Disco Bay Fatality

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BayTrawlerGuy

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From the San Francisco Chronicle:
(An earlier article in the Sacramento Bee indicated that none of the seven people on the ski boat were injured.)


DISCOVERY BAY
Boat propeller killed woman in collision

Henry K. Lee

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

The Discovery Bay woman whose personal watercraft collided with a ski boat died after being hit by the boat's propeller, authorities said Monday as doctors continued to treat her 14-year-old son for injuries he suffered in the incident.

The body of Jill Hullen, 47, was recovered near the entrance of Discovery Bay at Indian Slough at about 7:30 p.m. Saturday, more than three hours after the collision, said Jimmy Lee, Contra Costa County sheriff's spokesman.

Hullen's 14-year-old son was found in the water and taken by helicopter to Children's Hospital Oakland, where he was reported to be critical but stable condition Monday. His name was not released.

The incident was reported at about 4 p.m. Saturday when a sheriff's marine patrol vessel happened to come across the aftermath of a collision between a ski boat and a WaveRunner-type personal watercraft, Lee said.

Hullen wasn't immediately found until after a search by the sheriff's dive team and the marine patrol unit, Lee said.

Deputies are trying to determine the circumstances that led up to the crash, but alcohol is not believed to be a factor, Lee said.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/07/22/BA7411SV48.DTL

This article appeared on page B - 3 of the San Francisco Chronicle
 
That is one time the wearing of a PFD did not help., However, it probably did help the kid. That area is a 5 mile speed zone. I guess she was not going 5 mph?
 
Somehow the PWC got right in front of the boat in a way that the boat could not avoid collision. Sad situation for all involved.
 
The accident actually occured on fast water just outside of where you hit slow water to go to the marina. The family actually keeps their boat about 3 spots down from mine in the marina. I remember about a week and a half ago I saw her and one of her sons putting up and down the fairway learning how to use the jetski. A lot of people around here seem pretty shaken up about this tragic incident.
 
It is a true tragedy! Thanks for correcting my information......
 
Very sad! It sounds like the woman who died wasn't experienced and may have been partly responsible. I would think that the smaller craft would always try to get out of the way of a larger craft if for nothing else but to safely get out of harms way! I can't count the times a PWC has just stopped in front of me and I barely had time to change course and avoid the collision. Even if she was stopped and had the right of way and couldn't get out of the way of the other boat the operator of the other boat may not have had enough time to avoid the collision. It's very tragic and she paid the ultimate price.

Very sad indeed!
 
It's beyond me why the whole area of Indian Slough is not a no-wake zone. People there are insane. There are loads of PWC's, ski boats, cruisers, and go-fasts Hell-bent to get wherever they are going. I frequently see idiots skiing in the slough, and worse yet are parents that tow their kids around. This is a very dangerous stretch of water that should be regulated much more.
 
NimitzToo
I know and feel the same as you about Indian Slough. I don't go there on the weekends/summer. It's been crazy there since the mid 1970's. Back in 1977 I used to have a 12' allum, I used to hug the shore line for my own safety. At the same time I see fathers teaching their kids how to ski/wakeboard/tube there.
 
"Insane" is an understatement... complete freakin' lunatics is more appropriate. This slough should definitely be a no wake zone from Orwood Resort to the Disco entrance. It is unfortunate that there is such an increasing number of irresponsible, under educated and downright inconsiderate boaters on the water with the increasing population in this area. With the increasing number of boats using the ramp at Orwood they should designate the entire Indian Slough a no wake zone. Especially given the narrow channel of the slough combined with the shear number of boats on any given weekend.

quote:
Originally posted by NimitzToo

It's beyond me why the whole area of Indian Slough is not a no-wake zone. People there are insane. There are loads of PWC's, ski boats, cruisers, and go-fasts Hell-bent to get wherever they are going. I frequently see idiots skiing in the slough, and worse yet are parents that tow their kids around. This is a very dangerous stretch of water that should be regulated much more.

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