A high-speed boat crash at the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout performance powerboat-racing event left two men seriously injured.
The 44-year-old throttleman later died. The driver survived and was released from the hospital.
Shootout officials estimate that the 42-foot Outerlimits catamaran was traveling at 179 miles an hour when wind interference caused it to lift from the water.
The water along the 34 Mile Marker was calm, with minimal winds. The run started well, but just as the brand-new Outerlimits approached the finish line at the end of the 1-mile course, the bow began to lift dangerously high. Suddenly the boat flew out of the water, flipping end over end and reaching an estimated 50 feet in the air, according to LakeExpo.com.
The accident happened shortly after boats began making their runs at the races Saturday morning. The Missouri State Highway Patrol said it was dispatched to a serious crash just after 10:30 a.m., according to Channel 10 News.
A report from the Missouri Highway Patrol says the crash was caused when the boat “lost control at high speeds due to wind interference.”
A Facebook posting Tuesday by Outerlimits Powerboats said, “President/CEO and Founder Michael Fiore passed away this evening from injuries sustained during a boating event in Missouri over the weekend. Mr. Fiore, age 44 of Bristol, RI developed complications from surgery when he died at University Hospital in Missouri. The entire Outerlimits family is devastated by the loss of our friend and leader of our company.”
Joel Begin, who owns the boat, was released from the hospital.
