Humor Can Be Deadly? ~Jay

Heard about killing with kindness? Laughing one's ass off? Sure. But how about bad humor being responsible for four deaths? (If bad humor were a crime, some comedians might get life.) In a recent tragedy, bad humor may have actually been the culprit. CNN has reported that four men died after horsing around in a boat on the American Falls Reservoir in southern Idaho. One man apparently pushed another man into the water as a joke. Authorities received a 911 call from a child on the boat who apparently said the men were "horsing around." Best that I can determine, apparently a man was standing up in the front of the boat. Another man apparently got the bright idea to push him into the water as a joke. Unfortunately the man who fell in the water could not swim. While there were ample life vests, the adults apparently did not think to wear them. As a result, the other three men appear to have died unsuccessfully attempting to rescue the first man. LOCAL NEWS 8.

While exactly when and how each man died is not currently known in detail. It appears that 57-year-old Darrel Shappart, 26-year-old Jared Hale, 30-year-old Aaron Hale and 30-year-old Stephan Verbeck are all dead as a result of a prank that went wrong. Five children under the age of nine were also in the boat. One of the children was mature enough to make a 911 call that triggered a search using sonar. While the so called "adults" all died, fortunately the children were bright enough to all stay in the boat and consequently they all lived.

Does anyone else think water safety instruction for adults should be mandatory or should we only allow children under the age of nine to be in charge of boats?

~Jay

Editor's Note: Legal Pub extends its deepest sympathies to the families of those who lost loved ones in this tragedy. The exact facts of this tragedy are unknown and no disrespect is intended by this comedian's commentary advocating boat safety.