Marine Patrol finds Fatal Lake Pickett Boating Accident Victim

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on February 3, 2014

Divers have recovered the body of a woman who fell out of a canoe recently in an Orange County boating accident. Officers with the Orange County Sheriff’s Marine Patrol found the victim the day after she fell out of a canoe while fishing on Lake Pickett with two friends. The lake is located in the eastern part of the county between Bithlo and Chuluota. The investigation is ongoing while divers recover evidence from the bottom of the lake and officers have not yet announced if they plan to file any charges in connection with this fatal boating accident. Investigators have only said that the two men riding in the canoe with the victim were pulled from the water shortly after the accident and that attempts to locate the woman immediately after the accident were unsuccessful.

According to the most recent statistics from the U.S. Coast Guard Division of Auxiliary and Boating Safety, Florida led the country in boating accident fatalities in 2012, with 61 people killed. California came in second, with 52 fatalities and Texas was third with 37. A slight majority of fatal accidents occurred from noon to 2 p.m., but most accidents occurred from ten in the morning until ten at night. The majority (22) of fatal accidents began with one or more victims falling overboard and drowning while their vessel was cruising. Most fatalities occurred on Florida lakes and ponds, where 19 people lost their lives, followed by bays and sounds with 14 boating accident fatalities.

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, boats operated by people with no boater safety training were involved in 71 percent of all fatal boating accidents in our state in 2012. The state agency found that operators who had taken some safety training were only involved in 20 percent of fatal accidents. These grim statistics reinforce what James O. Cunningham and other Orlando boating accident attorneys have been saying for years; that taking a basic boating safety course is a fast, inexpensive and very effective way for boaters to protect their guests and vessels and prevent them from becoming Florida boating accident statistics.

If you or a loved one is injured in a boating accident and you would like to speak with an experienced Orlando personal injury lawyer about your rights and legal options, call Mr. Cunningham today at 877-FL-INJURY (877-354-6587). He has law offices located throughout central Florida and can meet with you at the one nearest your location. Since 1977, he has helped countless clients injured in boating accidents receive the fair and just compensation they deserve and may be able to help you recover damages as well. Call him today and get his experience and resources on your side!

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.