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Launch vs Launch Driver 07/09/05
- I thought I had seen it all but as usual I was wrong. It was about 9 am at the Texas Rowing Center and everything was moving
along. It was a busy morning with its usual anomalies when I see a look of shock on some of the rowers faces. I wasn't watching
the events that were taking place on the lake. What the rowers saw, was a battle! This battle was between a motor launch
and its driver.
- Apparently the launch boat had a disagreement with its driver and decided that the driver was no longer welcome in the
boat and tossed him into the lake. So what I saw was an aluminum launch moving straight at the shore at max speed with no
driver!
- The Launch grounded itself on the shore about 200 meters from the Texas Rowing Center and the driver, Ronan O'Conner
, reached the shore shortly there after; no cuts, no wounds, and the only bruises were to his ego. And Ronin was alright
as well.
- Ronan and his launch will be attending mandatory counseling 3 times a week for the next 7 weeks to discuss their differences.
We at the Texas Rowing Center are hoping for a peaceable solution to this problem and we hope that counseling will help their
differences.
On a serious note; One of our coaches was thrown from a launch into the lake and narrowly avoided serious injury, and
we are glad that his injuries were nothing more than a funny story and some ribbing from his peers.
Hey Ronan; Glad youre alright! ----- But stay out of the water!
Charles Barksdale
Dead Body found 07/07/05
From George Jenkins:
-Everything was fine. I borrowed a cell phone from a lady on the path and called 911. About a dozen cops showed up.
-They promptly wrapped caution tape around the entire boat ramp by the Holiday Day Inn - absolutely no idea why. After
some standing around and a suggestion that we wrap the body in caution tape (lots of caution tape-centric humor with these
guys), three ambulances showed up. And finally, a fire department truck with a zodiac in tow.
-When I first saw that guy I considered flipping him over to see if he was possibly still alive. I am glad I didn't try
this because after the sun came up a bit more, it was obvious that he was really, really dead.
-Turns out he had jumped of the congress avenue bridge on july 4 and the AFD/APD had been looking for him. Jumping off
the congress avenue bridge seems like something any self respecting 18 year old would have a go at, given the proper double-dog
dare, not the stage for a suicide. By all accounts, this guy had jumped very near the shore and was injured and then stuck
in the shallow, muddy bottom.
-Once they got the zodiac fired up, I left. My morbid curiosity quotient was more than satisfied without seeing or smelling
this guy getting fished out of the water.
-I have been coaching steadily for about 18 years now and rowing in general for almost 25. Nine or ten of those years
were in the Port of LA, where anything can happen. I have spent several summers coaching at the Olympic Training Center where
we were routinely notified about illegal aliens who had likely drowned while fleeing the border patrol. From my launch, I
have seen boat explosions, lost whales, tornadoes, and plane landings. However, this was my very first "floater."
Such a milestone. George
Other Articals
Texas Rowing Center Boathouse Opening
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