This is why I don't like "Jet Skiers"!!

[stretch55]

This happened in my own back yard. As a matter of fact yesterday around 3:30 when this happened I was contemplating on weather or not to take the boast out for a couple of hours. I am glad that I decided not to. I am sure they closed all ramps down and had all kinds of emergency responce units there for quite a while. Personally I hope the Oregon State Marine board see's this. They have closed down like a 6 or 7 mile stretch in the upper Willamette river from wakeboarders and wakesurfers. There next goal is to shut down an area called the Holgate channel and Ross Island cove. These are the two main areas that us wakeboarders and wakesurfers go to get away from the "general public". We avoid the "general public" because they do not pay attention and are unaware of rider, wakeboarders, wakesurfers, and even tubers. I hope they realize that by closing down these other two areas and forceing riders out into the general public areas then they should be prepared for more miss happs like this.




http://www.kptv.com/news/24472841/detail.html

[ian ashton]

When I was in the ER on Wednesday the room next to me had a 12 year old with a dislocated shoulder from falling off a Jet Ski that he was DRIVING ALONE! I was too out of it to notice, but apparantly the police were there questioning the parents as to why he was on the vehicle alone.

[JesseC]

Are jet skis just like boats and you have to have a special license to drive them? I see parents renting them for their kids all the time. And even on a lot of commercials they show a young girl/boy riding away on them by themselves. Wasn't it a cruise commercial that showed a young girl ride away not smiling by herself??

[sandm]

really too bad that a small minority of a group gives the general population a bad rap. I have seen respectful jetski riders just out to have a good time on the water like the rest of us, but then also seen the idiots that think they need to follow 40ft behind you to jump your wakesurf wake, oblivious to the fact that your rider may fall at any minute..

of course on the same note, I've seen wakesurfers that think they need to surf 75 ft off the shore right in front of your docks, so it def. goes both ways..

I was never a proponent of licenses to drive boats as I don't think it would be policed real well out here, but sure seems better and better every day..

[thesack]

The upper section of the Willamette that the OSMB put new rules on still allows for wakeboarding and wakesurfing. The new law says that you can not use ballast to ride artifically bow high. The Sheriff is enforcing the law as well.

In Oregon you are required to have a boaters card to operate a jet ski or boat. I believe that you can have one when you are 14-16, but an adult with a boating card is required to be with you. 16+ is when you are able to operate a boat on your own.

It is a horrible thing that happened, but the person towing the boy on the tube could be just as at fault. How long before the operator of the boat noticed that the boy had fallen off? Did the put the flag up? Did he know what was following him and how close there were? Etc. Without observing what happened and knowing all the facts, I can't get that mad at the jet ski operator. Yes I have seen numerous jet skis who do not pay attention, but I have also seen numerous ones that are very cautious and curtious. The jets skis and boats I see who are dangerous to others i mention to the Sheriff. Its everyones responsbility to keep each other safe on the water.

[davinci]

I feel bad for the boy, I myself have 2 jet ski's I ride with my 11 year old daughter (with me) and my 14 and 17 year old sons and have never had any close encounters such as. In this particular situation , I blame the jet skier there's no way of not seeing the tuber or the the boat pulling. I think he was riding too damn close to them, then again imo.