East County has seen many a tragedy lately, and last Thursday’s boating accident at the El Capitan Reservoir is one of the most needless that I have seen in quite a while. Good friends for many years, Russell Mendez, 20, and Jeffry Ingram, 21, both former Patrick Henry High students, died when a speeding boat hit them as it came around a blind corner.
East County has seen many a tragedy lately, and last Thursday’s boating accident at the El Capitan Reservoir is one of the most needless that I have seen in quite a while. Good friends for many years, Russell Mendez, 20, and Jeffry Ingram, 21, both former Patrick Henry High students, died when a speeding boat hit them as it came around a blind corner.
Witnesses say the two in the NITRO vessel were speeding around the lake, assumingly without a care in the world. But they should have been looking at what they were coming up on as they came around the bend. There are no reports as of yet as how fast they were going, but either they were going too fast to respond quickly enough, or not paying attention at all in order to cause that kind of devastation.
California does not require a license to operate a boat, which I find unacceptable in many cases. NITRO boats, even the smaller fishing bass boats can travel 40 to 70 mph according to the bass boat forums I visited on which is the best bass boat to buy. That is as fast as a car and you only have to be 16 in California to operate a boat.
There needs to be a change in this policy, even if it only comes at a local level. Sports boats that exceed a certain limit, like the 35 mph speed limit at the reservoir, should require boat safety training and a license to operate. It might not solve all the problems, but it could save a life and prevent such a travesty from happening again.
There are still many things up in the air about this accident as it is still under investigation, but enough witnesses have come forward that it appears that negligence was the cause of this accident. I anxiously wait to find out more details on the drivers of the NITRO, who they were and what details the investigation will bring. But for now, all we can do is send our sympathy and support for the family and friend of these two very young men that died way too early.
Jeffry Ingram’s brother Michael Ingram set up The Jeffrey Ingram and Russell Mendez Memorial Fund on GiveForward.com to help pay for funeral expenses and to help pay off a truck loan that his brother had taken out right before the accident. As of Tuesday, this site has raised nearly $8,000 out of the $15,000 requested and promises any unused funds will go to a charity both young men would have been honored to support. But the site clearly states the family and friends believe this was a “tragic case of reckless boating.”
For now, everyone waits for the rest of the story, but once again there are families in East County that need our help.
If you can give, go to GiveForward.com to The Jeffry Ingram and Russell Mendez Memorial Fund. It is difficult enough to deal with the loss of loved ones without the burden of the expenses of funerals, memorials and everything else.
Hopefully, our local politicians and leaders will step up to the plate and be the front-runners in bringing in new laws to help prevent this type of accident from happening again. We surely cannot wait for the state to take action.
https://www.giveforward.com/fundraiser/4095/the-jeffry-ingram-and-russell-mendez-memorial-fund?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=fb_share_feed&utm_campaign=dashboard_overview_T1&og_action=hug&t=3&fb_ref=2522744
