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-   -   Usher's Son hit by a Jet Ski (http://www.wakeworld.com/forum/showthread.php?t=794400)

fullspeed 07-10-2012 11:35 AM

Usher's Son hit by a Jet Ski
 
Sorry if this is old news, but I just heard about this.

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertain...icle-1.1110868

07-10-2012 11:54 AM

It sucks, heard about it the other day. Same day some idiot almost split my sup in two while i was on it. I had to bale and thankfully my board came with me bc i was wearing my leash.

JJ 07-10-2012 1:02 PM

Saw this on the local news yesterday before they were releasing names. Such a horrible thing to happen to some kids :(

Readyaimfire 07-10-2012 6:48 PM

Seriously, it's sad how common this is. Any Idiot can jump on one of these things with zero watersports experience. Every time I'm out riding on a weekend, I have to scream at someone on a jetski or boat thats following too close when I'm riding. I once had a Guy cut between me on my wakeboard and the boat. He got clotheslined by the rope and knocked off his jet ski. Guy was lucky he wasn't going that fast and the rope hit his jacket not his throat.

There needs to be some sort of mandatory driver training for jet skis. hopefully this kid doesn't suffer too bad. That's awful.

fullspeed 07-11-2012 6:53 AM

IQ test is required before driving a Jet Ski. We have a lake house on a pretty busy lake at least on the weekends and I don't know how many times I am pulling a wakeboarder and I am cut off by a newbe on a jet ski that does not look over their shoulder before they just decide to do a 360 power turn in front of our boat. I had a guy want to fight me on the shore because I yelled at him when I almost ran him over from cutting in front of me. Me killing a Jet Skier in front of my kids and wife would not of been a good idea at the time.

DealsGapCobra 07-11-2012 8:27 AM

I have an old PWC that we use about once or twice a year. One time we had it out with the boat, I put a new guy on it (may 20 years old) gave him the whole talk about safety, looking before you turn and not cutting in front of anyone, etc. As soon as he rode off and I started with the boat, he cut right in front of me! I immediately came off plane and had a "talk" with him. Ugh, this was an intelligent contentious person (or so I thought) and had just been told the important safety info so, no, I am not at all surprised by what I see on the lake.

I really hate to see innocent people hurt and it is even worse when it is a kid.

benjaminp 07-11-2012 8:52 AM

I am really fortunate that the lake I ride on doesnt allow jetskis (due to a fatality involving a waterskiier), but the Sea Doo boats are just as bad. The idiots that love to rip around and bounce off the wake 10' behind the rider drive me absolutely crazy.

07-11-2012 9:03 AM

I grew up with seadoos my whole life...it wasnt until my father was hurt (as a passenger) on one of ours, my friend was driving that he realized after talkingit over with me to sell both of them.

I will never let anyone drive one with me as a passenger, I dont care who they are. Wouldnt even let Kate Upton take me on one...well maybe her but you get my point.

norwalkbeast 07-11-2012 9:50 AM

+1 for the IQ test! They follow way to close sometimes!! Then when you yell at them they will play dumb and act like they didn't do anything!!

benjaminp 07-11-2012 11:35 AM

^I'm not sure they're playing dumb, they might actually be dumb.

scotthons 07-11-2012 2:52 PM

I hate waverunners with every fiber of my being.

behindtheboat 07-11-2012 4:56 PM

At what point/How long will it take for the jet ski companies to be held liable? If MC is liable for an idiot with too many people in the boat, all in the bow, the jet ski companies need to have some liability.

07-11-2012 6:02 PM

Especially when they run excess of 70mph!!

Raf1985 07-11-2012 6:28 PM

Hate all you want, but I have a hell of a time on stand-ups. I stick to my own area and know how to ride though. Hell I even offer to toss up a wake for guys with stand-ups as long as they look like they know what they are doing. It's fun to watch them flip off my wake.

Its usually the damn rentals that I have a problem with.

07-11-2012 6:38 PM

Stand ups are totally different. You dont typically have some newbie riding those things and having these accidents

Readyaimfire 07-11-2012 10:22 PM

Agreed, standups are different. I've been riding standup for a long time.

