Four teenagers and an adult were injured in a boating accident on Lake Cobbossee in Winthrop, Maine yesterday.
According to the Maine Warden Service spokesperson, four teenagers and a 20-year-old counselor from Camp All-Star were on a speedboat, a 2004 Mastercraft ski boat.
News reports covering the boating accident said that the speedboat was driven by the 20-year-old when it capsized on Lake Cobbossee. One of the teens reportedly was on the lap of the counselor learning to drive the ski boat. The teen pulled the throttle lever down too fast and the boat nosedived.
The crash sent one person flying off the boat. Fortunately, all of the boat’s occupants were safe on shore 15 minutes later.
According to the US Coast Guard Recreational Boating Accident Report Database (BARD), the number of boating fatalities in 2008 was 709. Among them, 11 children under age of 13 lost their lives while boating in 2008, while 63% of the children fatalities in 2008 were from drowning.
Most boating accident fatalities can be prevented by wearing personal flotation devices, so it’s to essential wear one on every boating trip. In a moment of panic, when a boat capsizes or you are ejected from it, it could save your life.
News Sources: WGME, SunJournal.
