Mille Lacs boating accident

Anyone know more about this accident?
DT

Guess my link didn’t work. Copied from Kare 11.

11 p.m. EDT August 9, 2014
ISLE, Minn. — Authorities say the body of the 56-year-old Twin Cities man was recovered by search teams Saturday evening.

According to the Mille Lacs County Sheriff, the man’s boat was anchored when another boat collided with it around 10 p.m. Friday near the lake’s east shore.

A husband and wife were in the oncoming boat, and police say they were not seriously injured.

The cause of the crash is still under investigation.

From the Mille Lacs Messenger: The body of Tony Centeno, 56, was found Saturday afternoon, Aug. 9, in 10 to 12 feet of water on the east side of Mille Lacs Lake, according to Mille Lacs County Sheriff Brent Lindgren. 

Centeno was missing since a boating accident Friday night, Aug. 8. His boat had been involved in a collision with another boat around 10 p.m. Centeno’s boat was anchored at the time and he was out fishing alone, according to sources close to Centeno at Fisherman’s Wharf, where Centeno had a boat slip and residence.

The Mille Lacs County Sheriff’s Office and Search and Rescue, along with the Mille Lacs Band and Minnesota DNR and Isle Fire Department assisted in the search. 

Further information will be available in the Aug. 13 issue of the Mille Lacs Messenger. 

That’s sad. An accident that could have been avoided.

He was fishing Shaws reef. Very sad deal here.

-J,

No ancor lights?

More details should be coming out later today.

http://kstp.com/news/stories/S3528887.shtml?cat=1

-J.

Very sad story. Here is a photo that came across my FB over the weekend.

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Very sad to hear. Prayers to out to his family.

Ron

Only update I could find is from kare11.

http://www.kare11.com/story/news/local/2014/08/11/boat-collision-on-lake-mille-lacs-kills-1/13909989/

Boat collision on Lake Mille Lacs kills 1
Dana Thiede, KARE 4:26 p.m. EDT August 11, 2014
fatal boat crash Mille Lacs Messenger

(Photo: Mille Lacs Messenger)
12 CONNECT 1 TWEETLINKEDIN 1 COMMENTEMAILMORE

LAKE MILLE LACS, Minn. – A Twin Cities man is dead following a collision between two boats on Lake Mille Lacs late Friday.

Dispatchers received a 911 call just before 10 p.m. from a 63-year-old Anoka man who told them the boat he was operating had collided with another craft that was anchored approximately 2 miles from shore in an area commonly referred to as Shaw’s Reef. The caller and his wife were not injured, but there was no one aboard the craft they collided with.

Sheriff’s Deputies, police officers from several local departments and members of the Mille Lacs County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue team searched the area in rescue mode until 6 a.m. Saturday, when it became a recovery mission. Late that afternoon searchers recovered the body of 56-year-old Anthony Centeno of Cottage Grove.

Preliminary information suggests that a 17 foot Crestliner occupied by the Anoka couple was traveling eastbound on Lake Mille Lacs heading into shore when they collided with an Alumacraft Runabout occupied by Centeno. He was the only person in the boat at the time of the collision, and was not wearing a life jacket.

The Anoka County Medical Examiner is conducting an autopsy. No word on whether charges will be filed in the accident.

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It will be interesting to learn if the anchored boat was displaying a light.

But I’ve seen before where the stern light can blend in with lights on shore, so a person has to be careful out there regardless.

Grouse

I bought the G3 radar for my boat last winter for two reasons. One to help me with my night navigation on the river. There are many (4 to 5 a summer) boats out at night without lights on because they either don’t work or people just don’t want to be seen.

While sturgeon fishing on the St Croix far too many times boats, big boats have come far too close to me when I’m running all of my lights anchored. It’s the reason I tell passengers to let me know if they see a vessel coming our way and the reason I keep the spotlight ready when out there at night.

Once anchored I can set the radar to give me an audible alarm if a vessel comes within a preset distance of me. I’ll have some false alarms, but I would rather have those then not see them until it’s too late.

The radar units are expensive and certainly not for everyone, but for a guy that spends as much time as I do on high traffic areas at night…it was a no brainer.

Sorry if this seems like a cheap plug for Lowrance. It’s not intended to be.

I hear ya BK. This one comes close to home. Shaws Reef is right out in front of our cabin on Big Point. It’s a spot I have fished regularly for over 25 years now. Spent many all-nighters anchored up on the reef there. Had close calls out there at night and in the fog. For the most part, I believe many rely too heavily on GPS track plot lines to get where they are going. Focusing too much on electronics rather than slowing down and using their spotlights, eyes and common sense.

One thing I have handy in addition to a spotlight is a compressed air blast horn. Similar to this: http://www.amazon.com/Shoreline-Marine-Horn-Mini-Ounce/dp/B004UOVAO2/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1407864697&sr=8-5&keywords=air+horn
Keep it handy at night and in the fog.

