Wave – and human judgment – faulted in sheriff boat’s capsizing [The Herald-Palladium, St. Joseph, Mich.]
By Scott Aiken, The Herald-Palladium, St. Joseph, Mich. | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
But an internal investigation said the search, which was conducted in rough weather, could have been postponed.
Sheriff's Lt.
The vessel, a Safe Boats Defender that had been in service for less than a month, sustained
While the review of the incident by the
Chief Deputy
Bailey said conditions on the lake were worsening when the boat was launched in the morning and that Kurtz did not notice the change right away.
"It's one of those unfortunate things, and we're going to make sure it doesn't happen again," Bailey said.
Kurtz and Stama got on top of the hull but were pitched into the water when the boat hit a sandbar and turned onto its side.
The boat's superstructure, the metal work above the deck surface including the roof and electronics systems, received most of the damage.
Bradley's report said that Kurtz, who has years of experience on
Kurtz told Bradley that waves were 3 to 4 feet high on the morning of
A NWS small craft advisory was issued at
According to the operator's handbook for the sheriff's department boat, the vessel was designed to operate safely in winds up to 25 knots and maximum waves of 8 feet. A knot equals about 1.151 mph.
Bradley said in the report that a check with the
Bradley said policy changes will differentiate between essential rescue searches when life is at risk and those that can be delayed.
Also, changes will require that more than operator opinion must be used in deciding whether a search takes place, such as checking with the
As part of a policy, Bradley suggests that guidelines should be written to help boat operators and command officers use all available data to determine whether the vessel can be operated safely.
Bradley said he plans to set up a committee including Kurtz, officers from the
County Commissioner
At the same time, he said, "you have to be sensitive to the anguish of the (missing man's) family."
The body of 18-year-old
The specialized boat, designed for use in patrol and search operations, was purchased for
Sheriff's department officials said it appears that insurance will cover repairs, but the boat must be shipped to the manufacturer, Safe Boats in
A company inspection of the vessel determined that the estimated cost would be
___
(c)2011 The Herald-Palladium (Saint Joseph, Mich.)
Visit The Herald-Palladium (Saint Joseph, Mich.) at www.heraldpalladium.com
Distributed by MCT Information Services
Wordcount: | 822 |
Off-duty police officer acquitted on all charges for pointing gun in Petaluma [The Press Democrat, Santa Rosa, Calif.]
Advisor News
Annuity News
Health/Employee Benefits News
Life Insurance News