• 17
  • February
    2010

All three families involved in the fatal boat accident that took place during San Diego's Parade of Lights last December have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against U.S. Coast Guard. As of now, the National Transportation Safety Board is still investigating the crash which cost the life of eight-year-old Anthony DeWeese.

Two other children and an adult were also injured in the accident.

The San Diego Parade of Lights is an annual event in which patrons deck their boats out in lights and decoration and sail around the harbor. The parade attracts thousands of patrons every year, including the 13 individuals aboard the DeWeese boat.

As of yet, the Coast Guard has not commented on the wrongful death suit and has remained fairly tight-lipped regarding the crash.

What we know is that the DeWeese boat was traveling at a very low speed in harbor, when it was struck from behind by a 33-foot U.S. Coast Guard boat, which was responding to reports of a grounded vessel.

While the details surrounding the fatal accident were initially foggy, more and more witnesses have come forward to lay blame on the Coast Guard crew. The crowded harbor and large amount of traffic would have warranted low speeds and extreme caution on behalf of the Coast Guard crew, yet a lawyer for the DeWeeses claims the boat was traveling somewhere between 30 and 40 mph at the time of the crash.

Other witnesses of the crash have also vouched for the fact that the Coast Guard boat was traveling very fast prior to the boat accident.

Some witnesses also claim the Coast Guard boat left the scene of the accident for several minutes before returning. While not yet verified, this would represent a gross violation of Coast Guard policy.

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