Chanisar Dechakaisaya, a 25-year-old woman, was killed in a California boating accident after she was struck by another boat at Lake Silverwood, California. According to a news report in the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, Dechakaisaya was in a watercraft heading toward the shoreline, the afternoon of August 9, 2009, when she was struck on the right side by a 2000 Yamaha three-seater heading east. Officials are looking into what caused this fatal boating accident.

I offer my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Chanisar Dechakaisaya, for their tragic and heartbreaking loss. My heart goes out to everyone who knew and loved this woman. Please keep them in your prayers.

California Boating Accident Statistics

According to the California Department of Boating and Waterways (Cal Boating), there were 55 boating accident fatalities in California in 2007, of which 20 were alcohol-related. In 2007, 804 boating accidents occurred in California, ranking it first among all states, followed by Florida with 668. Florida is the only state with more boating accident deaths (77) than California and more registered recreational vehicles – a little over a million. There are 964,881 registered recreational boating vessels in California.

Based on this news account, it's not clear what caused this boat crash. At this point it's hard to tell whose fault this collision was. If this accident was the fault of the other boater, then he or she can be held liable for the accident and Dechakaisaya's wrongful death. I would also be curious as to whether there was any alcohol involved in this accident. If the other driver was impaired, he or she could be held criminally responsible as well. Some other factors that come into play in boating accidents include lack of training, failure to take safety precautions such as wearing life jackets, product defects, dangerous conditions and recklessness or negligence.

Boating Accident Liability Issues

In such cases where a boating accident results in a fatality, families of deceased victims would be well-advised to contact a Los Angeles personal injury lawyer, who will stay on top of the investigation and determine the facts of the case. If there is negligence or wrongdoing involved, the negligent parties should be held accountable. The best personal injury law firms will always offer a free, comprehensive and confidential consultation to victims and/or their families.