Father, son hospitalized in boat collision

[MinnesotaBoatman]

Father, son hospitalized in boat collision

A boat collision late Monday night on a northern Minnesota lake sent two people to the hospital, the St. Louis County Sheriff said.

By Tim Harlow, Star Tribune

Last update: June 26, 2007 – 7:58 AM

A boat collision late Monday night on a northern Minnesota lake sent two people to the hospital, the St. Louis County Sheriff said.

Theodore E. Olson, 55, and his 91-year-old father, Rolland Olson, both of Norwood Park, Ill., suffered lacerations, bruises and broken bones when the boat they were piloting crashed into a National Park Service boat at 11:42 p.m. southwest of Burnt Island in Sand Point Lake near Crane Lake, Minn., the sheriff said.

http://www.startribune.com/462/story/1268845.html

According to the sheriff, the Olsons were using a GPS mapping unit and "might have become distracted by it, failing to keep a proper lookout for other boats" when it hit the back of a vessel owned by the Voyageur's National Park. The park's boat was anchored and two employees were conducting survey work at the time of crash.

The employees were not hurt, the sheriff said.

The Olsons were taken to Cook Hospital where they were treated for their injuries.

[duckster]

This article is incorrect the accident ocurred at 11:37am in full daylght not at night.

-Duckster

[SledNeck]

Guess we dont need eyes and common sense anymore now that we have GPS.

[duckster]

Sled,

Isn't that the truth. In this case there may be some other contributing factors but attention to GPS is certainly one. This is the third serious boat accident in the last year that ocurred because of focusing on GPS. The other thing was in all cases the passengers were facing backwards or not paying attention to what was going on. Seems to me that it is a good idea for the passenger to help out with navigation and lookout since danger can come from anywhere.

-duckster