ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, June 29, 1996 TAG: 9607010065
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JON CAWLEY STAFF WRITER
The victim in Thursday's fatal personal watercraft accident on Smith Mountain Lake has been identified as Noah L. Stoyko, 24, of Woodbridge.
Law enforcement officials are still interviewing witnesses, but they said Stoyko appears to have caused the accident when he ran into a boat being driven by Carol Clark, 45, of Penhook. It is unlikely Clark will be charged, said Lt. Karl Martin of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.
"A lot of [personal watercraft] accidents involve companions that collide when they try to spray each other or jump [boat] wakes," he said.
Thursday's accident was the sixth in 10 days involving personal watercraft on Smith Mountain Lake.
Martin said it is unusual for Smith Mountain Lake to have so many accidents in such a short time, but his department has seen an increase in personal watercraft accidents in recent years.
Last year there were 35 accidents on the lake involving injuries or property damage over $500. Twenty-two involved personal watercraft, Martin said.
"A lot of people are riding them without training. They are looked upon as a toy and not a dangerous piece of machinery," Martin said.
Personal watercraft are the only water vehicles for which federal law requires riders to wear life jackets; some can travel up to 70 mph. A 20-foot boat has a cruising speed of only about 25-40 mph.
Game and Inland Fisheries encourages riders to take advantage of boating courses before taking a personal watercraft out. The department also suggests riders read the owner's manual so they'll be familiar with potentially dangerous aspects of a personal watercraft.
Martin said his department is preparing for the upcoming July 4 holiday, one of the busiest times of the year at Smith Mountain Lake, by using its Safer Waterways through Alcohol Monitoring Patrols program.
Two personal watercraft and six boats will monitor several areas of the lake 24 hours a day during the holiday, using new breath-testing equipment.
Law enforcement officials will be concentrating on specific concerns in the upcoming week: underage drinking and intoxicated boat operators, and those operating recklessly or without lights.
Operation of personal watercraft is prohibited at night because they are only about 8 or 9 feet long, which makes them virtually invisible after dark, Martin said.
LENGTH: Medium: 51 lines KEYWORDS: FATALITYby CNB