Boating accident on Long Lake, Harrison Maine

Sick and Tired wrote:

There's too much annimosity on here (including me) and I'm just trying to get back on-topic and stop the mud-slinging.
I will try if everyone else does.

I'd have to say, at least for me, that this topic is over. It will never be over for the three families involved. I don't see the purpose in continuing to act like a .... like people have been on here.
I plan to be more effective pursuing that which I believe to be right at a state and local level in whatever capacity I can.
Not by posting around and around in blogs.

Kat wrote:

<quoted text>
I'd have to say, at least for me, that this topic is over. It will never be over for the three families involved. I don't see the purpose in continuing to act like a .... like people have been on here.
I plan to be more effective pursuing that which I believe to be right at a state and local level in whatever capacity I can.
Not by posting around and around in blogs.

Yes, you certainly are above all this, Oh wait, wasn't that you who made the very first post, are you not in several others here? I'm not saying you did anything wrong, but your last sentence struck me as condescending and humorous. 2 to 6 might think you have NPD or something...

LOL, good one Patbo.

kat,i think this whole situation got blown out of proportion from the start.im not trying to make the case seem trivial it was tragic.i think the sooner this is out of the headlines all the families can begin to heal and go forward.

S & T, did you go up to Maine this weekend?

No I didn't. Did I miss anything?

Nope. There was an SUV with a CT plate and fire dept. sticker getting off the turnpike in front of us. Knew it would be a big coincidence but thought I'd ask anyway.

No, not us unfortunately. I LOVE it up there and can't wait to go back though.

I agree!!!!! I was there that weekend and many others. i spend my summers on brandy pond. and the facts are that the boat was in several pieces not millions-and i watched the search from my boat on the water the next morning. and it was proven the wiring was in tact and showed that the corosion level and the breaks in the wires proved that it was impossible to have an electrical current. therefore concluded the lights were not on. i have a high power speed boat. and both the boaters were at fault. neither were operating by any legal standards. NO lights get off the lake you are a danger to yourself and others. High speed and drinking and whatever else was going on in that vessel with him and that young girl. Get off the lake you are also a danger to yourself and others. i can tell you this...
as many years as i have been on the lake i find more danger with the boaters cutting straight across the lake with someone in tow more of a danger then anything.its recklous. these boats are not too big. these lakes are enourmous and that is no excuse. you people are angry and so are we other boaters. Both parties are at fault there is no way around it and the utlimate price was paid. Direct your anger at the accident and dont profile the innocent. Not everyone is at fault or acts inappropiate when on the water. Stick to the subject and issue at hand. this was a bad thing that happened but dont blame the world blame the idiots that were involved.

Another Naples Boater wrote:

<quoted text>
I have a cottage in naples and I completely agree!!!

It's over.3 1/2 years in a minimum security facility and two years probation.Judge was delivered a scathing final review to the defendant upon sentencing.Now comes the civil.

If the guy had learned anything from it, I'd say maybe give him some leniency. But as far as he's concerned, he did nothing wrong. Talk about sense of entitlement.

This won't be his last major screw up.

naples boater 2-- you the guy that has the white Baja for sale w/ the twin 454's?

Glad it's "over" for you...

The criminal trial is over.

Or do you know something that nobody else knows about?

I for the life of me can't understand any of this?? It always takes a death of somebody before everybody stops and says..... Hey what did this guy/women think they were doing!!!!
WAKE UP and do something before this happens again!!! Question 1.. How long did this guy or for that matter anybody speeding along the lake before a death of somebody?? How many folks Male or Female have been drinking and got away without killing,injuring anybody While opperating a boat,jet ski while under the influence of alcohol and or drugs??? No matter where I have lived Maine,New Hampshire,Conn,Mass. I have seen that Maine is the "worst" Offender in all of these infractions!!So until you Mainers get off your "duff" and allow the State police,Sheriff's Dept an increse in $$Funds$$ for more personal this will happen again!! So go ahead and cry Foul everytime this happens.. Then blame where the blame begins... YOU THE VOTERS who will not allow Law Enforcement the funds needed!!

