The owner of the sailboat is a close friend of mine. This is the most blatant example of corruption I have ever seen. His fiance was a wonderful person, and none of these sailors did anything to deserve what has happened. Short story is they went out for an evening cruise after a regatta and were hit by a motor boat travelling at close to 50 mph after dark which happened to have a Lake County Sherriff at the helm. Yes, the sailboat had their running lights on. Here is a link to the story: http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=i_team&id=5565603 Latitude 38 has also been covering this. I ask that you do what you can as a member of the sailing community, or as a responsible member of society in general to right this situation. I will restrain my opinions until you have a chance to view the story and also read the blog link listed on the page if you have a chance.

Link to part two of ABC story: http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=i_team&id=5569012

Ridge Pilot,
I don,t see any mention of the rules of the water and "right of way".

I too was mowed down by a power boat, in broad day light. Luckily we escaped with minor injuries and Post Traumatic Stress.

The case was pretty stright forward.... If his lights were on, as it seems witnesses can testify to, the right of way rules should place the blame where it belongs.

Manslaughter in this country and the cop would do time.
I was watching American Chopper the other day and the boys were on jet skis in a lake and houses on the lake edge situation. If what they were doing was legal, you guys need to slow things down a lot.
It is 5 knotts 200 metres from shore and 5 knots within 30 metres of another boat out past that here.
Hooning around at 50 in the dark.......stupid just does not cover that.
We had two teenage boys doing the same thing here several years ago and both died when guess what....they hit another boat.

Seem like an idiot killed a nice human being and was then low life enough to blame someone else. Was he checked for alcohol?? I saw a documentary on US drink motorboating that was scary.

That whole thing sounds like an episode from the "A Team" in the 80's - out to rid some hick town of it's corrupt officials.

Tiger Mike

It is totally disgusting. I was at a scene in Arizona where my brother's neighbor (Maricopa County Sherriff Deputy) crashed his patrol car into a house while drunk and drove off and hid the car in my brother's back yard. There were beer bottles in the car still! Not to mention the house they hit had a hole in it the size of a Crown Victoria. He had about 6 months administrative leave (with pay), so he went back to laying tile (with pay). He returned to full duty and now is on Lake Patrol for the Sherriff's dept. at Lake Pleasant in Az... still a Deputy! I think a hit and run while drinking and driving for the rest of us is a felony. Sworn to uphold the law, while being totally above it! Lee

Yes, I can think of several right of way rules, safety and just common sense items that were broken by Perdock in this case. He could just as easily hit a floating log, dock, barge, piling, or the shore for that matter. Amazing that this case has not focused on the negligence of the person admittedly operating a boat at high speed on a moonless night in a heavily used area. To me there is no doubt that he knowingly put himself, his crew, his vessel, and others on the water at risk by operating in such a manner.

It gets even better: According to Latitude 38:

"The deputy has since filed suit against Weber and Bismarck, claiming they caused his divorce and his emotional distress."

Besides just the normal "rules of the road" that the powerboat operator broke, lets apply some common sense.

By attesting that the skipper/owner of the sail boat were drunk, they could have caused this? Essentially, they are saying that a leaner in light air could turn so fast as to get in the way of a boat going ~50mph. Not defending drinking and "driving", but... come on... Where is the sanity check?

It's akin to being drunk on a bicycle and being hit by a speeding four wheel drive in the middle of an open field and then being blamed for it...actually, it's probably worse than that.

Also, note that no one is accusing the sailboat crew of being drunk, only that their blood alcohol tests were positive. The sherriff's alcohol test came back negative, but was originally dated 24 hrs after the accident occured. This was passed off as a "clerical error".

And I thought I heard in the video that even if it was a clerical error and was dated the day afterwards, he was still at the scene during the time of the blood test if it were in fact the day before.

It sounds like total BS, I hope the State DoJ gets involved.

A learner in light air.
What would any of us do knowing a boat was coming to within 5 metres of us at 50 miles an hour in the dark???!!!!!

Flare gun fired at approaching boat's driver. Yes, it's not legal, but damn is it effective (unless there's an auto-pilot engaged).

In my opinion, a flare gun should always be by the skipper or watch captain at night (safety on), if for no other reason than a MOB illumination

Ridge Pilot, if you see anymore updates on the news, keep us all informed!!

Check http://www.latitude38.com/LectronicLat/LectronicLat.html Monday, Wednesday and Friday for updates.

You know law and response to it is always based on the attitude and enrolement of the citezenry.
I am seeing my member of parliament in two weeks and creating a storm about something.
I talk to the people around me about the situation and they are all furious but not one has picked up the phone. The just bend over and....
Sailors in the area might turn up and make their feelings known about this killer, because that is what he is. This woman could have been the loved one of many of us.
My attitude is stuff speedboats. They do not have any god given right to endanger others.
I have used Jet skis and love them. They are great fun. But I never buzz people having a quiet day and I always obey the speed laws. I have never been given the finger or had any other run in....why would I?
I have driven a lot of boats at night. It is a dangerous situation even at slow speeds. A powerful speedboat coming out of a fast turn and into another can be very flighty and if it gets away it is a hundred metres or two before it is back under sensible control.

The judge in this case needs to see what 50 miles an hour vs 5 miles an hour in the dark feels like. Someone might offer to give him a ride.....on both boats!

I am absolutely clear that police deserve our admiration, respect and help....until they see themslves even a little above the law. At that point they need jail and lots of it.

I may be dense, but I didn't see anything

August 15
Ch. 7 exposes Lake Co. fiasco

They're ocasional updates.