Very sad. A couple of friends on the lake that made a really bad decision to drink. They are both responsible for what happened. So sad.

Bloo is right , probably 90% of us have done something similar , just got lucky and didn't pay the price .
I did it on a motorcycle and survived , can honestly say I had nightmares from it for years --- never been on a motorcycle since , I was 17 at the time . THese guys on Fork were in their 40's

No need to be butthurt... it doesn't mean anyone has it all figured out. I dug too many dead mangled bodies of innocent & intoxicated out of wrecked vehicles in my career as a Firefighter/EMT. There's a place for it, I agree. I'll even enjoy an alcoholic beverage occasionally. In no way is it ok or legal to consume alcohol & operate a vehicle, boat , plane etc. It will continue, as we ALL know. No way to stop ALL legal age adults from making that choice. It's sad,true,& a fact of life. I get butthurt by people that do it but I just have to deal with it & pray it doesn't rear its ugly head in my friends or relatives circle.
That being said, I still do have empathy(surprisingly) for the man as he has to live with it. Sympathy for his family & the victims family & friends. It does affect us as brothers & sisters in the fishing family even when we don't know them personally. Y'all stay safe.

Add: yes I've made bad decisions in my life also. Thankfully I was lucky no one else was ever hurt. It was only me that got hurt. Lucky, blessed, whatever label you want, its life.

Really People, This is going to cause a lot of kick back. But let me say this. After living on Lake Fork for a couple of years, I would say the majority of fisherman do NOT wear life jackets while recreation fishing, just tournaments. Yet on this forum people preach about "wear your life jacket". When you go to any lake and hardly anyone is wearing one. I have seen so many people have some type of alcohol in their boat. Or after a tournament or a day of fishing and your drinking a beer, you still have to drive home and pulling a boat. Hot day, your body is depleted of fluids and your drinking, really. If you fish with me, I will have my life jacket on and no booze in the boat either. Each your own, do what you want, you�re an adult but don't get on here and preach about this and that if your not going stand behind what you preach. Thanks, I feel better, have a good day.

+10

Sad for both families. Drinking until your are .168 BAC is just plain stupid. I'll have a drink every now & then but I know when to say when.

+1^^^^^

Such a sad situation all the way around.

I'm not a big drinker, but I will tie one on from time to time, but never will I drive if I've had a few drinks. When I was younger, I have to admit that it happened on a few occasions and fortunately for me I just got lucky and never hurt anyone or anything. But it is one of the stupidest things a person can do. My wife lost her dad when she was a teenager due to drinking and driving, its something that a family really never recovers from.

Sounds like he skipped the coffee and went straight for the booze. MY Dad thinks this is what we ALL do every time we go fishing, told him no beer in my boat unless the Mrs. is with me and its a pleasure cruise then still, I see lake patrol all day, I dont want to get myself into a sticky situation.

Who rememebers the family whose Bayliner was hit at night on Conroe killing several members and that boat sat over off 105 for like a year as a reminder. Then years later the father who survived committed suicide. The ripple effect is terrible.


My BIL is a very good friend, but their boat trips are booze crusises, I turn down 90% of the offers as I know the Capt ( BIL) is drinking as much if not more than everyone else, just not safe. I flat out told him that a month ago as we had to talk to him about his drinking habits ( in the shower, on the way home at 6am from work with 6 out of a 12 drank when he gets home, etc.)

That whole ordeal is tragic. Since Type 1 diabetes entered my life, I have given up alcohol.
I had spent most of my early years doing dumb things on alcohol and some that were just plain dangerous.
As you get older, you learn from your mistakes. At least you are suppose to.
Going 70 mph with no brakes and a blood alcohol level that is too high. is worst than dumb. There needs to be legal consequences.
Heart goes out to all.

The operator of the bass boat that hit the Mariah had no alcohol in his system. Some of the adults on the Mariah out in the lake with no lights and no life jackets had drugs and alcohol in theirs. If you're referring to the accident in July, 2014.

there are a lot of things in life you have to do getting behind the wheel of a auto or boat is not one of them. our legal system is rigged when many folks get caught way over the limit instead of dui or bui it get pleaded down to a lesser charge an that is why it happens more frequently.

DUI rates are down nationwide, actually... thanks to stricter laws since the 80s.

In the 80s, up to 60% of traffic fatalities were alcohol-related. Down in the ~30-40% now.