Latest news with #FlintDavis
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
Family of man killed in Smith Lake boating incident files lawsuit against MLF, angler and boat guide
CULLMAN COUNTY, Ala. (WHNT) — The family of one of the men killed in a deadly Smith Lake boating incident in April is suing the bass boat driver, Major League Fishing and the driver of the striper service boat. On Friday, the family of Joey Broom filed a lawsuit against Major League Fishing, LLC, Flint Davis and Gary Holcombe. Davis is the angler whose boat was involved in the deadly boating incident and Holcombe was operating the Smith Lake Striper Guide Service boat that was also involved. The lawsuit additionally names 13 'fictitious defendants.' On April 16, Broom was one of three killed in a deadly boating incident on Smith Lake during a Major League Fishing tournament. WHNT's sister station WIAT, said officials with Cullman County EMA said the crash happened around 7:07 a.m. in the area of Burr's Island outside of Miller Bottom and involved multiple boats. Major League Fishing confirmed that a 'serious boating accident' happened on the lake during the second day of the Tackle Warehouse Invitational. The incident involved one of the competing anglers, Davis of Leesburg, Georgia. ALEA said Davis was the operator of the Nitro Bass Boat that hit the Center Console boat, driven by Holcombe. As a result, 44-year-old John K. Clark, of Cullman, and 62-year-old Jeffrey C. Little, of Brandon, Mississippi, were thrown overboard from the Center Console and drowned. Their bodies were recovered near the Miller Flats area of Smith Lake. Luke H. Morgan & Holcombe were injured in the incident and were both taken to UAB Hospital for treatment. ALEA said the two-boat crash also killed 58-year-old Broom, saying he was hit by the bass boat itself and was pronounced dead on the scene. Davis was the only one onboard the Nitro Bass Boat during the crash, while Holcombe, Morgan, Broom, Clark and Little were all on the Center Console. In the lawsuit, the family of Broom says MLF had a duty to exercise reasonable care in the operation and management of its tournament to prevent harm to third parties, including nonparticipating fishermen on Lewis Smith Lake. Because of this competition that operated in the foggy conditions on April 16, the lawsuit says MLF created a 'foreseeable risk of serious injury or death.' It also says the company failed to implement basic safety measures, including speed limits, launch delays or traffic separation protocols. The lawsuit lists 7 counts against the defendants: Count 1- Negligence and Wanton (deliberate and unprovoked) Conduct against Flint Davis Count 2- Negligent Event Management against MLF Count 3- Vicarious Liability against MLF Count 4- Joint Venture against MLF Count 5- Negligent Hiring, Training and Supervision against MLF Count 6- Negligence and Wanton (deliberate and unprovoked) Misconduct against Gary Holcombe Count 7- Wrongful Death against all defendants This charge comes from the family against Davis, saying he breached his duty to operate his boat in a 'safe and prudent manner' while on Smith Lake. As a direct result of this alleged negligence, Broom was killed. It also says Davis acted with 'conscious disregard for the safety of others and in a manner that was wanton under Alabama Law. This charge is against the MLF, saying the organization had a duty to manage the tournament in a manner that ensured the safety of not only participants but also the public that was also present on the lake that day. 'MLF breached that duty by, inter alia, failing to provide clear directional zones, vessel spacing requirements, safety warnings, and by not implementing appropriate launch sequencing or enforcing speed regulations near other boaters,' the lawsuit says. Due to MLF's 'breach of duty,' the lawsuit says this resulted in the collision that then killed Broom. This count says that MLF is 'vicariously liable' for the negligent and wanton acts committed by Davis during the tournament, as he acted within his field of participation in the MLF tournament. Count 4 also comes against MLF, saying that MLF and Davis were engaged in a joint venture to carry out a 'common commercial purpose: Participation in and promotion of the MLF tournament for shared financial benefit.' The document says MLF had a level of control over Davis's actions and derived benefit from his participation, satisfying the elements of joint venture. The lawsuit says Davis's actions occurred within the scope of this joint venture, and MLF is therefore jointly and severally liable for the damages arising from those actions Against MLF, this count says the organization failed to adequately screen Davis' 'boating competency, experience, or disciplinary history, and by failing to train or instruct him on safety protocols and tournament navigation procedures.' It also claims MLF failed to supervise Davis during the course of the tournament to prevent harm to others, resulting in the death of Broom. This count goes against Holcombe, the driver of the Center Console boat. The lawsuit says Holcombe had a duty to operate the boat with reasonable care that did not 'endanger others.' The lawsuit says Holcombe 'breached his duty by operating or allowing the operation of a vessel in a negligent and/or wanton manner, including but not limited to, unsafe speeds, failure to maintain proper