"Sailboat Restorations, Inc." wrote: > > Several people mentioned being prepared to whack the swimmer (er, > non-swimmer) with a paddle if they become a problem. > > Generally speaking, I think it's probably safe to say that if you > undertake to aid a person in danger, and you end up in some way contributing > to that person's danger (eg, by hitting them with a paddle), and they die, > you *could* be held liable. Liability for a wrongful death can be, well, > expensive. I may have been the first to suggest whacking with a paddle _if necessary_. That means, when their behavior begins to threaten my life and security. Getting sued can indeed be expensive. Getting dead, while much cheaper, is not an attractive option. As to the getting out of your boat advice, while we're speculating, what happens if the panicky non-swimmer decides that you are easier to hold on to than your boat? Another question has occurred to me: how did people know they were "panicked?" They were screaming and waving their hands? What else would they do? I'd think estimating someone's emotional state from 1/4 mile away is iffy. Steve *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Fri Aug 18 2000 - 07:58:27 PDT
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