One Injured in Boat Crash in Horry County, South Carolina (SC)

HORRY COUNTY, SC- Wmbfnews.com writes that a boat crash occurred this week in Horry County. The incident injured two people, but only one of the victims was hospitalized following the accident.*

Rescue workers were called to the scene of the incident, which took place on the Intracoastal Waterway in the evening. The vessel involved struck a tree after the boat operator lost control. The incident injured the victim's leg. The details of the crash and the identities of the victims and the boat operator were not included in the report. Based on images from the scene, the boat appears to have grounded and collided with trees along the water. 

Boats run aground more often than many people may realize. In fact, experts say that most people who operate boats have made this mistake at one point or another. In the best cases, the incident is embarrassing, but with few other consequences. In a severe case, the results may be fatal. 

Soft groundings are minor incidents where the operator is able to get his or her vessel free. In these cases, it may take time and effort to get the boat where it needs to be, but there is little damage done in the process. 

Hard groundings are a different matter. These crashes lead to severe damage to the boat and put lives at risk from not only the impact but also because of the risk that the vessel will sink. 

If the damage to the boat is severe, it is a good idea to stay grounded. If the situation has led to an emergency, hailing the Coast Guard may be the best move. By calling Mayday, a boater can get other nearby vessels to also come to offer aid if they are able to get there more quickly than other responders. 

Accident News is a safety and education initiative from Montlick & Associates, designed to help people better understand and thereby avoid common accident causes.  To learn more about our injury prevention programs, including iridesafe.com - click here. We hope you are never in an accident, but if you or a family member are injured, call Montlick & Associates 24/7 for your free consultation at 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333) or use our live chat at Montlick.com.

Sources:

https://www.wmbfnews.com/2020/08/11/boat-crashes-into-tree-along-intracoastal-waterway-taken-hospital/

https://www.boatus.org/study-guide/prep/aground/