Parents of boy killed in boating accident push for Florida bill that would require safety device
Family believes a kill switch could have prevented Ethan Isaacs’ death
Published:
Tags:
Ethan Isaacs (Mindy and Greg Isaacs)
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The family of a 10-year-old Florida boy killed in a boating accident is pushing for a way to make a day on the water safer.
State lawmakers will soon take up “Ethan’s Law,” which was introduced in the boy’s honor, according to News 6 partner News4Jax.
[TRENDING:
Ad
“We always thought he would accomplish great things because of who he is,” Ethan Isaacs’ mother, Mindy Isaacs, remembered. “He was extremely bright, gifted.”
KZN top matric achievers praise teachers
By Karen Singh
Share
KZN matric pupils who each received a whopping nine distinctions in the National Senior Certificate examinations said the support of their teachers and learning how to be independent had helped them through the challenges of Covid-19.
Irfaan Sabat, from Empangeni High School, said the exams were not what he had expected.
“I tried my best. It was stressful but overall it wasn’t bad. It went well as I had prepared for it,” he said.
Irfaan said the long wait for the results was worse than the exams.
“Missing out on normal school events was quite disappointing because I didn’t get to spend time with friends,” he added.
SARASOTA – In November, a Sarasota youth sailor was fatally slashed by a spinning boat propeller after his coach triggered the throttle and tumbled overboard.
Ten-year-old Ethan Isaacs’ death has led to a wrongful death lawsuit by his family and a proposed bill in his name called “Ethan’s Law,” authored by Sarasota state Rep. Fiona McFarland.
The proposed legislation would require the pilots of boats less than 26 feet long to wear a kill switch device that automatically shuts off the engine if the operator is thrown overboard. Seven other states have similar laws in place, and the U.S. Coast Guard will adopt the same rule in 2021.
Ethan Isaac and Bonnie Puckett reflect on episodes and developments from 2020, including mobile applications relating to COVID-19, remote working, and global mobility.