Folks, despite the lack a response by the police to save the boy, the bigger issue is that no one was wearing a life-jacket which could have saved their lives.
“He said there were life jackets in the boat and the seat cushions were floatation devices, but no one on board was wearing a life jacket at the time because they felt it was too uncomfortable to shrimp fish in them. “
Several readers who responded to the article have written that the boy was wearing a life jacket.
Not really the "bigger issue" in the facts of the case. Trapped under the boat, wearing one wouldn't have done him any good. In 48 degree water he didn't have much time.
It doesn’t always work that way...I recall the following incident from years ago:
Shortly after NYS made wearing life preservers mandatory for kids 12 and younger on ANY boat under 65 feet, a family was out on the Long Island Sound in their 40+ foot yacht. A bad storm came up, the parents sent their kids down into the cabin and the family hightaied it to the nearest harbor. Before they could reach it, though, a series of waves caught them and the boat capsized and turtled, with the cabin underwater.
The two parents (not wearing life jackets) were able to swim under the boat and get out. All three kids (14, 12, and 11, IIRC) WERE wearing jackets, and because of the jackets’ buoyancy, the kids were unable to submerge and get out from under the boat.
The father submerged multiple times to try and extract the kids from their life jackets and/or the boat itself. Sadly, he was unable to do so and all three drowned while waiting for rescue. The children’s parents reported that all of the kids were very good swimmers, and knowing the yachting community on Long Island pretty well, I have little doubt that they were.
The fact is...you just never know.
Regards,