Sailor ripped to shreds after falling off back of yacht and getting caught in propellers

A weekend sailor was ripped to shreds on Saturday when he fell from a yacht and into the propellors.

The victim, Juan Carlos Morales, a 45-year-old from Miami-Dade, Florida, was killed after falling into Deering Bay, where The Gotcha, a luxury 65ft yacht, was moored.

He had been on the diving platform on the back of the boat when he lost his footing and plunged into the water, where he was dragged beneath and into the spinning rotors.

It is not yet known whether alcohol played a part in the tragedy, or whether Mr Morales, who was a friend of the yacht's owner, was tossed into the water by rough conditions.

It is the latest tragic incident to mar the three-day Columbus Day weekend, which culminated with the annual Columbus Day Regatta on Sunday, the Miami Herald reported.

Each year, a fleet of power boats - most unconnected to the regatta - anchors in the waters off nearby Elliot Key to celebrate the holiday with drink-fuelled boat parties.

In 2002, three people were killed in boating accidents during the holiday, while in 2006 two college students died in a two boat crash that left seven others severely injured.

Yesterday and today Coastguard, Miami Dade police and fire-rescue services and Biscayne Park rangers were on patrol in the bay and local marinas.

Jorge Pino, a spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), told the Herald that some citations were issued for boating safety and one or two arrests were made, but it was 'nothing out of the ordinary'.

Special safety regulations have been put into place over the long weekend, including:

Designated areas on the west side of Elliott Key for boats and yachts to anchor;
Restrictions to the number of boats that may be rafted together in that area to no more than five;
A minimum distance of 75ft between rafts of vessels or between individual boats;
No unauthorised commercial activity;
Restrictions on loud music with penalties including citations and confiscations of audio equipment.

Earlier Wayne Rybeck from Biscayne National Park told the Herald: 'One of our main targets for the weekend will be boating under the influence.

'There will be a zero tolerance for any boating under the influence violations.'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2047329/Man-dies-horrific-yachting-accident-falls-churned-propellers.html

10/19/2011 1:02:27 PM

Quote :

"where The Gotcha, a luxury 65ft yacht, "

OH! The ironY!

10/19/2011 1:05:25 PM

ouch

10/19/2011 1:06:28 PM

Quote :

"'There will be a zero tolerance for any boating under the influence violations.'"

i dont get this. MILLIONS of boaters have been drinking on boats since the beginning of time.

Just because a few darwinists die, they have to outlaw something that MILLIONS of other people enjoy???

I hate authority.

10/19/2011 1:08:49 PM

i feel the laws need to be more strict, drinking retards creating wakes that knock smaller craft all over the place as they wave their bud light bottles all in the air swilling beer in their porken bellies

10/19/2011 1:11:40 PM

Make speeding in wake zones illegal then.

10/19/2011 1:12:41 PM

um

10/19/2011 1:17:51 PM

I know it's illegal already. I was being facetious.

Aggressive behaviors like you describe that endangers other lives on purpose should be illegal.


A few people are ruining the freedoms of many.



[Edited on October 19, 2011 at 1:31 PM. Reason : .]

10/19/2011 1:22:36 PM

Quote :

"i dont get this. MILLIONS of boaters have been drinking on boats since the beginning of time. Just because a few darwinists die, they have to outlaw something that MILLIONS of other people enjoy??? I hate authority."

The same laws that apply to cars/trucks should apply to boats. .08 BAC or below for the driver is fair enough.

There are no (physical) lines to separate the swimmers from the boats or the north bound traffic from the east bound traffic. I've had countless close calls. You know that thing you do in the grocery store where two people are walking towards each other and both change their course in the same direction at the same time? Imagine being on a jet ski and having that happen with a 1000+ HP 42' Fountain Lightning. Yeah, you'll get creamed if sober minds don't prevail. Or imagine being in a kayak and seeing a 26' cabin cruiser coming straight at you. You're basically relying on them to see you and change course or you're fucked. There is very little you can do in that situation.

Driving a boat or jet ski requires as much attention and awareness as driving any other vehicle. The "rules of the road" can become very convoluted when you mix multiple vessels from various directions and traveling at various speeds.

[Edited on October 19, 2011 at 2:36 PM. Reason : s]

10/19/2011 2:23:59 PM

[stupid non-boater question]

Why were the propellers spinning if the yacht was moored?

10/19/2011 3:28:46 PM

simple solution


turn signals

10/19/2011 3:45:30 PM

Nothing worse than drunk assholes making big wakes for everyone else.












Especially when they make you spill your beer.

10/19/2011 3:49:19 PM

^lol

10/19/2011 5:40:25 PM

Quote :

"[stupid non-boater question] Why were the propellers spinning if the yacht was moored?"

Good question! I don't know the answer. Back in the day my dad always turned off the boat before we climbed up the engine's outdrive unit if we were skiing or whatever and got done with the session. It was implied several times that the prop might still be spinning at low speeds even if the boat was out of gear, but I never understood how that could happen. I always assumed that was just an extra safety precaution in case the boat slipped into gear. Boat transmissions are generally forward, reverse, or neutral with a few exceptions that might offer two forward gears (one for slow speeds and one for higher speed cruising) to save gas mileage. If the boat was in neutral I don't see how the prop would be spinning to chop anybody.

[Edited on October 19, 2011 at 6:57 PM. Reason : l]

10/19/2011 6:52:17 PM

Quote :

"[stupid non-boater question] Why were the propellers spinning if the yacht was moored?"

well it could have been bad timing, i.e. they were about to pull anchor and head out.

also, propellers can still rotate in neutral. I know for small outboards this is true and dangerous (dropped a screw driver in a test tank with the engine in neutral and it mauled the screw driver. I assume the same could be true for a yacht.

or, the writer just doesn't know what in the hell he/she is talking about

10/19/2011 7:20:21 PM

They could have been reversing into a slip. If he was on the back of the vessel and fell off, it would have ran him over, propellers first.

10/19/2011 8:27:47 PM

Maybe he threw himself into the propellers after a drunken kiss and being told what an amazing friend he is.

10/19/2011 9:02:10 PM

10/20/2011 1:18:42 AM

10/20/2011 1:31:48 AM

This thread is worthless without pictures

10/20/2011 1:49:45 AM

I would like to pause and send out lots of LOLs to this thread's contributors so far.

Okay, now resume the funny!

10/20/2011 1:52:28 AM

this sounds like something that would happen to one of the kids on Final Destination. Did the victim recently have a premonition that allowed him to escape death?

10/20/2011 6:50:57 AM