People returning to the Lake – that is the mantra amongst folks at Lake Tahoe as the Summer of 2020 moves onwards. Indeed, recreating on an open space like Lake Tahoe is ranked as one of the potentially safer recreational endeavors folks can partake in during the coronavirus pandemic. (This is the case provided safe distancing and similar strategies are followed when onboard watercraft.)
Despite the fact that activities on lakes can meet COVID-19 safety muster, that doesn’t mean “traditional risks” have somehow been blunted. A pair of young men were enjoying an afternoon boating on Lake Tahoe when their lives changed forever.
The pair of men decided to spend some time swimming about their boat, which is a common practice on Lake Tahoe. Evidently the men elected to enter the water without wearing life vests.
As part of their planned activities for the afternoon, the men had an inflatable raft tied to the rear of their boat. Their intent was to take turns being pulled about the lack by the boat, yet another example of the types of activities enjoyed on the Lake.
One of the two men was attempting to climb into the inflatable raft when something went very badly awry. While trying to get into the rubber raft, the man was struck by the boat’s propeller. The man suffered a severe injury to his leg and began to bleed out into the water. In relatively short speed, before the man bled to death, he drowned in the waters of Lake Tahoe.
The second man also somehow sustained injuries on the Lake. What happened to him his less clear and little information has yet been provided by law enforcement officials or investigators.
Others on the Lake witnessed at least some of what happened with and to the pair of men who were enjoying afternoon together. Emergency personnel were dispatched to the scene immediately. EMTs sent nearly an hour searching for the men before they discovered them. The man struck by the propeller was dead and had been for about an hour. The second man was found and dispatched immediately to an area hospital. He is listed as being in stable condition at the medical center, although specifics regarding his injuries have yet to be provided to investigators or the public more generally.
In addition to not wearing life vests, there is at least a question being posed as to whether the men had been drinking before the fatal accident. There is also a series of questions yet to be answered pertaining to who owned the boat and if they rented it for the day whether the rental company had it properly outfitted with emergency gear and whether the vessel was in a safe operating condition.
In addition to ascertaining who owned the boat the men were using at the time of the fatal accident, a determination will also be made as to whether any other individuals (perhaps on another boat) contributed to the accident. In some cases involving an aquatic accident or drowning, multiple parties contribute to causing the incident. From a legal standpoint, all parties who may have contributed to the cause of an aquatic accident must be identified.
Local authorities have begun investigating the circumstances surrounding the Lake Tahoe drowning accident. As of this time, investigators have provided no information about the circumstances surrounding the death of one man and the injury of another while otherwise enjoying the afternoon on the lake.
If you or a loved one were injured in an aquatic accident, the legal team at The Doan Law Firm stands ready to fight for your legal rights. You can reach a Doan Law Firm aquatic accident injury lawyer by calling (800) 349-0000 any time of the day or night. We are available to you seven days a week, 52 weeks a year, including all major holidays.
We can schedule an initial consultation and case evaluation to discuss your legal rights. There is no charge for an initial consultation with an aquatic accident injury lawyer from our firm.
The Doan Law Firm makes an attorney fee guarantee to you. We will never charge an attorney fee unless we win for you.