Charles Darwin's Darwin Awards 
HOME
Darwin Awards
Honorable Mentions
Urban Legends
Personal Accounts
Slush Pile
2006 May Rejects
Would-be Copper Thief Electroc
Loaded rifle as walking stick
The shark may not be dead...
Sever(ly) Faithful
Deadly Recycling
The cutting truth
Two Strikes and You're Out
Man electrocuted
Modern Day Van Gogh
Death by Horse Penetration
Gun Walking Stick
Salem man accidentally shoots
Man accidentally shoots self
Car Crash, Shoots Self
Florida man drowns trying to s
Don't mess with Marines
Man accused of putting baby in
Stupid Teenager Alert
Man shoots self climbing hill
Salem man accidentally shoots,
Salem man accidentally shoots,
Fatal accident: Attempted thef
British Columbia: Man dies try
Man dies making pipe bomb
Shocked while stealing
Man tries to steal live wire
Florida man drowns trying to s
British Columbia: Man dies try
Blazing mouse sets fire
Australian baby 'put in dryer'
Man dies stealing live wires
Man dies trying to steal live
Man dies trying to steal live
A Shocking Left
Live Wire, Dead Thief
Rob a former marine-bad idea
crook swallows drugs
Man dies retrieving toy boat.
Singer's stage death
Singers stage death
Would-be copper thief electroc
Anatomy Lesson
In the Bag.. Well sort of !
Genetic Driving
Man loses life attempting to s
Don't Steal a Live Wire!
Man electrocuted steeling wire
Drunken Rafting
Biker falls over guardrail, di
Sea Swells Numb Skulls
dumb terrorists
Ironic Darwin?
alberto muniz da conceicao
Jap Lane
egg collector
Shocked the Shark bit him
Two Men Lose Hands In Barbecue
Evolution can't stop greed...
Miss Deaf didn't hear train
Chicken with a train
Train kills two teen escapees
Fatal fight began over chicken
TRAIN SURFING IN MELBOURNE, AU
Diver succeeds where many fail
Man dies in fall from copter
Almost A darwin Moment
drug dealer shot himself
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sect
Taxi?
3 Calif. Teens Burned in Aeros
Gasoline ignites, burns Omaha
Naked Guy Kills Himself
Shot herself in the abdomen
3 Calif. Teens Burned in Aeros
3 Calif. Teens Burned in Aeros
Full Bodied Rum
Cash dispenser blown away
Sleeping To Death
Hanging By A Thread
Wheelie Man
End of The Line
Died of a Broken Heart
Died of a Broken Heart
squirrels and their nuts
Tractor Starter Repair
A Brother's Stupidity
Wheelie on Interstate 87
Color Blind?
Ex-convict wanted in fatal sho
It's wet, it must be water
You forgot Rose, Jack....
Canadian Miners & Rotten Eggs
niwrad award?
Nudist up in flames
Tape Shows Man Fell Overboard
Flaming Socks
Welding a Motorbike
Ipswich Man Dies in Flood
Gas thief accidently sets him
Need for Speed
Paint Thinner Is Flammable?
Paint Thinner-Cigarette Error
Paint Thinner Ain't Water
Potential Darwin -
duck hunters
Cure for the Hiccups
Dangling For Gators
Heads Up (and off...)
Bridge Jumper Jumped
lagos pipeline disaster
lagos pipeline disaster
Ooh..what a photograph!
Skateboard Smash
Magnifying the Sun
Petrol Prank goes wrong
Thieves Get Burned
Lightbulb Basketball
Search on for killer 'gator in
Pipeline blast kills 200
Villagers had gathered as vand
Keep those gas tanks full!
Wrong time, wrong place
Darwin x 200
Pipeline blast rocks area near
200 village idiots
Oregon Man Survives 12 Nails
Fla. Man Killed In Home Explos
Here it comes!
ATV accident leaves man dead
'Small' penis drives teenager
One lucky hedgehog
Meditating woman plummets.
Surfers Suprise
Ditch Drowning
Teen Asked To Be Hit By Car
Fish Drags Man To Death
Man drowns trying to save dog.
Just For Thrills
Trying hard to win a Darwin
Self-Immolation Prank Misfires
killing the pilot
david bland, er, blane. sorry!
a nice place to nap
Adelaide Shop explosion
fatal drift
The Fast andthe Fundamentalist
Man Plummets from 8th-floor Ba
Sounds like fun
Not really guilty
Teenager Runs Over Friend f
Died whilst fasting for Lent
Boy pulled from sand
Christian dies during fast
Flush Money
Student Suicide Scene Injury
Desperately Needs a Hobby
Homebrewed GHB
Australian Army Mention?
Carbon Monoxide Overcomes Man
Power Washer, Glenview, Il
Killer Copy
Electricity Bridge
Human Fireball
Death by virtual sword
Just a joke - it won't ignite
Motorcyclist Dies
Fire death agony after petrol
Flame-Out
Petrol Joke Goes Wrong
Can't hear the train coming...
Explosion victim 'had lighter'
Joker dies in petrol gag
Not for lack of trying.
Crocodile Hunter Wannabe
Boaters were arguing, drinking
Alligator Bites Fla. Real Esta
Alligator bites Tycoon!(idiot)
Insufficient Postage?
Arctic Adventure
Woman runs self over, seriousl
High speed change
"Iron" Rich Nails
Woman’s own car kills her
Woman’s own car kills her at h
Thieves Gas Themselves
What a Platt
Date rape drain cleaner!
Thieves gas themselves in cyan
Thieves gas themselves in cyan
Row row row your boat
Thieves gas themselves in cyan
Gas attack!
One last park in the cemetary
Gas vs. Gambling Den
Thieves gas themselves in cyan
woman dies at husband's grsve
Queens woman killed near husba
Older Rejects 
 
