In the early morning of October 11, two boaters were killed in a fatal collision on Lake Austin when their boat collided with a steel barge at 40 miles per hour. The boaters, a man and a woman aged 50 and 34, both residents of Houston, were two of four passengers involved in the collision.

Local residents are saying that the construction of a boat dock across the lake has made the area dangerous for recreational boaters. One resident of the area told reporters that the accident was bound to happen, pointing out that the area near the dock was narrow and that boats, jet skis, and other watercrafts often had trouble passing each other.

According to Tom Price, who lives near Lake Austin, the city allowed the building of the dock in spite of a restrictive covenant required by the city in 1980. “We never understood why the city let them build a boat dock there,” he said. He and other area residents had voiced their environmental and safety concerns since before the dock was built last year, but their complaints were not taken seriously. Now that it appears that the presence of the dock may have contributed to the accident, it may force the city to reexamine its decision.

There is still no word on why the city lifted the restrictive covenant to allow the dock to be built, or on whether negligence may have been a factor. Investigations are still ongoing, and it has yet to be determined if drugs or alcohol were a factor in the accident.

Our hearts go out to the families of those who lost their lives in this tragic accident.

If you have lost a loved one in a preventable accident, you may be able to pursue compensation in a wrongful death lawsuit. To learn if you have a case, please contact an Austin wrongful death attorney at The Daspit Law Firm to receive your free consultation.