Strange Case
 

From the recent Boat US emailing.

A Strange Case of Justice
By Bob Adriance

At approximately 9:30 p.m. on April 29, 2006, five friends on a 27’ O’Day
were sailing toward their marina on California’s Clear Lake. It was an
almost moonless night, very dark, with barely a hint of wind. The sailboat
was ghosting through the water when a 385 hp, 24’ Baja Outlaw with three
people aboard sped through the darkness and struck the sailboat’s starboard
stern quarter.

According to forensic experts, the Baja ramped over the sailboat and
crushed the cabin bulkhead, leaving prop marks in the deck. Much of the
sailboat’s cabin top was torn off and its aluminum mast was sheared
completely off at the base. The Baja exited on the port bow. Although the
O’Day had rolled heavily to starboard and taken on water, both boats
remained afloat. All five people on the sailboat suffered injuries, ranging
from cuts and bruises to broken ribs and concussions. A 51-year-old woman,
Lyn Thornton, who was the fiancée of the boat’s owner, Mark Weber, died a
few days later from her injuries. The sailboat was insured through the
BoatU.S. Marine Insurance program.

After a brief investigation by the Lake County Sheriff’s Department,
39-year-old Bismark Dinius, who had been at the helm of the sailboat, was
charged with manslaughter and faces up to four years in jail. The driver
of the powerboat, Deputy Sheriff Russell Perdock, was not charged. Perdock
is the number two official at the Lake County Sheriff’s Department.

If you think there’s a story here, you’re right. And the story is still
unfolding.

More at"

http://www.boatus.com/seaworthy/justice.asp
--
** Good Day! **

John H

Strange Case
 

On Thu, 14 Aug 2008 20:37:58 GMT, John H.
wrote:

If you think there’s a story here, you’re right. And the story is still
unfolding.

Tell you what - this should go to appeal in any case and the sheriff's
department is in a heap of trouble. Any competent criminal attorney
will make mincemeat out of the prosecuter in this one. These accident
investigators have a ton of technical tools at their disposal and if
they are saying it wasn't the sailboat owners fault, it wasn't.

What a mess.

Strange Case
 

On Thu, 14 Aug 2008 21:13:49 GMT, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:

On Thu, 14 Aug 2008 20:37:58 GMT, John H.
wrote:

If you think there’s a story here, you’re right. And the story is still
unfolding.

Tell you what - this should go to appeal in any case and the sheriff's
department is in a heap of trouble. Any competent criminal attorney
will make mincemeat out of the prosecuter in this one. These accident
investigators have a ton of technical tools at their disposal and if
they are saying it wasn't the sailboat owners fault, it wasn't.

What a mess.

Sounds like a little collusion in the police department. That's a damn
shame if it's the case. I agree that the sailboater, given the story,
wasn't at fault. Should be interesting. I hope BoatUS sticks with the
story.
--
** Good Day! **

John H

Strange Case
 

Sailing or under Power??

"John H." wrote:

From the recent Boat US emailing.

A Strange Case of Justice
By Bob Adriance

At approximately 9:30 p.m. on April 29, 2006, five friends on a 27’ O’Day
were sailing toward their marina on California’s Clear Lake. It was an
almost moonless night, very dark, with barely a hint of wind. The sailboat
was ghosting through the water when a 385 hp, 24’ Baja Outlaw with three
people aboard sped through the darkness and struck the sailboat’s starboard
stern quarter.

According to forensic experts, the Baja ramped over the sailboat and
crushed the cabin bulkhead, leaving prop marks in the deck. Much of the
sailboat’s cabin top was torn off and its aluminum mast was sheared
completely off at the base. The Baja exited on the port bow. Although the
O’Day had rolled heavily to starboard and taken on water, both boats
remained afloat. All five people on the sailboat suffered injuries, ranging
from cuts and bruises to broken ribs and concussions. A 51-year-old woman,
Lyn Thornton, who was the fiancée of the boat’s owner, Mark Weber, died a
few days later from her injuries. The sailboat was insured through the
BoatU.S. Marine Insurance program.

After a brief investigation by the Lake County Sheriff’s Department,
39-year-old Bismark Dinius, who had been at the helm of the sailboat, was
charged with manslaughter and faces up to four years in jail. The driver
of the powerboat, Deputy Sheriff Russell Perdock, was not charged. Perdock
is the number two official at the Lake County Sheriff’s Department.

If you think there’s a story here, you’re right. And the story is still
unfolding.

More at"

http://www.boatus.com/seaworthy/justice.asp
--
** Good Day! **

John H

Strange Case
 

On Thu, 14 Aug 2008 22:09:16 GMT, Bullschitter
wrote:

Sailing or under Power??

First sentence.


"John H." wrote:

From the recent Boat US emailing.

