RIP Jose Fernandez

MIAMI — A boat carrying Jose Fernandez was traveling at a significant speed when it struck rocks as it approached a channel near the port of Miami, resulting in the death of the Miami Marlins pitcher and two close friends early Sunday morning, officials in Florida said.

Official: Jose Fernandez died from crash impact, not drowning

Late night + "significant speed" + small boating area = senseless tragedy

 

Knock on wood, I am so grateful to be pushing 40 and having survived the "doing stupid shit that could get me killed" phase of my life. By the grace of God go I.

 

Yeah ... but when it comes to boating specifically, it seems like there are a lot of people who don't consider risks adequately. Obviously drivers do it too. Maybe it says more that boating is inherently dangerous, I don't know.

Story also said nobody was wearing life jackets, although it didn't matter here.

 

Fuckin A, man

 

In black neighborhoods it seems like you are at risk just sitting in your car

 

I did a lot of boating when I lived in Arizona, and nobody ever really wore life jackets when they were just sitting on the boat when it was moving. You put them on for skiing or tubing, but not for just being on board.

 

Get home from church, sit down to watch football and see this news at the bottom of the screen.

Fuck. Just fuck.

 

So how was fucking church?

 

Amazing talent. Tragic. Loved watching him because he was one of those guys who you could truly tell he was having fun.

Didn't know much of his back story until today.

 

If you really want to know ... had a fill-in priest who was an ESL guy with a heavy accent, so I hardly understood a word he said. I was thinking of Phil Hartman in The Sinatra Group saying to Luther Campbell, "Can't understand a word."

 

Crews, Olin, Ojeda, also in the dark, crash into an unlit wooden pier, alcohol involved. So sad.

 

This is terrible and tragic.

But it was also stupid. Seriously, why would anyone be boating at 3 a.m., unless it was a ship/boat lost at sea, or something like that?

Boating is considered so recreational, which makes it seem like it's just a leisurely activity and anybody can do it safely and smartly. Yet, that is so not true. So many boaters truly are just "recreational" operators, and don't have enough common sense or experience to really do it right, particularly near the shoreline, or around jetties.

My family owned a sailboat and a couple of motorboats over the years, and my cousins are even more experienced than us. None of us were ever out on the water past about 8 p.m. When it was dark, you came in -- and slowly.

I firmly believe there should be laws requiring boating training and licenses. Even if kids can get them -- there are many young people who are good boaters -- but there should still be a process in place for licensing operators. It is not something that just anyone can do well, or should do. But that's the way it's treated.

And yes, I'd bet practically everything I own that toxicology reports come back saying the boaters were drinking. People do stupid things, sometimes, and occasionally, it costs them their lives.