Rich wrote:

I for the life of me can't understand any of this?? It always takes a death of somebody before everybody stops and says..... Hey what did this guy/women think they were doing!!!!
WAKE UP and do something before this happens again!!! Question 1.. How long did this guy or for that matter anybody speeding along the lake before a death of somebody?? How many folks Male or Female have been drinking and got away without killing,injuring anybody While opperating a boat,jet ski while under the influence of alcohol and or drugs??? No matter where I have lived Maine,New Hampshire,Conn,Mass. I have seen that Maine is the "worst" Offender in all of these infractions!!So until you Mainers get off your "duff" and allow the State police,Sheriff's Dept an increse in $$Funds$$ for more personal this will happen again!! So go ahead and cry Foul everytime this happens.. Then blame where the blame begins... YOU THE VOTERS who will not allow Law Enforcement the funds needed!!

I agree 100% with what you said. However, it is truly EVERY state and municipality that always seems to cut money from the areas that concern public safety and then scream when something like this happens and I don't feel that Maine is the "worst".

Case in point, I live in CT. and have 2 of my kids that are police officers in our town. The police department has only added ONE officer in the last 25 years while the population has gone from 9,000 20 years ago to over 13,000 now. Obviously, the crime rate has increased as well yet the staffing hasn't.

RIDICULOUS!!

regardless of it all, Raye was an AWESOME AWESOME friend. Suzanne was a beautiful person. My son will grow up never having met his Uncle Raye. I miss that man every day of my life!! Those of you that never met him are never going to understand the impact that this all had on us. It's been almost two years since I've seen him and my heart breaks more and more everyday because of that.

I agree with what Bray's Babe said also. I had never met Raye but I have heard all the same nice things about both Raye and Zuzanne as well. I also did stop into Bray's last week while on my annual week-long vacation on Long Lake and seeing his picture hanging on the wall there brought a very sad feeling to me.

I also noticed that during my entire week there I didn't see one cigarette boat on the lake (at least not at the Harrison end of the lake where I stayed). Perhaps they have decided not to run on Long Lake as much anymore?

I am so sorry that you haven't had the chance from God to be able to move forward and grace Suzanne and Raye and let them rest in peace. It was a tragic accident in which both parties made horrible mistakes and bad decisions that night. I pray for them and Rob every night and I will never forget the 2 people that lost their lives that I never met. God Bless them and the LaPointe family as this entire situation has changed people forever. Rob, Suzanne, Raye, Nicole - all great people and I pray that everything just turns out ok for all of the families. I think it's time to put this to rest and let the families heal.

I don't know where to begin. All the posts here are so one sided and I really do understand. Most of you did not attend the trial. I was there every day. Did you know that Rob was not allowed to show any emotion? Did you know his family was instructed to show no emotion? This is what the lawyers do. Did you know that the nurse who testified did not do so until four days after the accident? The warden contacted her after four days and after they met she decided to testify. If you saw her testify you would know that what she illustrated was just bogus. I know that is not was reported in the news but this is truly what happened. Did you know that Mr. Lapointe went out with the warden after the victims were missing for 3 days so that he could show them where he thought the accident happened? Of course not. That doesn't make the news. Mr. LaPointe did everything he could do to help. I'm sure you all don't want to hear that. My husband, who taught constitutional law to high school students for over 20 years, after attending this trial, he decided to send a note to all his students letting them know that what he taught them was not really being practiced in today's society. If you all new what really happended during this trial, I think you would have a different opinion. You cannot always trust what is reported in the news.

No Name: Yes, Rob helped them search and nobody disputes that. It has also been mentioned on here as well. And, nobody believes that he willed this to happen. But the fact still remains that Rob drank all day, was still drunk and then chose to speed across Long Lake in the pitch dark after knowing the blacked-out boat was out there in his path.

A person can do everything in his power to right a wrong after the fact, but the fact still remains that his drunken and reckless actions directly killed 2 people. Granted, Raye's boat was also partially at fault for not displaying a light (reportedly), but as previously mentioned, a boater is still required by law to travel at a safe speed for the conditions, and pitch darkness is not a condition for speeding across Long Lake. Don't forget, as mentioned many times on here, Raye's boat could have been a dock that broke away from shore or a large log, or for that matter, a broken down boat that was dead in the water without lights. Being drunk and speeding across Long Lake in a 32 foot cigarette boat in the pitch darkness is not a sensible decision to make, no matter what you do after the fact to help out the search for the bodies.

So, I think that is why the posts appear to be one-sided. Nobody thinks that Rob meant to do this at all, but the fact remains that two people still lost their lives that night because of it.