No injuries after teen stops runaway boat Wednesday afternoon

LACONIA — A Gilford teen sprung into action to stop a runaway boat on Lake Winnipesaukee late Wednesday afternoon, and the incident resulted in no injuries. 

A powerboat operated by a Lake Winnipesaukee Sailing Association instructor accelerated after the boom of a student sailboat knocked its accelerator from the neutral position, causing the boat to travel around in circles.

Video disseminated widely on social media appears to show a teenager, Bradley Procon, jump from the back of a jet ski onto the runaway boat, stopping it in Smith Cove after the instructor fell from the watercraft.

“We take this event very seriously and we’re committed to making sure this never happens again,” Jay Norden, president of the Lake Winnipesaukee Sailing Association, said Friday morning. 

A sailing instructor apparently put the boat into neutral and reached into the water to retrieve a ball used in instruction. When they did so, the boom, which runs perpendicular to the mast, of a student's sailboat made contact with the throttle, moving it from neutral to the forward position. The instructor fell off the back of the boat.

“We’ve never had anything happen like this before,” Norden said. 

All available staff responded to the location and removed students and staff from the water. The video shows a number of bystanders attending the scene in order to help, and ultimately it was Procon who jumped from the back of a jet ski onto the moving boat, arresting its movement.

Sailing association policy requires instructors to make use of an emergency cut off switch, a cord which attaches from an individual’s person to the controls of a boat and will cause the engine to turn off if the operator is in some way thrown from the boat. But in this case, the instructor was not using the so-called kill switch.

The association immediately conducted a full event review and evaluation by interviewing staff and others who were present when the event took place. Information gathered was then reviewed by the board of directors who refined protocols and provided additional training to sailing staff Friday morning, discussing both the causes and possible mitigation. Staff were trained to ensure that the emergency cut off cords were used at all times, even when a boat is in the neutral position.

“We are committed to the safety of our staff, students and the general public,” Norden said.

Nobody was injured.

The sailing school, in general, is operating well this summer, Norden said. The school is populated by 30-35 students along with 14-16 instructors each week, and runs for nine weeks. The Lake Winnipesaukee Sailing Association has been active since 1978. 

And association representatives later contacted Procon, thanking him for his efforts that day. 

“Safety has been and will continue to be our top priority,” Norden said.