Kane 07-12-2012 10:04 AM

A death here. Very sad.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/48043840.../#.T_8BMej2ZIE

Calling for the companies to be made liable is ignorant. Yes MC where found liable, but that was due to a perceived design flaw in the boat (I think the judge did not understand the situation in that case, otherwise he'd have found the driver 100% at fault).
Perhaps authorities should make PWC licenses mandatory.
People need to take ownership when the fubar.

wakeviolater 07-12-2012 1:54 PM

http://www.florida-productliability....unner-lawsuit/

Raf1985 07-12-2012 2:36 PM

I hate lawsuit friendly america

kmehrkens 07-12-2012 10:27 PM

Such an unfortunate accident. Sadly there are many people who take to the water in boats and PWCs without the proper instruction or experience. PWCs have their place for sure, but I think it is pointless to be on any watercraft for the sake of just zipping around without direction. From what I see, people who go on the water for a purpose, such as to pull a tuber, boarder, or to go for ride to a certain place or in an organized fashion, seem to respect the surroundings and are more aware of what's going on. Maybe they are the regulars, I don't know. PWCs get that bad reputation with those idiots who just stir it up for the sake of stirring it up. That kind of careless operating isn't allowed in a car and probably shouldn't be allowed on a boat. That said, it's also sad to see the freedom on the water slowly dissolve through tighter rules and regulations. I feel it's one of the last places where we can go and forget about all the city mess and its laws. Boaters get it, we respect what we have or else we know it's gone. Others don't get it and that's what hurts our recreation.

About manufactures and their liability, there are obvious situations where the watercraft's design is at fault, but it's very hard to design around every potential accident- consumers are liable for their actions, too. Look at the chainsaw for example, clearly a dangerous tool but is still sold as-is! Boat companies do a great job with their products. The people starting these companies and taking these risks are brave souls. Not everyone has the guts to do it and they are the ones that make our time on the water enjoyable with their products. I heard something once about a guy sitting on a Yamaha roost and of course Yamaha was liable for where the water went up. I have never verified, but I heard at one point Yamaha had to put a sign that said, "Do not put anus over roost.". Even if it's far-fetched, do people really expect an engineer to think of that situation? Pointing fingers and playing the blame game is way too easy.

Hopefully this poor kid survives the accident, strong punishment is given to the operator, and everyone is that much more aware of the risks and how to avoid dangerous situations in boating.

behindtheboat 07-12-2012 10:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wakeviolater (Post 1766958)

I'm not saying they actually should be liable, but compared to other lawsuits, then yea they should be. In this link it comments on the user not being made aware, how many people on wave runners know that they won't turn unless the throttle is engaged? Sea doo covers themselves now with instant reverse, also called a "brake".

Raf1985 07-12-2012 11:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by behindtheboat (Post 1767077)
In this link it comments on the user not being made aware, how many people on wave runners know that they won't turn unless the throttle is engaged?

Thats like blaming harley davidson for a guy going off a cliff because he didnt know that he had to use the clutch to slow down. Its a bunch of BS but at least darwinism is kicking in and jetskiers are getting weaned out.

nuckledragger 07-13-2012 6:02 AM

Here is an article that was on Fox News about the dangers of jet ski's. If anything, people are finally starting to notice how dangerous they are when the rider has no training.

Danger on the high skis: Fatalities bring renewed calls for personal watercraft safety

Jet Skis, which send their adrenaline-seeking riders skimming atop the surf at up to 85 mph, are also sending them — or anyone who gets in their way — to the morgue.

The tragic accident that left the 11-year-old stepson of R&B star Usher brain dead, and the death of a retired astronaut from a similar collision are raising warning flags and prompting critics to complain that it's just too easy for a careless or untrained thrill-seeker to hop on a personal watercraft and go racing along congested waterways or shores.

“It’s somewhat of a perfect storm,” said Ron Sarver, deputy director for the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA). “There’s been a number of accidents together here, so we have a lot of people saying, ‘What’s happening?’”

The best known personal watercrafts are Kawasaki's Jet Ski, on which riders stand, and Yamaha Motor Company's WaveRunner, where they sit. But there are dozens of brands of the personal watercrafts, and Americans own an estimated 1.3 million of them.

As of Wednesday, a total of 16 people nationwide were killed on personal watercraft, according to U.S. Coast Guard statistics, with 212 injuries tallied in 238 accidents. In 2011, some 44 people were killed on personal watercrafts, up from 38 a year earlier. With so many in use, accidents will inevitably occur, but given the high speeds and limited protection offered by the vehicles, riders sometimes don't walk away.

Kristin Beale, of Richmond, Va., endured countless hours of physical therapy since Aug. 28, 2005, when she was struck by another Jet Ski while riding one with a friend on Lake Gaston in North Carolina. Her close friend Mark Brennan, 16, died and Beale, then 15, suffered traumatic injuries to her spinal cord and brain. Beale, like some safety advocates in the industry, now "strongly believes" there should a separate license requirement for personal watercraft and a minimum age for operators.

"And you should be trained on a Jet Ski if you're going to drive that," Beale told FoxNews.com.

Rules for riding vary from state to state, but for private owners, there is very little opportunity to enforce regulations. And on beaches where waverunners can rent for $95 an hour or more, showing you're at least 16 and yawning through a boilerplate safety lesson is all that's needed to mount the device and take off.




“You’ve got this big machine out there that can do some harm."

