Two serious boating accidents occurred over the weekend, leaving grief and worry in their wake over the death of one man, the serious injuries to another and the search for a third man who disappeared in the waters off Marshfield.
Boston Harbor Boating Accident
A Hingham man has died and another man has suffered in a boating accident that occurred this Saturday night near Boston Light in Boston Harbor.
Michael Spirito, 58, lost his life when his prized 27-foot cigarette Magnum boat “High Life” broke apart and capsized. A second person on board suffered life-threatening injuries in the accident which remains under investigation.
According to Spirito’s son, the boat which has been in their family for nine years “was his pride and joy.”
Massachusetts State Police Marine Section, the Coast Guard, and the Massachusetts Environmental Police are investigating the accident.
Marshfield Boating Accident
A second boating accident also occurred on Saturday night in which a man fell overboard off Brant Rock in Marshfield.
Rescue crews searched on Sunday for the 23-year-old Zac Woods who fell off the power boat when it crashed on some rocks near Hewitt’s Point. His friend, Justin McDonald, 22, of Marshfield was operating the boat.
McDonald, who also went overboard and was saved by a nearby kayaker, has been charged with drunken boating, police said. He has since posted a $10,000 bail.
According to the Marshfield police report, McDonald told officers he had consumed about 10 beers prior to the incident.
Initially there were four people on McDonald’s boat: Woods, McDonald and two female friends. They met with another group of friends at an area called the spit, near Fourth Cliff in Scituate. The two women went with the other boat, while McDonald and Woods remained on the speedboat.
McDonald told the police he was not drinking on the return trip and that he was “a little buzzed, but I was pretty good, not drunk,” according to the report.
The accident happened when, according to McDonald, the boat’s steering wheel pulled uncontrollably to the left at one point, throwing both men overboard.
According to Marshfield Police Capt. Philip Tavares, who boarded the boat after the accident, the throttle was in the full-speed position. Tavares also found an empty 18-pack of Coors Light beer under the boat’s center console and an open can of Jeremiah Weed, a bourbon whiskey-based drink, near the boat’s steering wheel, according to the report.
McDonald declined a breath test, the police report states. He is due back in Plymouth District Court on September 15.
Contacting a Personal Injury Lawyer After a Boating Accident
If you have been injured or have lost a family member in a drowning accident in Massachusetts that was caused by someone else’s negligence, call the personal injury attorneys at the Kiley Law Group for a Free evaluation of your case: 1-888-208-1695.
DISCLAIMER: The Massachusetts personal injury law firm Kiley Law Group is not representing any of the parties mentioned in the article at the time the article was published. Our information sources are clearly cited in the article. If you were involved in this accident and have questions as to your rights and options, call us. Do not act solely based on the information provided above. Get a free confidential consultation from an experienced Boston personal injury attorney: 1-888-208-1695.
