December 23, 2024
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Manufacturer: Powerboat in fatal crash too big for Long Lake

HARRISON – The high-powered 32-foot boat involved in a fatal collision on Long Lake last weekend was too large and too powerful for the lake, an official at the boat manufacturer said.

The 32-foot Dominator, which had twin 435-horsepower engines with a top speed of 80 mph, collided with a 14-foot boat last Saturday night on the lake, killing two people aboard the smaller boat.

David Donchecz, chief operating officer of Michigan-based Sunsation Powerboats, told the Sun Journal of Lewiston that he thought the Dominator was too much boat with too much speed for such a lake, which is about 11 miles long and between a quarter-mile and a mile wide.

The accident is under investigation and no charges have been filed. Investigators have not discussed factors in the crash, such as whether the boats had navigational lights on or how fast they were going.

But it has raised questions about boating safety on Maine lakes and prompted calls for limits.

The Dominator is owned by Robert Lapointe, 38, of Medway, Mass., who was with Nicole Randall, 19, of Bridgton when the boat struck another boat on the lake about 9 p.m. Saturday, according to the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

Lapointe and Randall were thrown from the boat as it continued racing toward shore, eventually coming to rest 135 feet inland. They swam to shore and suffered only minor injuries.

Authorities believe the smaller boat, which had a 115-horsepower engine, was cut in two by the impact. That boat’s owner, Terry Raye Trott, 55, of Naples, and his companion, Suzanne Groetzinger, 44, of Berwick, were killed. Divers recovered their bodies on Tuesday.

On Long Lake and neighboring Sebago Lake, large cigarette-style speedboats have become common sights. There are no speed limits on Maine lakes, except that boats may not endanger people or property or create waves when traveling within 200 feet of shore. There are no limits on the size or horsepower of boats, and no training requirements for boat operators.

In Raymond, which borders Sebago Lake, Fire Chief Dennis Morse said it’s time to discuss some sort of limits for Sebago and other lakes. The Dominator’s power exceeds even Maine’s best-known ocean speedboat, Fidelity III, owned by former President Bush. The Fidelity has three engines with a combined 825 horsepower.

“These boats were designed to be racing boats for the ocean,” Morse said. “What size boat in Sebago or Long Lake is too big? That’s a question we’ve got to ask ourselves.”

While there are more big, fast boats on the lakes, there’s also a growing number of small boats, kayaks and pontoon boats, Morse said. “You put them all together, and it’s really a recipe for disaster,” he said.

Contacted at their home in Massachusetts on Thursday, Lapointe’s wife, Heather, referred all calls to the family’s attorney, J. Albert Johnson.

Johnson said the wreck “is indeed a tragic accident with a terrible loss of life which is under intensive investigation by my office at this time.” He declined further comment.


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