when your opinions keep saying alcohol was involved, when it was not a factor at all, is quite annoying. Also, as for the "taxpayers" paying for the rescue, the boaters themselves are all taxpayers, so it's already been paid for and I'm sure they'll still get a bill for the "rescue".
To those of you who do have an understanding about how this could have happened, thanks for not being retarded.
Kat: You must not have been on the water Friday night because the fireworks didn't even start in the bay until a little after 10. There were still a lot of people on the water at 11:30 that night.
Posted by beth1070 on July 7, 2008 at 10:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)
daf...you're right, even at midnight there were still quite a few boaters out, trying to navigate their way home. Kat is way off base and obviously was not in a boat Friday night. When the tide is as high as it was Friday night, and the lack of moonlight that we had, it is very easy for anyone, even the most experienced boater to end up in a bad situation.
Posted by number1volsfan1 on July 8, 2008 at 8:09 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Checking tidal charts, moon phase charts, channel charts. and having an operable GPS could have avoided this costly embarrassment. Prior planning is essential.
Requiring total reimbursement to the local/federal government(s) may allow those who fail to properly plan see the error of their ways.