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Name:	Jim120 -	Reply
Subject:	Boating accident account
Date:	8/30/2008 11:28:55 AM

This account is from one of the boys who assisted in rescuing the Tatum victims of the boating accident:

Dear Family and Friends,

[introductory personal material deleted]

The following is an account of what one of my best friends [********] and I went through late Saturday night and Sunday morning of last weekend. It is not meant to be considered my single account, but it is rather a combination of my account, [**********] ’s account, and the accounts of a few others that we have talked to that were there.

My friend Bryant and I went to Lake Martin on the evening of October 8th. We were house and dog sitting for two US Attorneys that are very close with Bryant. The next day (Saturday the 9th) Bryant and I went over to a mutual friend’s house in the early afternoon and enjoyed an afternoon and evening on their ski boat waterskiing, wakeboarding, and teaching others how to wakeboard. I had been driving the boat and when the sun started going down we decided that it would be fun to take the ski boat back, go back to our own houses, regroup, cleanup, and then get picked up in a pontoon boat around 8:30 to head over to the Amphitheater to watch the concert that was going on. We wanted to enjoy the lake on such a nice night. We were getting close to Sinclair’s at Kowliga and it was already 8:45 and we knew that the concert was going to be over around 9:00 so we decided we would stop at Sinclair’s for a little while because we knew that it was going to be packed with people. I have been up at the lake many times this summer and Saturday had easily been the nicest day we had had on the lake all summer (it wasn’t 95 degrees and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky). We docked at Sinclair’s and went up to the outside bar to have a few drinks and some appetizers. It was just a wonderful night with two of my close friends and four other friends that I had recently met.

At some point around 10:30 or 11:00 we left and went down to the dock to get into the pontoon boat to go home. We decided to take a scenic route home since the temperature was in the 60s, there were no clouds and we could see all the stars, and there was a half moon so visibility was good that night. We were cruising around the new area of Trillium when the CD player on our boat started skipping. So we turned it off, and when we turn it off we heard people in the distance screaming for help. We all looked and saw lights from a pontoon boat and people asking for us to stop and help and if we had a cell phone. Bryant and I had been in this situation before. At first we thought that the boat had either broken down, run aground, or ran out of gas and they just needed a tow. We asked them if it was an emergency and if people were okay. They said no and that there were people with serious injuries in the water. At this point our boat was at least 30 yards from there boat and we could tell things were in the water but we didn’t know how many and which of the objects were people. The man driving our boat didn’t want to get any closer because we didn’t know where in the water the people were so Bryant took off his shirt and I took off shirt and shorts (I had on underwear) and we dove in to help. With in a few minutes we had all TWELVE PEOPLE and I think two dogs back on the boat.

The scene on the boat was something like something out of a horror movie. The first person Bryant and I came to was a woman in her late fifties. She was unconscious and on her back doing the dead man’s float and had a life jacket under her head. We immediately grabbed the woman and moved here to the side of the pontoon boat. Someone on the boat reached down and stabilized her head and neck while Bryant and I hoisted her up through the side gate of the pontoon boat. Bryant then pulled himself up on the side and I swam around to the back side of the boat with a big man who was having trouble swimming to where I knew the ladder would be. This man was easily 6’3” and over 300 pounds. I got him up the ladder with what I believe was the help of a teenage boy and we set him on the back couch seat of the pontoon boat. He was visibly out of it but was conscious a responsive. By this time, we had gotten the lady laid on the floor between the captain’s chair and the left rear side couch of the boat. While I was attending to the lady Bryant looked down and their was a young girl holding an older man up above water. Bryant asked if he was hurt and he said yes and extended his arm out to Bryant. Bryant grabbed his arm and pulled him into the boat and quickly realized that his other arm had been completely severed in multiple places. Bryant let the man roll over on his back and we began trying to stabilize the victims.

Bryant took off his belt and the shirt of another person there and began applying multiple tourniquets to the man's arm. I was on the back of the boat with the woman. She also had an almost completely severed left arm and a cut on her head that was bleeding, but she was unconscious. I tied a tourniquet above the wound on her arm and held it with my right hand, and I held the cut on her head with my left. At some point during all of this, (I can’t remember if it was before or after we had started treating them) the boat became more chaotic. Everyone was hysterical from either injury or from the shock of witnessing what had just happened. There was one guy on the boat that was becoming belligerent yelling at the victims and asking them if they were okay. It seemed as if he was too drunk and too freaked out to handle what was going on (we later learned he was one of the people from the boat that hit the victims). At that point Bryant and I took command of the boat and told everyone to shut up, sit down, and make sure that we weren’t leaving anyone because we had to get these people off of the lake as soon as possible. We asked if the boat that we were on (the victims’ boat) would crank and they said yes. We then said that needed to get them to Sinclair’s where help would actually be able to arrive.

