Shay Smith
I am so angry right now. It's that kind of white hot anger where I could barely drive my car. The thing I'm so mad about is all over talk radio and I would love to call and rant but I don't have the time to wait in a caller queue. Hopefully posting my feelings here will help me calm down.
A few weeks ago, here in Colorado, a little 2-year-old boy was reported missing. The story went that he fell out of the speed boat his dad was driving and couldn't be found. The dad went back to where he thought the boy fell out but only found his life jacket. Ever since, search and rescue has been looking in the lake for the boy, Shay. It's a particularly deep lake and divers have to use extra precaution and the whole thing is painstakingly slow and tedious. After weeks of searching, they still haven't found Shay's body. I've been glued to this story because from the beginning I thought something didn't sound right. What father doesn't notice their toddler fall out of the boat? Actually, what I really thought was, "What father takes their toddler on a boat and doesn't hold onto him?" Yeah, yeah he was in a lifejacket. I have a thing about people and boating: nobody is careful enough. The fact that the family has a boat is all about the dad and nothing to do with the kids. I was raised on a lake, literally on the shore of a big old lake in MT. My parents built an island instead of a dock. You had to know how to swim to get to the island. We never had any even kind of close calls with water in the 80-year history my family had that lake place. Life jackets were always worn in our boats, no matter how old or young the wearer. Life jackets that were the correct size for the wearer. Little kids were never allowed anyplace near the water unless attended by an engaged adult. I have to wonder how many baths this little boy took by himself with Dad watching football in another room. Arm's length is the rule. If your kids are in any water you are to be no further than arm's length from them. Well, the Dad's story has changed just a tad. There may have been alcohol involved and he may have been pulling the 25 pounder on a tube and they may have been going 30 MPH and the lifejacket may have been for a 40 pound child and he really wasn't sure when Shay fell off the tube because he and the other adult weren't paying attention and the 3-year-old on the boat was supposed to be watching Shay. Yes, Dad put the three-year old in the position of watching Shay. All-about-the-dad. The sheriff has reported that the Dad hasn't helped in the search and is, in fact still seen wakeboarding on the same lake while the rescuers are working to find his boy. I swear to God, why do people have kids if they aren't going to take care of them? This was an accident, but a really stupid one that could have been prevented so easily by following the most basic steps of safety. Hold hands in the parking lot. Cut food into little pieces. Make sure the kids are in the house before backing out of the garage. Toddlers don't ride behind boats their drunk dads are driving. They are charging the Dad with child abuse resulting in death and I am giving a standing ovation.
A few weeks ago, here in Colorado, a little 2-year-old boy was reported missing. The story went that he fell out of the speed boat his dad was driving and couldn't be found. The dad went back to where he thought the boy fell out but only found his life jacket. Ever since, search and rescue has been looking in the lake for the boy, Shay. It's a particularly deep lake and divers have to use extra precaution and the whole thing is painstakingly slow and tedious. After weeks of searching, they still haven't found Shay's body. I've been glued to this story because from the beginning I thought something didn't sound right. What father doesn't notice their toddler fall out of the boat? Actually, what I really thought was, "What father takes their toddler on a boat and doesn't hold onto him?" Yeah, yeah he was in a lifejacket. I have a thing about people and boating: nobody is careful enough. The fact that the family has a boat is all about the dad and nothing to do with the kids. I was raised on a lake, literally on the shore of a big old lake in MT. My parents built an island instead of a dock. You had to know how to swim to get to the island. We never had any even kind of close calls with water in the 80-year history my family had that lake place. Life jackets were always worn in our boats, no matter how old or young the wearer. Life jackets that were the correct size for the wearer. Little kids were never allowed anyplace near the water unless attended by an engaged adult. I have to wonder how many baths this little boy took by himself with Dad watching football in another room. Arm's length is the rule. If your kids are in any water you are to be no further than arm's length from them. Well, the Dad's story has changed just a tad. There may have been alcohol involved and he may have been pulling the 25 pounder on a tube and they may have been going 30 MPH and the lifejacket may have been for a 40 pound child and he really wasn't sure when Shay fell off the tube because he and the other adult weren't paying attention and the 3-year-old on the boat was supposed to be watching Shay. Yes, Dad put the three-year old in the position of watching Shay. All-about-the-dad. The sheriff has reported that the Dad hasn't helped in the search and is, in fact still seen wakeboarding on the same lake while the rescuers are working to find his boy. I swear to God, why do people have kids if they aren't going to take care of them? This was an accident, but a really stupid one that could have been prevented so easily by following the most basic steps of safety. Hold hands in the parking lot. Cut food into little pieces. Make sure the kids are in the house before backing out of the garage. Toddlers don't ride behind boats their drunk dads are driving. They are charging the Dad with child abuse resulting in death and I am giving a standing ovation.
posted by Her Serene Highness will do at 8:12 PM
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