-J.

so true about the boat lights blending into the shoreline lights. Been in a few close calls myself, once where we were pulling up onto a flat I noticed red bobber lights, said to myself “this doesn’t seem right” then swerved just in time to miss and anchored boat sitting with out their lights on. We chewed those guys out. There was another where we were sitting off Henepin Island and heard a motorboat, but couldn’t see anything, brother notices the boat is headed right at the island and gets the spot light out just in time to shine the boulders, the boat just barely slowed down in time to bang against a couple rocks to come to a stop. They came out to us, thanked us a few times, said they lost their bearings getting off of the lake, battery running the lights went dead,no GPS, ran out of beer, all around bad deal which almost got them into a bunch of trouble.

Update on the story from the Mille Lacs Messenger.

http://www.messagemedia.co/millelacs/news/local/article_d3a9b134-2226-11e4-85ad-0017a43b2370.html

Adam Hoogenakker

Posted on Aug 13, 2014

by Adam Hoogenakker

Search and rescue divers pulled the body of 56-year-old Tony Centeno of Cottage Grove from the bottom of Mille Lacs Lake during the afternoon hours of Aug. 9 after his boat had been involved in a collision the previous night.

At around 10 p.m. Friday, Aug. 8, Centeno’s boat was anchored less than a mile off the eastern shoreline of Mille Lacs near Fisherman’s Wharf where he had a trailer on the property.

Scott Anderson of St. Michael had been neighbors at Fisherman’s Wharf with Centeno for years and said Centeno liked to go out alone and fish the Shaw’s Reef area near Sunset Bay between Appeldoorn’s and Fisherman’s Wharf resorts on Mille Lacs’ east side.

Anderson said he passed by Centeno’s boat at 9:48 p.m. and Centeno was fishing. Not one to stay on the lake past 10 p.m., Anderson said he and other neighbors grew concerned when Centeno did not arrive by that time.

“When boats start coming in, it’s like a neighborhood watch,” said Anderson. “We all pay attention to who comes in and who doesn’t.”

An initial search Friday night into early Saturday morning did not turn up any signs of Centeno. Authorities regrouped around noon Saturday and were able to recover Centeno’s body in 10 to 12 feet of water during the mid-afternoon hours.

According to a press release issued by Lindgren Monday afternoon, the second boat involved in the crash was operated by John Ewert, and his wife, Deirde, was also on board. The Ewerts were traveling eastbound into shore when they collided with Centeno’s boat. Mr. and Mrs. Ewert were examined on shore by medical personnel and neither required further medical treatment.

Centeno was not wearing a lifejacket at the time of the crash. The results of an autopsy by the Anoka County Medical Examiner’s Office are still pending.

Both watercrafts have been impounded by the sheriff’s office and are being inventoried as part of the ongoing investigation. Upon completion of the investigation, the case will be forwarded to the Mille Lacs County Attorney’s Office for review.

The sheriff’s office reminds everyone to use their navigation lighting on their boats at night and reduce traveling speed.

Mille Lacs County Sheriff’s Office Deputies as well as Mille Lacs County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue personnel responded to the collision and were assisted by the Isle Police Department, the Isle Fire Department, Mille Lacs Health System Ambulance Service, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Enforcement Division, the Minnesota State Patrol and the Mille Lacs Tribal Department of Natural Resources Enforcement Division.

Tony was my neighbor at the lake, this is very sad and he will be dearly missed. Really great guy and absolutely loved to fish Mille Lacs.

Brian Klawitter wrote:

While sturgeon fishing on the St Croix far too many times boats, big boats have come far too close to me when I’m running all of my lights anchored. I

Closest boat i’ve had buzz me on the croix at night was the dam sheriff. But, i’ve given plenty of boats the 3,000,000 candlepower to the face on many occasions!

There will be a benefit for Tony at the Wharf next Sunday. Hope to see you all there.

-J.

This is really sad. Hopefully, some good can come out of this and we can all learn from this tragic accident about how to be better, safer boaters.

The benefit is on Sunday at Fishermens Wharf. From the Wharf home page:

http://www.wharfmn.com/

Benefit in memory of
Tony Centeno

Tony passed away Fri. August 8th in a boating accident on Lake Mille Lacs. A benefit is being held to help his family.
Sun. August 31st @ Fishermen’s Wharf Resort
Starts 11am

BBQ Ribs, Drinks, Silent Auction, Raffles, Games & More!

FREE Goodie Bags for kids!

If you can’t attend the event but would like to help you can donate directly to the family on the GoFundMe Page.
GoFundMe Page

http://www.gofundme.com/cungh4

Please contact Lisa L if you’d like to donate a silent auction item or help in any other way.
[email protected] or 612-760-3931

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