Two Brothers Dead, Another Injured in Maryland Boating Accident

Brothers John W. Sowers, 64, and Stephen R. Sowers, 67, were killed on Friday in a Maryland boating accident when the fishing vessel they were in sank on the Chesapeake Bay off Breezy Point. The two men had gone out fishing with their brother Robert Sowers and John’s son-in-law, Matt Hinkle, when the boat lost power as the waters got rough. Afer getting hit by a large wave, the 25-foot vessel began filling with water and capsized.

The men were only able to avail of three of their life vests. Hinkle swam 1½ miles toward shore to get help, while someone came buy and picked up Robert. The two men were treated for hypothermia. Meantime, a Maryland State Police chopper helped find the other two Sowers brothers in the water. They were pronounced dead at Calvert Memorial Hospital. The boaters were in water with a temperature of about 50 degrees for over two hours.

Maryland Boating Accidents

Rough waters and unpredictable weather conditions can cause tragic boating accidents. In some cases, human negligence may also have been a factor, which is where an experienced Baltimore boating accident law firm should step in.

Other common causes of Maryland boating accidents:
• Operator inattention
• DWI
• Boat malfunction or parts defect
• Equipment failure
• Speeding
• Boater inexperience
Examples of boating accidents:
• Capsizing
• Boat collisions
• Falls overboard
• Slip and fall
• Boat fire or explosion
• Sinking
2 York County men die in boat accident in Md., YDR, April 23, 2011
2 men die after boat capsizes in Chesapeake Bay, The Baltimore Sun/AP, April 25, 2011

Related Web Resources:

US Coast Guard Home Page

Maryland Department of Natural Resources

Boat Accidents, Justia
More Blog Posts:
Maryland Boating Accident: Teenager Seriously Hurt While Trying to Dock a Personal Watercraft, Maryland Accident Law Blog, June 7, 2009
US Coast Guard Suspends Search for NFL Players Who Were Lost After Boat Capsized, Maryland Accident Law Blog, March 3, 2009
US Coast Guard’s 2007 Recreational Boating Statistics Reports 10 Deaths in Maryland, Maryland Accident Law Blog, March 3, 2009


Contact our Maryland injury law firm to explore your legal options.

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