- Ron Sarver, deputy director, National Association of State Boating Law Administrators


Usher's stepson, Kyle Glover, was reportedly hit by a family friend on a Jet Ski on Georgia’s Lake Lanier on Friday as he sat in an inner tube. He remained in critical condition as of late Tuesday, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, while sources told TMZ that no brain activity had been seen since his hospitalization.

Just days earlier, on July 1, former astronaut Alan Poindexter was riding on a Jet Ski with his 22-year-old son when his 26-year-old son crashed into them. Poindexter, who piloted the Atlantis space shuttle in 2008, died a short time later at an area hospital. Zachary Poindexter and his brother Samuel were not injured. Last year, pop-reggae star Sean Kingston was critically injured in May 2011 after crashing his personal watercraft into a Miami Beach bridge.

While those accidents have garnered headlines, there have been several other notable wrecks involving personal watercraft:

— Blair Holliday, a sophomore wide receiver at Duke University, suffered head injuries while using a Jet Ski in North Carolina on July 4 and reportedly remains in critical condition;

— Savannah Cayce, 16, of Juneau, reportedly died in June from injuries she sustained while being struck by a Jet Ski as she sat in an inner tube in Alaska’s Auke Lake;

— Three women were killed and four others were reportedly injured during an accident in October involving a Jet Ski and a 20-foot powerboat at Puddingstone Reservoir in San Dimas, Calif.

Sarver's group is pushing states to require operators of all watercraft to be at least 16, take mandatory education sessions and to require life jackets for all riders, Sarver said. Some 44 states require some form of mandatory education, with states like California, Alaska and Wyoming being notable exceptions.

“It’s kind of scary that anybody who has the money can go out and buy a boat and be on the water that afternoon,” Sarver said. “You’ve got this big machine out there that can do some harm. We want people to be out there, but now more than ever, we need for people to be educated.”

In Florida, for example, there are additional regulations specific to personal watercraft, including that operators must be at least 14 years old, must wear a life jacket and must be able to use an engine cut-off switch. Riders can also only ride the watercrafts during daylight hours and cannot operate them recklessly, said Katie Purcell, a spokeswoman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Elsewhere, in Texas, all equipment requirements for regular motorboats also apply to personal watercraft, as well as mandatory usage of life jackets and engine cut-off switches, if applicable. Children under 13 are prohibited from operating them unless accompanied by an adult, and no personal watercraft is allowed within 50 feet of another vessel, person or object.

Children, Sarver said, should only ride personal watercraft if they’re big enough for the vessel — no exceptions.

“Their feet must reach the bottom of the vessel,” he said. “I’d like to say that’s common sense, but common sense doesn’t seem so common anymore.”

Much like operating a big rig on a bustling highway, a marine safety expert contacted by FoxNews.com said education and preparedness go a long way.

“Knowing the rules of the road, so to speak, are very important in improving the safety of people using personal watercraft,” Marjorie Murtagh Cooke of Robson Forensic said. “They’re powerful watercraft and you need to know not only how to operate them, but how to operate them safely.”

Meanwhile, in Nags Head, N.C., thrill-seekers can ride a Jet Ski for $95 an hour at Kitty Hawk Water Sports, where all riders must wear a life jacket and undergo a safety session prior to hitting the wake. To operate a Jet Ski, riders must be 16 years old and possess a valid driver’s license. There’s also an employee patrolling the water at all times.

“But any age can ride,” an employee told FoxNews.com.

Beale, meanwhile, was determined to make sure her accident didn't define her life. After months of rehab, she returned to Deep Run High School and graduated from Randolph-Macon College in May. She now hopes to attend graduate school to become a clinical psychologist.

"I don't regret one thing about it," Beale told FoxNews.com of her accident. "It's actually been the best thing that's ever happened to me. It gave me a purpose, a story. And it just completely turned my world around."

Using a walker and leg braces, Beale manages to get around but she's determined to walk again — something her doctors said was an impossibility seven years ago.

"I have no doubt in my mind that I'm going to be walking again," she said. "I'm already halfway there."

brettw 07-13-2012 11:04 AM

"There needs to be some sort of mandatory driver training for jet skis"

At least a boating certificate should be mandatory in the entire country for all motorized watercraft that goes over 15 mph. I'm still surprised it isn't in some states like CA where I am. It seems like a no-brainer.

DealsGapCobra 07-16-2012 7:43 AM

I don't remember the specifics but PA has a training requirement to operate a PWC. I remember that the lake on which I used to ski was becoming over run with them, PA passed the law (I think it required a full weekend class) and all of a sudden, the jet skis vanished. Here in TN, you need a boating license (pretty easy to get) to operate a PWC or boat if you were born after Jan 1, 1989. I think that this is probably a good idea but will really do nothing to solve many of the problems which, I believe, are caused by poor judgment and treating watercraft (Boat included) as toys.

