Winnipesaukee Forum - View Single Post - Sad Story, but good advice about ice conditions

fatlazyless · 01-01-2008, 04:09 AM

Hey codeman, that company, Yankee Airboats of Maine with the airboat photo is the one that made the 15' airboat that is the primary defendant in the nation's first water rescue where the rescuers and their rescue equipment was the cause of a death, It was in August 2006, in the death of 60-something year old Virginia 'Ginny ' Yates of Vermont.

She had slipped on a dock, or something, and injured her ankle and was being transported by the Cheshire NH rescue crew across the Conneticutt River from Vermont to New Hampshire. Hey, that's the last time she'll visit New Hampshire! (Sorry, couldn't resist that fat comment!)

Yankee Airboats is also sueing the Town of Cornish NH and their rescue squad because, while using a 15' airboat, the Cornish rescue squad turned an injured or sprained ankle into a drowning when they secured the stokes litter holding Mrs Yates to the bow of their 15' Yankee Airboat and the boat got swamped, or something..The rescue squad was reported to be very upset over having killed her, as this was definately not their intention. An article in the Rutland Herald says that these airboats do not come standard with seatbelts just in case they swamp.

It's pretty amazing that one person can get drowned in like 15 seconds in the summer, and some other person can hold their breath for two minutes and survive a plunge ino icy cold water when a car skids into a lake, or something. ...lots of variables!

01-01-2008, 04:09 AM	#19
fatlazyless Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 8,755 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 300 Thanked 1,010 Times in 736 Posts	Hey codeman, that company, Yankee Airboats of Maine with the airboat photo is the one that made the 15' airboat that is the primary defendant in the nation's first water rescue where the rescuers and their rescue equipment was the cause of a death, It was in August 2006, in the death of 60-something year old Virginia 'Ginny ' Yates of Vermont. She had slipped on a dock, or something, and injured her ankle and was being transported by the Cheshire NH rescue crew across the Conneticutt River from Vermont to New Hampshire. Hey, that's the last time she'll visit New Hampshire! (Sorry, couldn't resist that fat comment!) Yankee Airboats is also sueing the Town of Cornish NH and their rescue squad because, while using a 15' airboat, the Cornish rescue squad turned an injured or sprained ankle into a drowning when they secured the stokes litter holding Mrs Yates to the bow of their 15' Yankee Airboat and the boat got swamped, or something..The rescue squad was reported to be very upset over having killed her, as this was definately not their intention. An article in the Rutland Herald says that these airboats do not come standard with seatbelts just in case they swamp. It's pretty amazing that one person can get drowned in like 15 seconds in the summer, and some other person can hold their breath for two minutes and survive a plunge ino icy cold water when a car skids into a lake, or something. ...lots of variables! __________________ ... down and out, liv'n that Walmart side of the lake! Last edited by fatlazyless; 01-01-2008 at 07:55 AM.