Boat Crash at WDW

[Hypermommy]

Local news is reporting a boat crash. Sounds like it was between one of those little 2-man boats and a ferry. But they can't mean the actual FERRY (i.e. between TTC and MK) because how on Earth could ya miss that?????

Woman Hurt In Disney Boat Crash - Entertainment News Story - WESH Orlando

We went on those little boats a few years ago and while they look like they're zipping around on the water, when I was in it, it didn't feel like it was going too fast. I do, of course, pray that the woman who is in critical condition recovers and that she turns out just fine but I just gotta wonder......

With all the issues Disney's had lately I find myself wondering if the man figured he could get a little green outta Mickey's deep pockets. Now I don't mean that he meant to injure his wife like this but maybe the situation just got out of hand. I mean... how do you not see a freakin' ferry?????

Anyway... didn't see this posted yet so I thought y'all might like to see it.

[tiggerguy]

This happened at DtD. It wasn't a ferry, it was a water taxi (like the ones used to "ferry" people from the Port Orleans resorts). Talk is that the police may charge the driver of the smaller boat.

[Flrancho]

Heard this yesterday too, and yes, it was one of the riverboats that shuttle between the Port Orleans resorts, the Treehouse Villas and DD, not a MK ferry.

[lorilovestigger]

The guy is an idiot for thinking the ferry was going to turn on a dime and move out of his way. I half wonder if he was drunk. I hope they tested him.

[disneyloveee]

Local news is reporting a boat crash. Sounds like it was between one of those little 2-man boats and a ferry. But they can't mean the actual FERRY (i.e. between TTC and MK) because how on Earth could ya miss that?????

Woman Hurt In Disney Boat Crash - Entertainment News Story - WESH Orlando

We went on those little boats a few years ago and while they look like they're zipping around on the water, when I was in it, it didn't feel like it was going too fast. I do, of course, pray that the woman who is in critical condition recovers and that she turns out just fine but I just gotta wonder......

With all the issues Disney's had lately I find myself wondering if the man figured he could get a little green outta Mickey's deep pockets. Now I don't mean that he meant to injure his wife like this but maybe the situation just got out of hand. I mean... how do you not see a freakin' ferry?????

Anyway... didn't see this posted yet so I thought y'all might like to see it.

This happened to a friend a mine, got very hurt. She was on a small boat and the ferry didn't see her.

[supernova]

This happened to a friend a mine, got very hurt. She was on a small boat and the ferry didn't see her.

That's all fine and nice. But how did your friend not see the ferry?

[disneyloveee]

That's all fine and nice. But how did your friend not see the ferry?

I'm not really sure, it might have been behind her or somewhere where she couldn't see.

[GIOny]

This story sounds very fishy (pun intended), it will be interesting to see how it all pans out

[HauntedGabe]

The guy is an idiot for thinking the ferry was going to turn on a dime and move out of his way. I half wonder if he was drunk. I hope they tested him.

That's all fine and nice. But how did your friend not see the ferry?

This happened to a friend a mine, got very hurt. She was on a small boat and the ferry didn't see her.

My son was cross trained CM on the water patrol boats. That section of the the Sassagoula River is very bendy, it snakes and has a lot blind spots. Near Port Orleans it is straighter, and it is more wide open as you approach DTD. But from the end of the PO to the Saratoga/Tree Houses there are so many tuck ins. Ferries stop to the side of the bridge to let other ferries pass. You cannot see them from the other side of the bridge. There is also a split in that area that ferries go to KW. While the drivers of the ferries are trained those tiny little boats are driven by guests with little or no knowledge of boating right-a-ways nor knowledge of the river itself. CM's driving passenger and water patrol boats are not great fans of these recreational boats for that reason, but they are a draw and very popular.

From what I am hearing it wasn't more than an unfortunate accident. And there has been an update.
Disney boat crash: Woman unconscious after Disney boat crash - OrlandoSentinel.com

[HauntedGabe]

Sorry, could not get to down size.

Note this River is heavily wooded with trees over hanging. It is very pretty, but also adds to the blind spots.

[Hypermommy]

I do hope it was just a mistake. I still fail to understand how the guy in the little boat couldn't see the larger boat. Even with it being a bending river and trees, you'd think he could see the larger boat at least a moment or two before they made contact. I remember driving one of those and I was constantly aware of everything around me -- just like driving a car. But maybe that's just something about the way I was taught to drive defensively or something.

Hope that's all it is and that it wasn't someone trying to reach a bit into Mickey's deep pockets. WDW sure has had it's problems with transportation lately.

[NC_WDW_Daddy]

Something seems odd in this accident. Even when approaching a blind bend in a river, boats are expected to slow down and use "rules of the road" keeping to the right and passing left to left just like they do on the highway. Perhaps the boat driver got confused and was on the left side like they drive in England. It certainly sounded preventable from what I read in the article.

[lorilovestigger]

It seems like we are talking about 2 seperate accidents here. The one originally posted happened last week.
I believe another one happened maybe yesterday too.

[HauntedGabe]

I believe they are the same accident they are both referring to the same family and the 27th of April.

The Captain is reciting personal water craft law. The wording of his statement begs me to wonder if the Skipper is covering his tushie. It is weird to make a statement of the accident using so may of the words in the PWC Law. By the specific terms he is using they would charge the driver of the personal watercraft who is not likely versed in maritime law for inland boating as it seems the skipper is. (In my previous life I was a Maritime Surveyor).

Yet Disney might not be off the hook. It depends on the "training" Disney gives and instruction on "The Rules of the Road" coupled with how, what, if, the the Skipper did to avoid the accident too prior to collision. Not after.

The family that was involved are from England with a home in Celebration.
The May article leads you to believe these people are a family of means so not likely to crash for cash type. Article goes onto say the DIL is a famous actress there.