lookout, or creating navigational hazards that contributed to the fatal collision, and the negligence and/or wanton misconduct combined and concurred with the negligence and/or wanton misconduct of other defendants to cause the death.' The document says that for this, Holcombe's actions demonstrated a conscious 'disregard' for the safety of others, including Broom. Against all the defendants, the family of Broom says it 'demands judgment against the Defendants, jointly and severally, including fictitious party Defendants, and requests that the jury selected to hear this case render a verdict for the Plaintiff and against each Defendant in a sum inexcess of the jurisdictional limits of this Court, in an amount which is adequate to reflect the enormity of the Defendants' wrongful acts and which will deter and/or prevent other similar or wrongful acts, together with interest from the date of the incident, attorneys' fees, and the costs of the proceeding.' The lawsuit also names 13 fictitious defendants, which claims that the negligence of all the defendants, combined and concurred, caused Broom's death. Fictitious Defendants No. 1: Singular or plural, that entity or those entities that afforded any insurance coverage to the owner or the driver of the boat(s) or the tournament fishing series involved in this matter. Fictitious Defendants No. 2: Singular or plural, that entity or those entities on whose behalf any of the vehicle(s) involved in the collision made the basis of this lawsuit were being operated at the time of said occurrence. Fictitious Defendants No. 3: Singular or plural, the driver of the boat which struck the Plaintiff's decedent on the occasion made the basis of this suit. Fictitious Defendants No. 4: Singular or plural, that entity or those entities who or which provided maintenance and upkeep on the boat(s) involved in the occurrence, made the basis of this lawsuit. Fictitious Defendants No. 5: Singular or plural, that entity or those entities who or which did any maintenance, upkeep, and/or repair work on the boat(s) involved in the occurrence made the basis of this complaint. Fictitious Defendants No. 6: Singular or plural, that entity or those entities who or which were the master or principal of the driver of the boat(s) involved in the occurrence made the basis of this lawsuit. Fictitious Defendants No. 7: Singular or plural, that entity or those entities for whom the driver of the boat(s) which struck the Plaintiff's decedent was performing some type of service or employment duty at the time of this collision. Fictitious Defendants No. 8: Singular or plural, that entity or those entities who or which negligently entrusted the boat(s) involved in the occurrence, made the basis of this lawsuit to the driver thereof at the time of said occurrence. Fictitious Defendants No. 9: Singular or plural, that entity or those entities who or which issued any policy of insurance which provided coverage for the Plaintiff's decedent on the occasion made the basis of this lawsuit. Fictitious Defendants No. 10: Singular or plural, that entity or those entities, other than those entities described above, whose breach of contract or warranty contributed to causing the occurrence made the basis of this lawsuit. Fictitious Defendants No. 11: Singular or plural, that entity or those entities other than those entities described above, which is the successor in interest of any of those entities described above. Fictitious Defendants No. 12: Singular or plural, that entity or those entities other than those entities described above, which was the predecessor corporation of any of the entities described above. Fictitious Defendants No. 13: Singular or plural, that entity or those entities other than those entities described above, which organized, operated, sanctioned and/or produced the fishing tournament conducted on the day of the decedent's death. You can read the full lawsuit filed below. lawsuit-of-Broom-against-MLF-Davis-HolcombeDownload Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Yahoo
3 Dead in Boat Crash at Major League Fishing Tournament
Three people are dead and multiple people were injured after a tragic boating accident during a Major League Fishing tournament in Alabama. The league announced Wednesday that the accident happened just 30 minutes into Day 2 of the Tackle Warehouse Invitational. The deadly incident involved one of the event's competing anglers, Flint Davis of Leesburg, Georgia. Advertisement Details are still murky but according to multiple reports, a fishing boat collided with another boat. The cause of the crash remains under investigation. Related: Beloved Football Chaplain Dies in Freak Boating Accident "Out of respect for those involved, and to ensure the accuracy of all information, no further details will be released at this time," the league announced. "MLF is working closely with law enforcement and emergency officials. Additional updates will be provided as they are confirmed by the appropriate authorities. Our thoughts and prayers and deepest concern are with everyone affected by this tragic incident." According to TMZ, the victims include Joey M. Broom, 58, who died in the boat collision. John K. Clark, 44, and Jeffrey C. Little, 62, sadly drowned after they were thrown overboard during the incident. The event was scheduled to run until Thursday, but the final day has been canceled due to the tragedy.