~ Randomizer ~
Newsletter
Gift Shop
Rules  Search
Contact Darwin
Submit a Story
Philosophy Forum
Home

  

Darwin Awards
2006 Slush Pile

This item was recently submitted by a reader.
Should I include it in the archive?
Vote to tell me what *you* think!

Boaters were arguing, drinking

2006 Reader Submission
Pending Acceptance

Two men who died in a boating accident on the Rock River last month were arguing just before their overloaded johnboat capsized, a Rock Island County coroner’s jury learned Wednesday.

Laura Petreikis, a conservation officer with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, or DNR, said she investigated the April 4 mishap near the 27th Street bridge in Moline and found that alcohol, weather conditions, “careless and reckless operation” of the boat, too much weight on board and “operator inattention” contributed to the accident.

James Davidson, 19, and Jason Woods 29, both of Moline, drowned after falling from the overturned boat, which Woods was operating. A third Moline man, Nathan Valentine, also 19, survived the accident when he managed to grab a rope and stay with the vessel.

He was clinging to it when he was rescued.

Valentine told authorities that Davidson and Woods were “screaming at each other” as they headed downriver from an island where the three men had been drinking for most of the day. He said that Woods attempted to cut the 14-foot boat to the right against a wave and high winds when it flipped.

Woods was steering with his left hand, which was missing all four fingers from another accident, Petreikis said.

“I have reason to believe all three men were drinking and impaired,” she said. “Their boat was an accident waiting to happen.”

The men had consumed almost a case of beer and a bottle of liquor, she said, and their boat was carrying too much weight. For about five minutes after the trio were thrown into the water, Valentine told police, he could see his two friends and estimated they were 10 feet from shore.

Davidson’s body was recovered the next day, about a half-mile from where he entered the water, police said. Woods’ body was found in the Mississippi River near Loud Thunder Forest Preserve on April 19. Though decomposition prevented authorities from retrieving accurate toxicology results from Woods’ body, tests on Davidson’s remains showed a blood-alcohol level of .175, Coroner Sharon Anderson said.

Hypothermia contributed to the drownings, she said, explaining that the water temperature was 49 degrees on the day of the accident. The three men set out on the river at 11 a.m. that day, Petreikis said, “planning on having a fun day on the river.”

Though investigators found three life-preservers from the boat, none of the men was wearing one.

The jury ruled the deaths accidental.

Submitted on 05/04/2006

Submitted by: Josh
Reference: Quad City Times 05/03/06

Copyright © 2006 DarwinAwards.com

>> Moderator Scores <<

James said:
Definitely Toss: Bystanders Hurt
The survivor (Valentine) had nothing to do with his two colleagues' argument but could have drowned himself. I'm afraid this is an automatic toss on account of bystanders being hurt. Thanks just the same, Josh!


Sheryl said:
Definitely Toss: Bystanders Hurt
Thanks, Josh but I'm voting with James on this one.


The Darwin Awards Gift Shop

The Darwin Awards Condom

Keep yourself out of the gene pool!
A condom in a matchbook, useful for emergency contraception, bachelor parties, frat parties, and important rites of passage. LOADED inside and out with funny quotes and stories. Everyone loves this item!
Friends don't let friends reproduce!
$13 for Pack of 4

 

 

Slush Pile
Slush Pile Rejects


Advanced Search

HomeRulesFAQsAwardsSlushSite Map
DarwinAward | HonorableMention | PersonalAccount | UrbanLegend

>> The Darwin Awards, by Wendy Northcutt <<
Link to Fight Evil.