Be careful out there!

kybool 07-18-2012 7:39 AM

This weekend on our lake
http://www.sierrasun.com/article/201...ntProfile=1051

07-18-2012 8:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kybool (Post 1768676)

Wow...I was just about to make a comment about what i saw last night on my lake. Sad to hear what happened to this guy!

I was out on my SUP last night watching a pair of 16yr olds on their yamaha 1200 waverunner rip through the slalom course on our lake. Not just that but they were towing 2 kneeboarders at the same time. No wonder the slalom skiers are so annoyed about always having to fix the ripped off balls on their course.

I politely paddled over when one of their riders fell and asked them to steer clear of the slalom course as they could get hurt with a simple careless mistake. They then told me to f*** off dude. Again, I have lost respect for people on these things and my family has owned them my entire life.

DealsGapCobra 07-18-2012 8:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LR3w8kbrdr (Post 1768704)
They then told me to f*** off dude.

Education will not help these people. This is a complete lack of respect for other peoples property and for you! :mad:

JoLo_Si 07-18-2012 1:07 PM

I was much more concerned with the former astronaught who died in a similar accident. Who cares about Usher's overprivledged step son really.

helix_rider 07-19-2012 7:58 AM

I don't disagree that there are idiots on jetskis, but to be realistic, 16 people have died this year from them. That is small in the grand scheme of things, it seems a little overboard to go mandating all kinds of regulations. If we start doing it with jetskis, next it will be 'you must have a license to wakeboard' or some other silly thing. I know they are big and fast...and I think they should have the same rules as a boat in terms of licensure, but I just hate over-legistlation.

To put the 16, although tragic, deaths in perspective:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/awesomer/20-...n-sharks-every

garveyj 07-23-2012 10:08 AM

Just saw that the kid died of heart failure

http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/21/showbi...html?hpt=hp_t3

Raf1985 07-23-2012 10:29 AM

That's a bummer. Heart failure related to the accident?

rwrasta52 07-23-2012 1:24 PM

Where I live in Ocean City Maryland, a tourist can be on a jet ski after a ten minute " test" they give them a " temporary boaters" liscense. They take the classes out then let them loose in a large area, you dont want to be anywhere near them in a boat when it happens.

Raf1985 07-23-2012 8:53 PM

^^^^That sounds like some apocalypse stuff right there ^^^^

garveyj 07-24-2012 11:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Raf1985 (Post 1770254)
That's a bummer. Heart failure related to the accident?

Not sure if the heart failure happened because of the accident, just unfortunate that he didn't make it.

wakeviolater 08-17-2012 12:10 PM

http://gma.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs...opstories.html

at least they are suing the right people.

kybool 08-17-2012 1:51 PM

This sounds like my kind of approach, aside from littering garbage all over the lake. This is in the comments of the article above.

We sailors have a cure for jet skies buzzing and circleing us. It's called make them paddle home. Take a length of poly ( floating) rope, cut it into sections about 6 inches long. Shred these sections. Carry them in a bucket in the cockpit with you. When you are being circled by aggressive jet-skiers just empty the bucket overboard. When the jet ski runs thru the floating rope sections he wil find that his "jet" works no more. He may then paddle home, take the pump apart, unwind the rope sections, and put the pump back together again - a bit wiser for the experience.

Bakes 08-20-2012 3:36 PM

An astronaut was also killed this summer on a Jet ski. His son was riding it and plowed into him.

If it were just Jet Skiers killing Jet Skiers it would be one thing. The problem is that they plow into tubers, riders, etc. as well. Ushers kid was riding a tube I think.

I am pretty aggressive in standing up and waving boaters or jet skiers who think it is OK to follow behind us. Most move along when they see me pointing the orange flag at them and signaling them to go the other way. Takes a few iterations but it generally works. I don't think most of them think what they are doing is dangerous. Seeing someone freaking out in the boat they are following lets them know.

fullspeed 08-20-2012 5:38 PM

My PA system helps yell at those Jet Skiers. Thank you Wetsounds 420, got to love the PA.

Raf1985 08-21-2012 8:49 AM

Back to my slingshot and ice cube methods for me...

srock 08-21-2012 11:32 AM

I had a jet ski riding close to my rider. He could see I was irritated and pulled up and asked what's your f'ing problem with me jumping the wake. I politely said my problem is if my rider falls and you hit him he is probably dead and I don't want that to happen. Or if you keep turning into my boat as you race ahead of me and fall your ski will hit my boat or I will hit you. The guy said sorry dude and rode off and stayed away. So this guy listened but he clearly never had any rider training. I cannot help to think why I had to state something that was so obvious. I recognize that your are never going to win these battles so you need to look out for yourself and rider and hope others will do the same.

ralph 09-01-2012 1:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoLo_Si (Post 1768857)
I was much more concerned with the former astronaught who died in a similar accident. Who cares about Usher's overprivledged step son really.

Wow. You trolling or serious?


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