Report On Boat Crash Fatal To 2 Alleges Alcohol, Speed

Alcohol, excessive speed and driver inattention contributed to a May 14 boating accident on Oklahoma’s Grand Lake that killed two people, according to a report released Wednesday by the Grand River Dam Authority Police Department.

The report stated that the operator of the 21-foot Cobalt open motor boat, John Deselms of Tulsa, admitted that he had consumed 10 beers and a shot of tequila and had taken an antidepressant before the boat rammed a 96-foot Fantasy houseboat docked at the Arrowhead Yacht Club and Marina at 5:42 p.m. Eight people were on the Cobalt, the report stated.

Deselms was arrested at Craig General Hospital in Vinita, Okla., where he was being treated. He was cited for operation of a vessel under the influence and was released on a medical recognizance bond, according to the report.

Killed in the crash were William Lewis “Trey” Varner III of Texarkana, Ark., and Rachel Nichole Swetnam of Grove, Okla. Both were students at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.

A narrative in the report by authority police officer Amanda Sullivan stated that the Cobalt had traveled south in Duck Creek, where it struck the houseboat.

When she arrived, according to Sullivan’s report, the Cobalt was embedded in the back wall of the houseboat and the motor was resting on the back deck.

Two passengers, whom the report did not identify, were listed as in the bow of the boat and the other six passengers were on the dock next to the houseboat.

Also injured in the crash was Taylor Perry of Springdale, who was treated and released from Craig General Hospital, according to the report. The report stated that none of the other passengers were injured.

The report said the Cobalt was owned by Seven Anchors LLC. of Tulsa. Damage to that boat was estimated at $50,000. The Fantasy houseboat damage was estimated at $100,000. The report didn’t list the owner of the houseboat.

Northwest Arkansas, Pages 8 on 05/23/2013

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