Shocking video: Mother and son on inflatable donut hit fallen tree trunk during boat ride
The man noticed too late that he had driven the boat close to the shore.
The Szeged District Prosecutor’s Office has filed charges against a man who two years ago in the summer, towed a “donut” in a sports boat on the Tisza River and carelessly steered two people clinging to it against a fallen tree.
According to the prosecution, on 4 August 2022, the man pulled a mother and her son on an inflatable donut attached to his boat on the Tisza in Szentes, and transported 7 other people on board the boat. He did not employ an attendant to keep a constant eye on the donut and the passengers and to communicate their position, so the man turned back and forth while driving. On one such occasion, the offender realised too late that he was driving the boat close to the shore. Despite the rapid steering back, the donut, with the people towing it, crashed with great momentum into a log that had fallen into the water.
The force of the impact caused both persons to fall into the water, one of them suffering permanent disabling injuries.
In addition to the absence of an accompanying person and the defendant’s inattention, the accident was also caused by the fact that the towing rope of the sports equipment was attached too high to the boat, which caused the doughnut to swing too far laterally.
The district attorney’s office charged the defendant with misdemeanor reckless endangerment of watercraft resulting in permanent disability. The question of the guilt of the accused will be decided by the District Court of Szentes.
A mobile phone recording of the incident is available here:
Read also: