Fisherman Sues After Boat Crash Caught on Video

A high-speed boat crash in the Columbia River just made it to court this month, and the video speaks for itself.

Byran Maess has filed a $372,500 lawsuit against Marlin Lee Larsen, who rammed directly into his fishing boat on Aug. 12, sending Maess and his two passengers plunging into icy waters.

In his suit, Maess claims that Larsen, who is 75 years old, was distracted by his cell phone leading up to the crash — a charge which Larsen has gone so far as to call "fake news." Larsen does, however, admit that he was sitting down while driving, obstructing his view of what he was headed towards.

In the video, recorded on two GoPro cameras mounted on Maess's fishing boat, shows Christopher McMahon as he jumps up and waves his arms wildly, screaming to try and get Larsen's attention. When he, Maess, and the third passenger, Roni Durham, realize there's no stopping the oncoming 31-foot motorboat, they leap into the water.

"Oh my God," Durham can be heard shouting as she makes the dive. All three were taken to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries after the crash.

Deputies from Clatsop County, as well as U.S. Coast Guard officials responded to the crash. They determined that drugs and alcohol played no part, but cited Larsen for reckless operation, three counts of reckless endangerment and three counts of fourth-degree assault.

Larsen, who usually sits on a motorized scooter to get around on land, swore that he had simply sat down to rest for a moment as they headed toward shore. However, his son-in-law, who was on the boat with him, told investigators he had occasionally seen Larsen look at his phone while driving the boat.

There are no specific laws preventing cell phone use while operating a boat.

Maess, who is a police officer, claims that he's still suffering from injuries to his leg, arm, and ankle as a result of the crash. He's also seeking damages for vision problems and chronic headaches.

Durham and McMahon are also in the process of suing Larsen, for injuries as well as psychological trauma.

Larsen's video became a viral sensation on Facebook, and is now expected to play a major role in the lawsuit moving forward.