November 14th saw the conclusion of a trial for a tragic boating accident that happened in June 2012. The accused, Paul Bennett, had been his fishing boat when it crashed into the Prince family’s pontoon. Two young boys, Jake and Griffin Prince, were killed by the impact, and investigations have been ongoing since then as to who exactly was at fault for the fatal incident.
While Bennett was found not guilty of being at fault for the deaths of the boys, he was convicted on several other charges and sentenced to two and a half years of prison. He is also no longer allowed to operate a boat in the state of Georgia.
The original accident also caused a legislation change in the state, with a lowering of the legal alcohol limit permitted when in operation of a boat. It had been 0.10 but is now 0.08.
The boys’ family was unconvinced that Bennett was not at fault for the accident. While they are relieved that he received partial punishment and is no longer permitted to operate a boat, they still expressed disappointment that he was not being held responsible for the actions that they feel led to Jake and Griffin’s deaths. They are, however, happy that the law has been changed to make things safer for everyone and that the long process of determining what had happened was done, so that they could move forward with their lives.
Regardless of where responsibility lies for this accident, it is agreed by all parties that it was unexpected and tragic. Very few people are mentally or legally prepared for a serious boating accident. If you spend a lot of time on the water, you should seek the services of a maritime lawyer like Kirkendall Dwyer LLP.
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