High School Principal Killed in Boating Accident

[Sam]

James Whorley, the 60-year old principal of Brookville High School in Campbell County, Virginia and his friend Terrell Reid, had been hunting the Dan River for 30 years and knew the area very well.

Their 16-foot Crestliner hit a partially submerged tree as the boat headed up the Dan River in the dark, about 5 AM Sunday morning, resulting in a hull tear nearly the length of the boat.

The tree was tangled among other debris in the shallow middle of the river.

The two men and their dogs were thrown from the boat. The dogs swam to the shore where a resident spotted one of the dogs and called the sheriff.

The bodies were found floating about a quarter mile from the wreckage. They probably drowned.

The men were wearing waders and NO LIFE JACKETS.

A high school principal. The retired administer of Danville's water and sewer system. Two SMART guys. Two educated guys.

Not wearing their life jackets.

You would have thought they would have been smarter.

PLEASE WEAR YOUR PFD.  NO EXCUSES. WE WANT YOU AROUND FOR 2009.

A word to the wise is sufficient.

[Catt]

PLEASE WEAR YOUR PFD.  NO EXCUSES. WE WANT YOU AROUND FOR 2009.  

[TrippyJai]

I am an amazing swimmer, but I still wear my life jacket. Why? Because if I go overboard, I can save all my fishing gear rathering than having to save myself. Everyone else should do the same.

Safety first.

[firefightn15]

There is also a post in fishing trips by one of our members that went overboard after hitting a bridge pylon.  He got lucky.

[U.W BronzeBack Hunter]

  Quote

I am an amazing swimmer, but I still wear my life jacket. Why? Because if I go overboard, I can save all my fishing gear rathering than having to save myself. Everyone else should do the same.

Safety first.

I believe in most major boat accidents (like car accidents), the passengers are knocked unconscious.  So if you're not wearing a lifejacket, you basically are left to drown slowly to the depths.

[32251]

This is very sad, but the tough words about no PFDs is needed.  This is what can and does happen.

Running down a river in the dark at enough speed to tear the hull from one end to the other and no PFD.........no excuse for that.  Poor judgement, and they traded  their chance for surviving as a result of choosing not to wear one.  

So sorry for the families.

[zbass]

Thoughts and prayers for the families.

[fivesixone]

Condolences to the families as well...

I'm getting a little boat in the next few weeks and I won't be taking it out until I have a PFD... Even though my friends will make fun of it, I don't care. Too many stories I've heard about accidents like this. :'(

[dk239]

I saw two guys in a small boat hit a underwater brush. They hit the water so fast it was shocking. Lucky for them the water wasn't very deep and the boat stopped. Their PFD's were strapped to the seats(DUH).

[Btech]

This may be a dumb question but arent you required to wear a pfd? Like a Seatbelt?

[jimmieO]

Around here you are advised to wear one, only required within 500 feet of a dam. WE SHOULD ALWAYS BE WEARING THESE.

[5bass]

[movedhere] General Bass Fishing Forum [move by] five.bass.limit.

[1inStripes]

Sad news indeed.  Cant think of too many times I have been in a boat of a night without a PFD.

On a side note, Brookeville had one talented football team, and a lot of good ball is played in Campbell County.

[Tin]

Forget the PFD's for a second and look at the other big thing. They were in the dark and tore up a 16' Crestliner hull almost the whole length from a tree.

I have hit rocks, trees, and stumps in my Tracker and never tore anything up. If anything got a little rocked and stuck for a minute or two.

So they must have been moving right along in the dark too. Doesn't matter how well you think you know a body of water things change.

[done]

Sad story. I wish I could say I was always as careful as I should be wearing a PFD but I would be fibbing.

Very true about water changing too. Last time i was out we waived off a dude in a nice bass boat who was about to hit a 4x10 beam maybe 10 ft long floating almost completely submerged out on the main channel. They did not miss it by much.

All it takes is a second for things to go from good to bad. I definitely feel for these guys families. There is no good time to get news like this, and even less to hear around the holidays.