The boat was cranked and someone started driving the boat to Sinclair’s. Bryant stayed with the injured man and his wife keeping them calm and I stayed with the woman and her husband keeping them calm. We finally got to Sinclair’s after about 15 minutes of driving (but I am not sure about this because time kind of stopped). Once at Sinclair’s dock, we now had a little more light and we could see a little bit better. I pulled my hand away from the woman’s head (by this time her husband Kenny had told me her name was Sue) and I could see that the cut in her head was more of a gash and that her skull had been cracked. I could see her brain beginning to swell out of the skull and so I just held it. After about 15 or 20 minutes of working on these two people, the first EMTs showed up. I believe that there were only two. Donny the man with the severed arm had just stopped breathing. The EMTs started trying to revive Donny. I asked the EMT man on the boat what to do about Sue because her arm was hurt, her brain was continuing to swell, but she was still breathing. I felt like she needed immediate CPR assistance or else we were going to lose her too. He handed me a small oval breathing mask and asked me to start giving her life breaths. The mask was like what you see on TV minus the bag that one would squeeze to provide air flow, so I put my mouth over the whole and began breathing for her. It was very difficult because I was unsure how to do it right. I was having to blow out when she was breathing in and inhale when she was exhaling out of her lungs. This was confusing for me, because I knew that I was providing her with oxygen when I blew into her mouth, but I was also inhaling her carbon dioxide. This m

Name:	Landlocked -	Reply
Subject:	Boating accident account
Date:	8/30/2008 12:55:36 PM

I can't believe he got cuffed, zapped and spent the night in jail after all that. Good grief. Why in the world did they keep him all night???

Name:	FLgirl -	Reply
Subject:	Boating accident account
Date:	8/30/2008 2:20:41 PM

My deepest sympathy goes out to all involved. I have always considered Lake Martin to be a piece of heaven on earth. What a nightmare that evening turned out to be. Everyone please be extra careful and have a safe holiday weekend on the lake. This could have been any of us.

Name:	bishop812 -	Reply
Subject:	Boating accident account
Date:	8/30/2008 11:27:54 PM

As always the rent a cops that work the lake and other area's are more concerned about people who are not criminals and are scared of the real criminals that might actually confront them. Most police are the kids who got picked on in school and are trying to prove something.

Name:	Feb -	Reply
Subject:	Boating accident account
Date:	8/30/2008 11:39:37 PM

Would you want their job?

Name:	F1Fan -	Reply
Subject:	Boating accident account
Date:	9/1/2008 9:07:21 AM

Any ideas what you want to rename Eclectic?

Name:	Landlocked -	Reply
Subject:	Boating accident account
Date:	9/1/2008 10:05:28 AM

Yeah all police are a pain in the butt aren't they? That is, until they come save your a**.

Name:	Jim120 -	Reply
Subject:	Boating accident account
Date:	9/1/2008 11:57:31 AM

Well, I guess that's THE issue in some folks' minds: either you want the police to disappear or you accept everything a "policeman" does with 100% enthusiasm. But it;s not the way I think.

I happen to know this young man. Not closely, but I do know him -- my kid played baseball with him and I know him and I know his folks. His uncle was a circuit judge in Montgomery County for years. He's not some roughneck or hoodlum or troublemaker. In other words, he's not The Other -- he's pretty much what you'd want your kid to be, as is pretty obvious from reading the account of the post-accident rescue. Reading his account and trying to interpret it in as balanced and fair a way as I can to all involved, it makes me wonder if perhaps the word is getting around that anyone in a law-enforcement situation who behaves in a way that annoys or frustrates the officer in charge or questions his judgment is a good candidate for being popped with a Taser, solely on the supposition that it will instantly resolve the situation and *probably* won't seriously or permanently hurt anyone. And afterwards, how and whether the officer removes the "darts" depends on whether you think the Taser subject "deserves" to suffer the barbs a little longer or not.

I think we have a right to inquire, even if we support law enforcement which almost everyone does, if we support that kind of thinking or behavior in law enforcement personnel. I think we have a right to ask if this was appropriate use of this device wiithout someone coming along and suggesting "Well, obviously you want to completely eliminate or disarm the police; you must be pro-criminal."

No, I don't want to be a cop. I don't want to be a doctor, a plumber, a phone company lineman, a crab fisherman, or a department store salesman either. Whether this was appropriate law enforcement behavior or not has nothing to do with how I want to earn a living.

Name:	lakngulf -	Reply
Subject:	Boating accident account
Date:	9/1/2008 4:03:14 PM

Thanks for posting the guy's account of that tragic accident. Almost every night we see on TV somebody in dire need and no one stops to help. These two guys had the courage to do what they could. An awful accident, nighttime, frantic victions, frantic helpers....add overzealous authority and the outcome speaks for itself. Of course, there are always two or more sides to every story.

My side is this: I admire the courage and compassion of those two men who rushed to the aid of some folks in need.

