The San Diego Bay holiday parade in 2009 took a deadly turn as a boat was struck by a Coast Guard Vessel. There were a total of five people injured in the crash, and an 8 year-old boy tragically perished in an accident that may have been caused by a combination of too much speed on the part of the Coast Guard vessel and the glow of lights from the holiday parade.

The Coast Guard vessel, which was 33 feet in length, struck a 24-foot passenger boat holding 13 people during the San Diego Bay Parade of Lights. The accident happened at around 6 PM. Anthony Cole DeWesse, 8, was dead within the hour.

There will be a federal probe into the crash, as it involved a Coast Guard vessel. The outcome of that investigation should shed light on what exactly may have been at the cause of the crash. The National Transportation Safety Board will interview the Coast Guard crew members on the Coast Guard vessel. There were five crew members on the craft, which is known as a “Special Purpose Craft.”

The investigation is expected to take some time. There are some experts who suggest that it may last a year or more. Both vessels will be examined, and there will be other factors as well. There are recordings of radio chatter as well as distress calls to go through, and the NTSB investigators are looking into whether any surveillance cameras may have captured the accident. Determining fault in the accident could take months longer, especially if a federal lawsuit ensues.

Anthony’s friends and family were, of course, devastated. The ME’s office listed the cause of death as “multiple blunt-force injuries,” which were sustained during the crash.

The DeWeese family boat may not have been anchored before the accident. If that is the case, and it appears it was, the boat should have had a white light shining on either side above the navigation lights. If those lights were not in operation, the investigation might find that the operators of that boat are partially at fault for the accident.

The DeWeese family boat was damaged as well, and it isn’t yet certain whether or not the owners had boat insurance at the time.

There will be other factors considered, as well. For example, law requires that a Coast Guard crew member serve as lookout. It isn’t yet certain whether that was happening. Speed may be the most important factor, as it also isn’t certain how fast the Coast Guard vessel was going at the time of the crash.

Photo via mikebaird