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Yahoo
Victims injured in Smith Lake boating crash plan to file lawsuit
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — The families of two men seriously injured in a crash involving two boats on Smith Lake during a Major League Fishing tournament have retained legal counsel. Friday afternoon we sat down with Ken Riley, of Farris, Riley and Pitt. He said that they plan to file a lawsuit next week on behalf of Gary Holcombe and Luke Morgan. He said both men were seriously injured in Wednesday's crash on Smith Lake. According to ALEA, Flint Davis of Leesburg, Georgia was driving a Nitro Bass boat that struck a center console boat with five people on board at 7:03 Wednesday morning. Three people on that boat were killed, and two were injured, including the operator of the boat, 51-year-old Gary Holcombe of Cullman and passenger 30-year old Luke Morgan of Albertville. According to ALEA, 22-year old Flint Davis was also injured. A statement released on Friday afternoon by Farris, Riley & Pitt reads in part: 'We are investigating the events that led to this collision with local and state authorities to learn what happened and to preserve critical evidence.' Partner Ken Riley said they do plan to file a lawsuit next week: 'Based on our own investigation, and we've conducted an investigation of our own, an independent investigation, we believe that there's definitely negligence and we intend to hold those who are responsible accountable.' Riley said this is about more than money: 'What we want to see come out of this is obviously we want our clients compensated, but we also want to create a scenario where this doesn't happen again, and the way you do that is to effectuate change.' ALEA releases new details in Lewis Smith Lake boat crash He added that they have to make sure that Alabama provides a safe place for tournaments to operate: 'Not just for the people who are in the tournaments, but also the people who are using the waterways who have every right to use the waterways.' We have reached out to the attorney for the driver of the boat, Flint Davis. His attorney Joe Durham provided us with a statement which reads: 'This is a tragic situation for everyone involved, until more details are known, we are not making any further comment.' We also reached out to Major League Fishing Friday afternoon. They sent us a statement which reads: 'This is a heartbreaking moment for our entire organization. Our deepest condolences go out to the families and friends of those affected by this tragedy. We are working closely with law enforcement and emergency officials. As this is a pending legal matter, we will have no comment beyond that at this time.' ALEA's Marine Patrol division continues to investigate the crash. The three men who were killed as a result of the crash on Wednesday were 58-year old Joey Broom, 44-year old Kelly Clark, and 62-year old Jeffrey Little. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Yahoo
Three Killed in Boat Crash at Major League Fishing Tournament
Flint Davis' boat after the Fatal Fishing Tournament crash; (photo/Facebook) A fatal boat collision during the Major League Fishing (MLF) Tackle Warehouse Invitational on Alabama's Lewis Smith Lake has left three people dead and several others injured. The crash occurred early Wednesday morning, which led MLF officials to cancel the tournament's final day. Advertisement 'This is a heartbreaking moment for our entire organization,' Kathy Fennel, MLF's executive vice president and general manager, said in a statement. 'Our deepest condolences go out to the families and friends of those affected by this tragedy.' According to authorities, the accident happened around 7 a.m. when a Nitro bass boat, operated by one of the tournament's competing anglers, collided with a center console vessel. Three men in the center console boat were identified as John K. Clark, 44, of Cullman, Alabama; Jeffrey C. Little, 62, of Brandon, Mississippi; and Joey M. Broom, 58, of Altoona, Alabama. All three died from injuries sustained in the crash. Two of the men were ejected and drowned, and the third died later from trauma. The MLF angler involved in the crash was identified as Flint Davis of Leesburg, Georgia. Flint Davis on his boat the day before the fatal accident on Lewis Smith Lake; (photo/Flint Davis Instagram) 'I want to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers,' Davis said in a post uploaded to his Instagram. Advertisement In response to the incident, Major League Fishing canceled the final day of the tournament. The event had been underway since Sunday and included a top prize of up to $115,000. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency's Marine Patrol Division is continuing to investigate the cause of the collision. No further details have been released at this time. The crash has cast a shadow over the competitive fishing world. It serves as a sobering reminder of the real risks anglers face whenever they step into a boat. Read More
CBS News
17-04-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
Fishing tournament boats collision in Alabama leaves 3 dead
Cullman, Ala. — Two boats collided during a fishing tournament early Wednesday in Alabama, killing three people, officials said. Major League Fishing said in a statement that a boating accident occurred during the second day of the Tackle Warehouse Invitational held on Lewis Smith Lake, a popular recreational destination about 70 miles north of Birmingham. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, which is investigating the crash, said a bass fishing boat struck a center console-type vessel. Three people who were on board were killed. CBS Birmingham affiliate WIAT-TV reports that the accident happened at about 7 a.m., according to the Cullman County Emergency Services Agency. Neither the state agency nor Major League Fishing released information about what led to the crash. Major League Fishing said in a statement that competitor Flint Davis was involved. The state agency said Joey M. Broom, 58, of Altoona, was fatally injured in the collision. John K. Clark, 44, of Cullman, and Jeffrey C. Little, 62, of Brandon, Mississippi, were thrown overboard and drowned, the agency stated. "This is a heartbreaking moment for our entire organization," Kathy Fennel, Major League Fishing executive vice president and general manager, said in a statement. "Our deepest condolences go out to the families and friends of those affected by this tragedy." The organization canceled the third and final day of the competition, which was scheduled for Thursday. Professional anglers had been competing for a top prize of up to $115,000.
