Even when docked, boats are not always out of harm's way. This past week, a houseboat at the Arrowhead Yacht Club was hit by a ski boat, killing two passengers on the speedboat and hurting others. Though investigation behind the crash is still ongoing, speed and alcohol are currently considered the most likely factors.
The collision occurred at 5 p.m on Tuesday, May 14, when a 22-foot ski boat sped into the back of a docked house boat in Grand Lake in Langley, Oklahoma, causing a "substantial, violent impact," the Grand River Dam Authority assistant general manager Brian Edwards said to KOTV.
The two passengers sitting in the front of the boat were killed, while two others were taken to a nearby hospitals for injuries. Four other passengers were unharmed. Nobody was on the houseboat during the crash.
The two passengers that were killed were both students at the University of Arkansas. Rachel Nicole Swetnam, an Oklahoma resident, and William Lewis Varner III, an Arkansas resident, were both 21 years old.
KOTV said that speed may have been a factor in the crash, and legally boats less than 30 feet long are allowed to go up to 30 mph in the lake while the sun is up. While the cause is undetermined, some residents have told an Oklahoma news source they hope the policy changes to add more protection.
Whether or not the laws change after this accident, it's important for boat owners to be protected. By investing in boat insurance, owners can know their property is safe in case of an incident.