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One man was killed and one injured on June 7, 2011 when a commercial fishing boat manned by two seamen hit a private 16-foot boat near the Norfolk, VA Naval Station.
The fishing boat operators reported that they never saw the recreational boat as they worked to fix mechanical steering problems on the 42-foot Chesapeake Deadrise.
Just off Pier 11, in about 50 feet of water, Cladon Mervin Johnson, aged 67, was killed. His fishing partner, Raymond Burgess, 67, was injured and treated at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital. Burgess says that he and Johnson were fishing and looked up to see the commercial vessel approaching them. They were subsequently hit.
The two watermen aboard the larger boat both dove into the water after the crash to aid Johnson and Burgess. Neither of the commercial seamen was injured in the wreck.
Virginia Marine Police spokesman, John Bull, said that the investigation of the collision is ongoing as interviews are conducted and both boats are examined. Experts hope to determine the exact cause of the accident.
The attorneys at The Young Firm would like to express their sympathy to the families of both the injured and the deceased. Maritime accidents are far too common, and even the slightest injury is cause for concern.
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