A boating accident in San Felipe, Mexico leading to the disappearance of seven American tourists has proven that although one might be an expert at the activity, if an accident is bound to happen, it will.
In July 2011, seven US citizens boarded fishing boat to celebrate a friend’s
first day of retirement. Gary Wong, the celebrator, had brought his three
brothers, who had taken the same trip twice in the past, and several other
friends. They had intended to sail for about a week in search for a yellowtail
fish, just in time for the Independence Day holiday break.
On the second day of what would have been a very memorable vacation, a storm
suddenly struck, and the boat sank 100 kilometers south of the San Felipe cost.
All passengers of the 35-meter vessel, called the Erik, clung on to what was
left of the boat on the water for around 16 hours before the navy and other
fishing vessels found them. All 16 members of the crew were found, but the
seven US tourists were missing. A few days after, one tourist, identified to be
Leslie Yee, was found dead, washed up on shore.
The victims were no strangers to boating and had actually been doing so every
years for the years before the accident. Wong, for instance, is a trained first
responder with the East Bay Municipal Water District. The other fisherman who
went missing due to the storm had also been adept with handling boats and
turbulent weather, only this time they weren’t so lucky.
The missing included 62-year-old Mark Dorland, who had reportedly went
overboard without a lifevest, Russell Bautista, 60 years old and a retired
employee of Pacific Bell, and Don Lee, an experienced boatman. The extensive
search lasted for weeks, covering around 1,400 miles by air and 900 miles by
boat around the gulf.
Upon further investigation, it was also found that the Baja Sportfishing, the
boating company that provided the victims’ vessel had a license that had been
expired for a year. All trips have been canceled since and the company has not
issued an official statement with regard to the incident.
The role of the boating accident lawyer in a case like this is crucial, as the
claims against the company responsible will lie on the remaining family members
of those who had been missing. Given that the boating firm was operating on an
expired license, the case against the company all the more strengthens and with
the right legal assistance, you can obtain the justice you deserve.
