We recently cited an arresting statistic from the U.S. Coast Guard indicating that Kentucky is on a list of dubious distinction, namely, as one of the top-10 states for boating deaths (March 25 blog post). Kentucky does not rank near the top for the number of boating accidents that occur within the state each year, which makes it readily apparent that a relatively high percentage of accidents that do happen on the water bring tragic results.

Sadly, news of a recent boating mishap attests to that. A Kentucky State Police ("KSP") spokesperson reported that a fishing boat capsized in the Tennessee River directly below the Kentucky Dam in the mid-morning hours of April 2, killing two fishermen. A third boater was rescued from the waters and taken to a Nashville hospital.

Fishermen sometimes prefer angling at junctions in the water where turbulent conditions meet calmer waters, and it appears that the capsized boat was in such an area. Investigators state that -- for reasons not yet known -- the boaters drifted into rough water, where their boat flipped over. The two men who were killed were already dead when rescue workers arrived at the scene.

One of the victims was a 64-year-old retired KSP officer and experienced fisherman from Campbellsburg. His 44-year-old fishing partner was from Louisville.

Related Resource: www.wave3.com "Retired state trooper and one other die in boating accident" April 10, 2011