We can prevent more tragic boating deaths

Twenty years ago, developer Stan Cameron killed six people in his speedboat while under the influence of alcohol. He was subsequently convicted of DUI and manslaughter, and died in prison while serving an 80-year prison term.

There were many people who thought that tragedy would lead to the imposition of “no-wake” zones all along the Intracoastal, especially from Oakland Park Boulevard bridge to the area south of the Sunrise bridge, where this fatal accident occurred. But apparently because of the powerful boating lobbyists, that did not occur.

Now we have two more tragic deaths, which occurred this past Saturday, due to high speed boating on the Intracoastal waterway, this time just north of the Oakland Park bridge near Bokamper’s Sports Bar & Grill. These deaths could easily have been prevented with the imposition of an o-wake zone all along this area, where we find several waterside restaurants and the Water Taxi stop at Birch State Park. In addition to the human death toll, the park is currently spending millions of taxpayer dollars to repair the seawall, which has been damaged due to excessive boat wakes.

I enjoy boating as much as anyone, but enough is enough! How many more deaths on the Intracoastal do we need before officials do the right thing, and impose the same no wake zone as currently exists just to the south, in the Las Olas Isles neighborhood on the Intracoastal? James C. Sawran, Esq., Fort Lauderdale