Name:	solvacc -	Reply
Subject:	Boating accident account
Date:	9/1/2008 4:04:57 PM

Hey Jim, my thoughts and prayers with all the parties involved. Based on the story above, I think the boys were trying to do the right thing, but they had been drinking, and their judgement was impaired. Yelling at the EMTs about who to take care of can cause more harm than good in these situations, especially since the EMTs are trained and sober, and the boys weren't. The taser was probably overkill by the officers, but he was resisting, so it really was a judgment call. I they prosecute the persons responsible for this horribly unfortunate event to the fullest extent. Take care.

Name:	water_watcher -	Reply
Subject:	Boating accident account
Date:	9/1/2008 4:46:26 PM

very accurate reply that I would agree with. The guy was a man of honor trying to help, but when the pros got there is needs to let them take the lead. The police can get carried away and the taser was way over the top. But since we only hear one side that is why we draw that conclusion.

I know i had an incident with the police once that was also over the top. I got stopped in my neighborhood - actually right in front of my own house. I guess they were looking for a car that mine may have fit the description (yeah a black sedan - how many fit that). At first he was very nice, I pointed out we were in front of my house and would he could he shut his lights off so all my neighbors did not wonder what was going on. He laughed and said he can't but said if I can see your license and insurance card I will be on my way. I gave them to him. After a bit he came back and said can you step out of your car, I did and then he pulled out his hand cuffs and said I was under arrest for driving on a suspended license (it wasn't). I said there must be some mistake, then he started getting really mean and said I can tell that to the judge. My wife and son saw all this and started running out of the house. The police took me to jail and I had to spend the night. My wife bailed me out, I immediately went to an attorney, who found it was a computer input error from a ticket I had several years before. He got the court to provide a letter it was there error and all was dropped. But still a very scary experience. The cop was doing his job, I guess. But since I was home i did find out he did not have to drag me to jail. Not sure why he did other than it was a power thing.

Name:	ot -	Reply
Subject:	Boating accident account
Date:	9/1/2008 7:41:47 PM

you got flamed???? lmfao! there are people of authority holding flashlights, dictating orders, and arrived late.....dear f'n god! from the original post I have so much respect for the people trying to help, and what did they get????? DISRESPECT! how 'bout asking a few questions and then going from there. and I must say, why the F is a dead man the #1 responsibility.... sick I say... SICK!

God help us all!

Name:	Landlocked -	Reply
Subject:	Boating accident account
Date:	9/1/2008 9:02:33 PM

These two guys rushed to help out in a gruesome situation, which in my book, makes them heroes.

Apart from knowing they did a heroic thing, what will they get in return? - A tazer to the back, a night in jail, and countless hours of deposition and court time.......

Name:	Talullahhound -	Reply
Subject:	Boating accident account
Date:	9/1/2008 9:08:48 PM

I haven't lived on the lake that long and have not ever witnessed a boating accident. I can only imagine the panic and confusion that took place this night, both on the boat that was hit and later at Sinclair's.
Thank Goodness that this young man and his friend helped the victims. Until you are confronted with the situation, I don't think you know how you'll act. I'm sure that everyone that was touched by or witness to this accident was in some sort of hightened state. It's unfortunate that the police treated the young man so roughly -- I'm sure their intention was to maintain control of the situation and at that moment in time, they weren't sure of his exact role in the situation. Although he went through unfair treatment and a bad night, he has been recognized for his heroics and those involved know exactly what he did to help. For the rest of his life, he'll know that when he was tested in a tough situation, he did everything he could.

Name:	waterbaby -	Reply
Subject:	Boating accident account
Date:	9/1/2008 10:26:38 PM

I swear to GOD... No good deed goes unpunished these days. Who freakin' wants to help anyone these days? You never know what will happen to you! Thank GOD these guys did something. I guess they were lucky they didn't get shot instead of tasered. If they were saving someone in Atlanta, They would have been shot. Big time.

Name:	MartiniMan -	Reply
Subject:	Boating accident account
Date:	9/2/2008 8:10:18 AM

Wow, what a story.... Thanks to those that stopped to help and I think we need to give everyone responding to this nightmare scene a bit of a break. I can certainly understand the emotions of those that stopped to help and the great desire to get help for those who were injured. I suppose the EMT's have their protocols and were trying to follow them and the MP's were doing what they thought was right in what sounds to me like a chaotic and highly charged situation. None of us really know how we will react to something like this and in the "heat of the moment" we all have the capacity to make mistakes or react in a different way given less difficult circumstances. I think we all could take a deep breath and recognize that with all that is going on the people responding all meant well, even if they didn't exactly do as well as they could.

My take away from this is their are still a lot of good people in this world that are willing to help their fellow man. That's worth something, I think.

Name:	head -	Reply
Subject:	Boating accident account
Date:	9/2/2008 8:22:15 AM

Send to Bill O'Reilly. This should make everyone mad. Thanks should be in order for the young men.

Name:	greycove -	Reply
Subject:	Thanks for stopping...
Date:	9/2/2008 1:18:17 PM

and helping these fellow boaters. I hope you are nearby if I have a problem.

What a terrible tradegy, and so uncalled for.

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