ALWAYS SHUT THE BOAT ?OFF? WHEN YOU RETREAVE A SKIER
The year was 1982. It was a typical late August morning on Lake Elsinor and it looked real promising for the 7 of us as the sun came up. The water was a good 75 degrees, glassy, warmer than the air I can remember. I was 16 and had bought my 1st boat in May, a 16? Regatta with an 85 horse Merc, My budy Steve, dad had a 18? flat bottom, S/B Chevy turning a 2 speed to a V-Drive. Neither boat was anything to brag about other than the skiing we did behind them. Stephanie (my girlfriend) and I thought it would be cool if we both skied together behind separate boats.  Most of us had experience with both boats as we had been skiing all summer. Stephanie and I were talking a little chit about who could ski the longest. She was real competitive like that. She wanted to ski behind the flat bottom as it would get her up faster were my boat drug you for a wile. She popped up right away and they circled back around as I popped up. The two boats stayed pretty much parallel around the lake as Stephanie and I would try and spray each other. Then she fell. We had made it about 1 and a quarter times around and I could see she was tired and was being pulled in. We continued to circle them as I knew she would say she got up before me. I was beat too. Mistake #1: Steve driving the flat bottom never shut it off. Mistake #2: Denis, (being new) as he was pulling the rope in didn?t feed it into the boat. Mistake #3: Stephanie put her arm through the handle like she always did. Mistake #4: Steve stuck it back in gear to come back to her

I'm not so sure I want to hear the rest of this story.

when she was about 3' from the boat, the rope got caught in the prop and she was pulled into it before she could get he arm out of the handle. Yes this is why I have a jet. Jets are fallible too like this, usually not with deadly consequences though. If any one of those mistakes had been avoided she would still be skiing today. I lost two more friends on the same day in Havasu, 2 years later, 2 separate Jet boat accidents. I'll speak of the later. For now lets just be really Safe.

This IS the accidnet thread...   

I would prefere if it was the SAFETY THREAD.
What do you do to be Safe?

brad, on the other thread of interiors you mention blower on for 15 sec prior to starting engine. well in 1986 several people and myself went to havasu, first mistake letting someelse fill boat fuel with out me being there, they topped tanks and spilled it in boat behind the side interior. next blower was on from the time we were in line to launch about 10 min if not more boat in water they push me back away from trailer floating with no power, i turn key and the f*ckin rear engine cover does a shuttle lift off and fire every where side tanks are burning and everyone on dock yelling to jump, well no way this captain is going down with ship. i grap the extingusher and shot the crap everywhere except near the carb. smoke everywhere but fire out now. what next tie it to dock look at everything no hatch its blown to smitherines checked everyhting else and the fish cop comes up to ask for regs and license and i turned the key again and it starts, get a ticket, and had fun the rest of weekend until a monsoon hits and swamps the bitch on shore. to bad lost that boat in divorce. lucky i was the only person in the boat when i lit the fuse, or maybe the ex thought this is how to collect. HMMMMMMMMMMMM

the guy gave it for pollution of water body, the gas, fire retardant and the rear deck that was hanging off the rear i tore off and it sank. had a bunch of CHP guys with me they showed badges and he said that aint going to work here, hes the head sheriff
you know how you can tell who is the head sheriff??

the one with the dirty knees