The Houston Chronicle reported today that Texas A&M deputy chancellor and general counsel, Jay Kimbrough, has promised a thorough investigation into what may have caused the keel to break off the sailing vessel CYNTHIA WOODS leading to its capsize and the death of one crew member. The boat was donated to A&M by the school's biggest benefactor, George Marshall, and was built by a company that is owned by Mitchell's son, facts that Kimbrough assures will not influence the investigation. The investigation, which is already underway, will include a search for and attempt to recover the boat's keel which lies somewhere beneath 80 to 120 feet of water at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico, near Freeport, Texas. The salvage company T & T Marine towed the vessel to shore and will be leading the search for its keel.
The challenge of locating and recovering the boat's keel merely hints at the complexity of investigating maritime incidents. Thorough investigation will require understanding not only the conditions and events immediately preceding the capsize, but also every potentially contributing factor leading up to it, beginning from the time the boat was originally constructed. The loss of the boat's keel could be an indication of structural issues affecting not only the CYNTHIA WOODS, but other Cape Fear 38 sailboats as well. Other factors that must be discovered and evaluated include the boat's maintenance history and sailing history, both of which may be documented in logs, service invoices, payment instruments, and other records.
If you or a loved one has been seriously injured or killed in a maritime accident, and you require the expertise of experienced investigators to unravel the complexity and find answers, the Texas maritime lawyers at Arnold & Itkin LLP can help. Contact our Houston maritime law firm for a free initial consultation.
