Report: Fatal Boating Accident Cause Revealed

BasX · Mar 27, 2009

The February boating accident that claimed the lives Oakland Raiders linebacker Marquis Cooper and former Detroit Lions defensive end Corey Smith was triggered by improperly anchoring the boat in the Gulf of Mexico, according to an investigation by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Per the Associated Press, the boat capsized when Cooper tried to throttle the vessel ahead to try to dislodge a stuck anchor. Cooper was the owner of the boat.

The report also attributed “carelessness and operator inexperience” as additional problems that contributed to the incident.

The lone survivor of the tragedy, which also claimed the life of former University of South Florida football player William Bleakley, is former USF player Nick Schuyler.

Schuyler told investigators that when the men attempted to pull up the anchor to return to shore, they discovered it was stuck.

Bleakley suggested using the boat’s motor to pull forward to pry it loose. However, the vessel went underwater when Cooper throttled the boat.

Schuyler credited Bleakley for saving his life by swimming underwater to retrieve life vests after the boat capsized.

Extreme hypothermia is considered a likely factor in the men’s deaths.
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http://www.profootballtalk.com/2009/03/27/report-fatal-boating-accident-cause-revealed/

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