Another Fatal Boating Accident in Maryland

Glen Burnie man, 52, dies in Ocean City boating accident:

A 16-foot Wellcraft occupied by six people flipped over around 9:10 a.m., and the occupants were thrown into the water, said P.A. Thompsen, an officer with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources police.

The accident occurred in the Ocean City Inlet, which intersects with the Atlantic Ocean and is known for having "turbulent waters," said Thompsen. The party was preparing to lift anchor when the line became ensnared with the boat's motor propeller, which caused the engine to fail. A strong outgoing tide made the vessel difficult to navigate, police said, and the vessel began to sink and ultimately flipped after several large waves splashed across its stern.

The six occupants — all adult males who were not wearing lifejackets — went overboard. A U.S. Coast Guard vessel rescued five of the six occupants. About 15 minutes later, the 52-year-old man from Glen Burnie, whom police have not identified, was found floating in the water about 250 yards from shore. Coast Guard officials administered CPR, and the man was transported by ambulance to the Atlantic General Hospital in Berlin, where he was pronounced dead.

Police said there is no indication that alcohol or drugs were a factor.

It's been a bad year for boating accidents.  There's no excuse for not wearing a life jacket.  You have to have it on board, you might as well use it to save your life.  There may not be time to do it in an emergency.  Plus, a 16 ft boat with 6 people in the inlet?  That's a little much.  It might have been within the capacity plate on the boat, but I doubt it.