California man was sucked to his death 2

Something ripe for a lawsuit. One would have thought it pretty obvious that pilings or fences should have been installed to protect the pipe from collision damage, if nothing else.

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I bet the cost of piling for all the inlets far exceeds the insurance costs. If a pipe is plugged or damaged the farmer knows pretty quick and just needs to splice on a new length. There are probably 100,000 of those pipes in California and this one fatality in how many years?

Putting pilings, et al, also more easily signals to vandals where the pipes are. Blending in is a useful condition.

I hardly think those blend in...

Dan - Owner

Not a fan of the "that's what insurance is for" remedy to people dying in public places due to the negligence of others.

It would seem a simple baffle/cage on the ends of the pipes would prevent people from being sucked against them such that they wind up held under water and drown.

floating a warning bouy at the end of the pipe should be a given.

There probably should be some additional safeguards, but I put this in the same category as sombody being run over by a forklift. They couldn't hit me if they were trying, yet it still happens. Freak accidents will always occur, no matter how safe we think something may be.

Brad

It's all okay as long as it's okay.

Each year in the United States, nearly 100 workers are killed and another 20,000 are seriously injured in forklift-related incidents, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

When I was 20 I spent a summer in Wisconsin with relatives. I didn't have much boating experience. We had an old aircraft gauge aluminum v-hull boat with maybe a 45hp Evinrude. Full throttle was just the right speed for water skiing. After learning to ski with my dad at the helm for a couple of days, I went out when my cousin dropped by with friends. Finally my cousin consigned to me the wheel, he grabbed his trick skis; I had seen his friend use them and knew to look for water that looked nice & glassy. Being an inexperienced pilot, I was a bit tender on the throttle but he managed to get up. Having spied some smooth as glass water I hit the throttle and barrelled towards, the engine roaring. I kept a keen eye in the approaching shore line as the smooth surface was at the mouth of a cove. There was some unintelligible yelling going on behind me, carried off by the wind. Finally John, my cousin's friend put his hand on my shoulder and I turned to find my cousin was 1/4 mile back floating in the water. Known to locals but unbeknownst to me, I had headed straight in to a patch of fish cribs. My Cousin was wise enough to not be dragged into such a hazard. Circling around I managed on the first go to get the towline within easy reach & popped my cousin back on his skis. The wind had shifted and the smooth water was 3/4 of mile away on the other side of the lake & off we went. The land rose quickly form the water on this side of the lake so you could pass within 30 feet of shore at speed without a care..., that is, except for the sand bar on the point! My cousin was entertaining everyone with his skills on the trick skis, when at the last minute John took in our bearings, lurched to the helm and threw the throttle to idle. The boat cleared the bar but the prop took a pretty good blow. Fortunately everything was fine, except for my pride. My schooling in what not to do was not done yet. Having picked up my cousin, my sister hoped in the water on a single ski. My tender application of the throttle was fine for two wide trick skis but for a single ski it didn't have the thrust to snap someone up onto their ski. My sister let go of the towline after about 20 yards. I had been watching her, as we were heading out into the lake's open water, so I quickly shifted to idle. I don't recall exactly what words of instruction were given but it was something along the lines of "Go Back", which I did by putting the engine in reverse and backing over the towline. After about 10 minutes of trying to free the tow line from the prop, it was cut loose. I learned a lot that day and since about being on the water & boater responsibility. Even sailed a 40 foot Catamaran to Hawaii. Knowing what is under the surface is the obligation of those who intend to pilot a vessel. About 2/3rds of the population believe they can swim but most don't actually have the skills to pass a basic swimming assessment test. When it comes to minorities about 62% can't demonstrate basic swimming skills. And then there is the law, which requires a serviceable life vest for every person on the boat. The Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta is one of the more hazard prone places to go boating and the pecking order is Farms/Fish & Recreation is a distant 2nd. Right now, I'm wish'in I was tucking into a pan-fried walleye & an Old Style. I never did pilot for my sister's skiing again. I guess once was enough.

bimr said:

Each year in the United States, nearly 100 workers are killed and another 20,000 are seriously injured in forklift-related incidents, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Click to expand...

Right. Like I said, "They couldn't hit me if they were trying, yet it still happens."

Brad

It's all okay as long as it's okay.