Jared Adkins, 39, and his son Calvin Adkins, 11, were hospitalized earlier this month after they were seriously injured in a Florida boating accident off the Upper Keys. While Jared has been released, as of August 13, Calvin was still in critical condition at a Miami hospital.
The father and son were starting a drift dive on the morning of August 9 when the accident happened. The two of them had jumped into the water from the stern dive platform while the vessel was in reverse gear, and this when they were hit by the boat’s propeller.
The dive boat is the Big Dipper from the Florida Keys Dive Center, which is is located on Plantation Key.
Florida Boating Accident
If you or someone you love was injured during a recreational boating accident, you should speak with a Miami injury law firm right away. Boating accidents need to be properly investigated and the correct evidence needs to be gathered and examined so that liability can be proven.
Our Palm Beach boating accident law firm knows how devastating it can be to sustain serious injuries that could/should have been prevented. Unfortunately, recreational boating accidents can happen-especially in Florida, with its multitude of bodies of water.
Drift Diving
Drift diving is a form of scuba diving that involves having the ocean current carry a diver. A dive boat follows the divers.
Usually, however, the boat should be secured or anchored and the engine shut or in neutral before divers can go into the water. The drivers aren’t supposed to get in the water until the boat crew gives them the clear. The US Coast Guard and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission are investigating this boating accident.
Ft. Lauderdale boating accidents can occur both on and outside the vessel. Depending on the specifics of your case, you may have reason to file a South Florida injury lawsuit or wrongful death case against the boat operator, the boat manufacturer, the boating leasing company, the boat rental company, or another party.
Boy still critical after being hit by boat propeller, KeysNet, August 13, 2011
Related Web Resources:
Recreational Boating Accident Statistics and Trends, US Coast Guard Auxiliary
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
More Blog Posts:
Palm Beach Wrongful Death Lawsuit Seeks Damages from Yamaha Over Fatal WaveRunner Accident That Killed One Teen, Leaving Another With Brain Damage and Physical Injuries, South Florida Injury Lawyer Blog, May 20, 2011
Man Dies in Florida Boating Accident After Engine Quits and Vessel Capsizes, South Florida Injury Lawyer Blog, April 30, 2011
14-Year-Old Injured in Palm Beach County Boating Accident Has Part of Her Leg Amputated, South Florida Injury Lawyer Blog, February 8, 2011