A Strange Case of Justice
By Bob Adriance

At approximately 9:30 p.m. on April 29, 2006, five friends on a 27’ O’Day
were sailing toward their marina on California’s Clear Lake. It was an
almost moonless night, very dark, with barely a hint of wind. The sailboat
was ghosting through the water when a 385 hp, 24’ Baja Outlaw with three
people aboard sped through the darkness and struck the sailboat’s starboard
stern quarter.

According to forensic experts, the Baja ramped over the sailboat and
crushed the cabin bulkhead, leaving prop marks in the deck. Much of the
sailboat’s cabin top was torn off and its aluminum mast was sheared
completely off at the base. The Baja exited on the port bow. Although the
O’Day had rolled heavily to starboard and taken on water, both boats
remained afloat. All five people on the sailboat suffered injuries, ranging
from cuts and bruises to broken ribs and concussions. A 51-year-old woman,
Lyn Thornton, who was the fiancée of the boat’s owner, Mark Weber, died a
few days later from her injuries. The sailboat was insured through the
BoatU.S. Marine Insurance program.

After a brief investigation by the Lake County Sheriff’s Department,
39-year-old Bismark Dinius, who had been at the helm of the sailboat, was
charged with manslaughter and faces up to four years in jail. The driver
of the powerboat, Deputy Sheriff Russell Perdock, was not charged. Perdock
is the number two official at the Lake County Sheriff’s Department.

If you think there’s a story here, you’re right. And the story is still
unfolding.

More at"

http://www.boatus.com/seaworthy/justice.asp
--
** Good Day! **

John H

--
** Good Day! **

John H

Strange Case
 

On Aug 14, 4:13*pm, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:
On Thu, 14 Aug 2008 20:37:58 GMT, John H.
wrote:

If you think there’s a story here, you’re right. And the story is still
unfolding.

Tell you what - this should go to appeal in any case and the sheriff's
department is in a heap of trouble. *Any competent criminal attorney
will make mincemeat out of the prosecuter in this one. *These accident
investigators have a ton of technical tools at their disposal and if
they are saying it wasn't the sailboat owners fault, it wasn't.

What a mess.

"The sailboat was ghosting through the water ..."

Did both craft have adiquate navigational lighting?

but sounds to me like the Baja was traveling way "too fast for
conditions", though.

Strange Case
 

Don White. You can do better than this.







"Bullschitter" wrote in message
...
Sailing or under Power??

"John H." wrote:

From the recent Boat US emailing.

A Strange Case of Justice
By Bob Adriance

At approximately 9:30 p.m. on April 29, 2006, five friends on a 27' O'Day
were sailing toward their marina on California's Clear Lake. It was an
almost moonless night, very dark, with barely a hint of wind. The
sailboat
was ghosting through the water when a 385 hp, 24' Baja Outlaw with three
people aboard sped through the darkness and struck the sailboat's
starboard
stern quarter.

According to forensic experts, the Baja ramped over the sailboat and
crushed the cabin bulkhead, leaving prop marks in the deck. Much of the
sailboat's cabin top was torn off and its aluminum mast was sheared
completely off at the base. The Baja exited on the port bow. Although the
O'Day had rolled heavily to starboard and taken on water, both boats
remained afloat. All five people on the sailboat suffered injuries,
ranging
from cuts and bruises to broken ribs and concussions. A 51-year-old
woman,
Lyn Thornton, who was the fiancée of the boat's owner, Mark Weber, died a
few days later from her injuries. The sailboat was insured through the
BoatU.S. Marine Insurance program.

After a brief investigation by the Lake County Sheriff's Department,
39-year-old Bismark Dinius, who had been at the helm of the sailboat, was
charged with manslaughter and faces up to four years in jail. The driver
of the powerboat, Deputy Sheriff Russell Perdock, was not charged.
Perdock
is the number two official at the Lake County Sheriff's Department.

If you think there's a story here, you're right. And the story is still
unfolding.

More at"

http://www.boatus.com/seaworthy/justice.asp
--
** Good Day! **

John H

Strange Case
 

"Jim" wrote in message
...
Don White. You can do better than this.


Say what?
Are you OD'n on your own flatulence?

Strange Case
 

On Thu, 14 Aug 2008 21:29:57 GMT, John H.
wrote:

Sounds like a little collusion in the police department. That's a damn
shame if it's the case. I agree that the sailboater, given the story,
wasn't at fault. Should be interesting. I hope BoatUS sticks with the
story.

We had an incident on Lake Okoboji, here in Iowa. Cop boat was running
very fast close to shore. They hit an anchored boat and killed
someone. They tried to lay it on the anchored boat for showing no
lights which are not required in a designated anchorage. That went
nowhere. Manslaughter rap may be in a cops future.

Casady

Strange Case
 

On Aug 14, 9:33*pm, "Don White" wrote:
"Jim" wrote in message

...

Don White. You can do better than this.

Say what?
Are you OD'n on your own flatulence?

You're sounding almost exactly like Harry, good job, he'll be proud!