A family fishing trip turned deadly for a 13-year-old boy in Newport, Virginia last week.  The boy was killed in a boating accident involving his fishing boat and a tow boat.

The accident occurred on Sunday morning.  According to news reports, the boy and his father were out in their 19-foot bass boat when it collided with a tow boat near the James River Bridge.  The impact of the accident was severe enough to knock the tow boat driver out of his boat.  The father and the son however, remained stuck in the wreck of their boat.

Both the father and the driver of the bass boat sustained minor injuries.  A massive Coast Guard effort was launched to rescue the injured persons.  That included a Coast Guard rescue boat crew, rescue helicopter and Coast Guard Port Security Units as well as a Newport News Fire Department boat crew.  However, the boy had been severely injured.  All three of them were rushed to the hospital, where the boy succumbed to his injuries.

The Coast Guard is investigating the accident.  Investigators will specifically be looking into who was at fault here, and depending on that, the driver of the commercial tow boat or the father of the victim could be fined for their role in the accident.

The Coast Guard Investigation is likely to focus on the speed of the boats at the time of the crash.  Investigators will also look into whether either driver was intoxicated at the time of the crash.  The accident occurred in the daytime, and therefore poor visibility was likely not a factor here.  However, we will have to wait for the investigation to be completed to understand the reasons for the crash.  Maritime safety agencies are also more and more focusing on the role of distracted boating as a factor in maritime accidents.

The maritime attorneys at Maintenance and Cure represent injured victims of maritime accidents in Texas and nationwide.