UPDATE: Griffin's body was finally found. The Prince Brothers were laid to rest on July 3, 2012.
9-year-old Jake Prince and his 13-year-old brother Griffin were enjoying an evening of family fun, floating on a pontoon boat on Lake Lanier, when out of nowhere, a drunken boater slammed into them. Jake was immediately killed and Griffin was thrown into the deep murky waters, where rescuers are still trying to recover his body after more than a week. This tragedy has Georgia citizens asking the State to match Boating under the Influence (BUI) laws to the stricter DUI laws currently in place.
Currently, the legal drinking limit for driving on Georgia roads is .08, while the legal limit for boating is .10. Even during the ongoing search for young Griffin’s body, at least 7 boaters were stopped on Lake Lanier for BUI! This casual, selfish, and deadly attitude of boating and drinking must be stopped!
Please demand that Georgia lower the legal drinking limit for boaters and increase the penalties if they are caught operating a boat under the influence!
Dear Governor Deal,
The Prince family has suffered the death of two sons due to the careless actions of a drunken boater on Lake Lanier. The State of Georgia owes it to the memory of these precious children to make our water ways safer for law abiding citizens. We are demanding changes to State law to include the following:
- No open alcohol containers on boats.
- Boater Training/Licensure.
- Increased law enforcement, especially during peak boating seasons and at night.
We (the undersigned) are also asking you to significantly increase the penalties for Boating Under the Influence!
Sincerely,
