Divers planned to spend Monday plumbing the Puddingstone Reservoir in San Dimas for a recording device that may have information about a crash between a motor boat and a jet ski that killed three women.

Deputies assigned to the Sheriff’s Special Enforcement Bureau-Emergency Services Detail as divers, along with Los Angeles County Lifeguard divers, are searching the water for a recording device
that was mounted to the women’s watercraft.

The boat and watercraft collided Saturday afternoon in the reservoir, located in Frank G. Bonelli Regional Park.

The women who died were all on the jet ski. They were identified by coroner’s officials as Mari-Con Abello, 34, of Escondido; her mother, Aurora Yeso, 59, of San Dimas; and Anesia Barba Bautista, 59, of Glendora.

They were pronounced dead at the scene. The four occupants of the motorboat were treated for injuries at hospitals and released.

Authorities have said the powerboat driver was not intoxicated. It was unclear whether the women who died had been drinking.

Officials asked anyone with information to contact the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department homicide bureau at (323) 890-5500. Anonymous calls may be made to Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).

Boating Accident Personal Injury Liability

The most common boating accidents are collisions with other boats, sinkings, capsizings and boat disappearances.

Boating accidents occur very quickly and in many different places.  Lakes, canals, rivers, intercoastal waterways and oceans are where tragedies normally occur.  Last year in California, there were 744 boating accidents involving 439 injuries and 44 fatalities.

According to the United States Coast Guard each year there are more than 8,000 boating accidents in the U.S. that result in 4,000 serious injuries and 800 deaths.

Many times a boater will have been speeding or may have had too much alcohol.

There are specific boating laws that must be followed or fatalities can occur.  The Law Offices of Gary A Kessler is familiar with the different state’s boating laws.  We know the boating liability issues and will inform you of your true state, local and Federal boating rights and legal options which will result in successful outcome in your case.

It is a general rule of law that the operator of a boat and its owner has a duty to exercise a reasonable degree of care in order to prevent injuries to others.  The most common boating accidents are collisions with other boats, sinking and boat disappearance.  Boating injuries usually occur because of a reckless or careless operator, alcohol, boat malfunctions or an inexperienced boating (captain) operator.

Operators of boats have a legal obligation to operate their watercraft in a safe and prudent manner.  The overwhelming majority of boating accidents are caused by factors that can be controlled by the operator of the boat.  The primary cause of boating accidents nationwide was operator inattention, followed by careless/reckless operation, operator inexperience, operating at an unsafe speed, and failure to have a proper lookout.

Common violations of the duty of ordinary care in a maritime setting include a failure to warn against foreseeable harm, violations of “rules of the water,” such as excessive speed, failure to have proper lights, failure to yield, intoxication and others.  Owners may also be held liable under the theory of vicarious liability.  For example, an owner may be held liable for an operator’s failure to warn passengers of intended maneuvers, overloading the boat or permitting the guest to sit in a dangerous position.

Accidents involving bystanders, such as swimmers or water skiers, are typically treated in the same manner as cases involving social guests.  The law and courts where the accident occured will generally control any lawsuits brought by injured bystanders unless the defendant boat owner asserts admiralty jurisdiction.

The laws regarding boating accident (drowning) cases are complex and include many facets of the law.  It is vital to surviving family members to seek the advice of an experienced boating fatality lawyer such as Gary A Kessler at the Law Offices of Gary A Kessler to protect your rights and those of your loved ones.

The California wrongful death attorney Gary A Kessler and the Law Offices of Gary A Kessler are compassionate and fully understand that you are attempting to cope with extreme grief and sorrow associated with the loss of a loved one in a tragic boating fatality (drowning) accident.  The Law Offices of Gary A Kessler carefully selects its wrongful death/drowning/boating fatality cases so that we may give you (the client) the substantial personal attention neccessary to obtain a successful result for your boating fatality/drowning accident case.

The Law Offices of Gary A Kessler is prepared to front all costs required for a thorough investigation and top expert witnesses to prepare for the trial of your case.  As in all wrongful death and serious personal injury cases, we advance all legal costs to prepare and present our client’s claim, and receive for our services only a percentage of what we recover for our atorney fees on their behalf.  Upon settlement our costs shall be reimbursed to us from the gross recovery.  If there is no recovery, no attorneys fees or costs are owed to our firm.

The Law Offices of Gary A Kessler has the successful track record and reputation for aggressively representing our clients for recovering tens of millions of dollars in boating fatality cases in Arizona, California, Oregon, Washington and Florida in both State and Federal Counts.