RSSMan Drowns in Lake Minnehaha Accident
Orlando personal injury lawyer James O. Cunningham would like to remind boat owners to make sure that they have proper life-saving equipment on board and require guests to wear life jackets while enjoying Florida waterways this busy summer boating season. A recent drowning on Lake Minnehaha illustrates that summer fun on the water can quickly turn to tragedy when proper precautions are not taken.
The incident involved a 29-year-old man who drowned after falling off a paddleboard near Clermont. Investigating officials report that the victim was paddle-boarding with friends when he fell off the paddleboard and struggled to stay at the water’s surface. Witnesses say that he yelled out to friends for help, but by the time they arrived, he had slipped below the surface of the murky water and could not be found.
Joy Hill, spokeswoman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, said that the victim was not wearing a life jacket when the accident occurred and divers recovered his body more than two hours after he disappeared. Hill reports that paddle boarders are required to have a life jacket on board before they can go out on the water but are not required to wear them. It is unknown whether or not the victim could swim or whether or not there were extenuating circumstances that could have contributed to the accident.
Whether you are the skipper of a paddleboard on a placid lake or an oceangoing vessel on the sea, it is a very good idea to have a healthy respect for water and contingency plans in place to safeguard yourself and your passengers. These plans include having proper safety training before you go out on the water and proper lifesaving equipment for yourself and each person on board. Life jackets are bulky and somewhat uncomfortable by necessity, and, if the victim had chosen to wear his, it’s likely that he would still be alive today.
A moment’s discomfort and inconvenience is a small price to pay for protecting someone’s life. Orlando boating accident lawyer James O. Cunningham would like to remind boaters and passengers to take extra precautions, require passengers to wear life vests and other safety equipment and exercise extra caution when on Florida’s waterways.
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.
Mr. Cunningham is an excellent and knowledgeable attorney.