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Sunday, June 22, 2008 12:42 AM
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By Shavonne Potts
spotts@salisburypost.com
Three people were sent to the hospital Saturday after two fishing boats collided during a fishing tournament on High Rock Lake.
Two bass boats ran into each other at 12:30 p.m. in the main channel of the lake, said Sgt. Anthony Sharum of the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission.
Four fishermen participating in the Wal-Mart FLW bass tournament were involved.
The accident happened with few other boats around, Sharum said.
Boat owner/operator David Redman of Lemon Tree Lane, Concord, was injured and taken to Rowan Regional with non-life threatening injuries. His passenger, Darrell McManus of Hidden Grove Trail, Charlotte, was airlifted to Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte with unknown injuries.
The other boat/owner, Tony Stafford of Kernersville, was not injured. His passenger, Kenneth Hutchins of Hamptonville, was transported to Rowan Regional complaining of shortness of breath and pain in his ribs. Hutchins was treated and released.
The boats were meeting in a head-on situation at speeds higher than 50 mph. Both operators reportedly made a series of high speed turns attempting to avoid one another before the collision, Sharum said.
N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission Division of Enforcement is conducting the investigation.
According to Sharum, speed and failure to observe the "rules of the road" were factors that caused the accident. No charges have been filed.
There is no speed limit on the water, he said, except near the bridge and marina.
More than 170 boats with 340 fishermen were participating in the tournament.
"There's been quite a lot of accidents this month," Sharum said.
It was the fourth or fifth collision in June, he added. In 2006, the last year figures were complete, 217 non-fatal accidents and 22 fatal accidents were reported on the water across North Carolina.
Rowan County Rescue Squad, Liberty Volunteer Fire Department, Rowan County EMS and the Rowan County Sheriff's Office also responded.
Comments (5)
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John
Use a little common since : Tuesday, July 01, 2008 10:49 AM
In an accident like this you can not blame any one person, especialy not the dealers. They have to sell the boats that are demanded and supplied by the MNFG. If they do not stay in contingent with the market than someone else will. Boats are dangerous you must treat them with respect, I dont think a speed limit will help because the cost of inforcement is to great. Best thing you can do as an angler is do your part, Becareful and aware of everyone and everything around you. Use every major precaution necessary to keep your self and others out of harms way.
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Story to back boat licenses for all : Monday, June 23, 2008 5:23 PM
Rules of the Road - plain and simple. If they just would have remembered to go right, this probably could have been avoided. In a head to head closing condition, if both boats go right - everything is fine. If either goes left... well.... you could possibly get a news story and hospital bills.
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B. Lee Pemberton
Speed limits needed : Monday, June 23, 2008 9:33 AM
There should be speed limits within 1/2 mile of the congested area.
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Larry MC
boats to fast for lake fishing : Monday, June 23, 2008 8:52 AM
everyone wants to be like the pros, there buying then and runing full speed because thay can and in rivers and lakes with lots of turns. You have jet skies and other boaters not nowing the rules.If you watch the pro, most are not trimmed up and running full speed,there is now need for a bass rig to have more then a 200 hp on it. 60 is all anyone in a given lake needs to go. Big rigs are over priced,the dealers are to blame.
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Bob Havens, the Flippin Idiot!!!
Boats collide : Sunday, June 22, 2008 7:07 PM
Everyone who owns a boat capable of attaining a speed of 15 mph or more should be required to have an operators license just like an auto. There are a lot of people out there who don't know what they are doing!!
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