Uber CEO Travis Kalanick with his mother, Bonnie Kalanick.
Uber CEO's mother killed, father injured in boating accident
Saturday, May 27, 2017 06:47PM
FRESNO, California --
The victims of a boating accident that left a woman dead and her husband injured near Fresno, California on Friday are the parents of Uber CEO and co-founder Travis Kalanick, the company said. They were not wearing the mandatory Life Jackets.
The Fresno County Sheriff's Office says Kalanick's parents, Donald and Bonnie, both in their 70s, were out at Pine Flat Lake when their boat struck a rock and sank.
Passing boaters noticed the debris field hours later and notified authorities. A sheriff's office helicopter spotted the couple, but by the time rescuers reached them, Bonnie was found dead. Donald was transported to Community Regional Medical Center where he is expected to survive.
THE ORIGINAL STORY:
At Pine Flat Lake, a quiet evening turned into chaos and confusion. A married couple in their 70s disappeared on a boat in the upper Kings River.
Uber issued the following statement regarding the accident:
"Last night Travis and his family suffered an unspeakable tragedy. His mother passed away in a devastating boating accident near Fresno and his father is in serious condition. Our thoughts and prayers are with Travis and his family in this heartbreaking time." They were not wearing the mandatory Life Jackets and they paid the price.
Uber was founded in 2009 by Kalanick and Garrett Camp.
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Uber CEO's mother dies in boating accident: 'Unspeakable tragedy' Posted: May 27, 2017 7:40 PM EST Updated: May 28, 2017 3:41 AM EST
Uber CEO Travis Kalanick with his mother, Bonnie Kalanick who died in the boat crash. They were not wearing the mandatory Life Jackets. 
On Saturday, the Fresno County Sheriff's Dive Team and Boating Enforcement Unit worked together to successfully recover the wrecked boat from Pine Flat Lake. The victims of a boating accident that left a woman dead and her husband injured near Fresno, California on Friday are the parents of Uber CEO and co-founder Travis Kalanick
On Saturday, the Fresno County Sheriff's Dive Team and Boating Enforcement Unit worked together to successfully recover the wrecked boat from Pine Flat Lake. The victims of a boating accident that left a woman dead and her husband injured near Fresno, California on Friday are the parents of Uber CEO and co-founder Travis Kalanick
On Saturday, the Fresno County Sheriff's Dive Team and Boating Enforcement Unit worked together to successfully recover the wrecked boat from Pine Flat Lake. The victims of a boating accident that left a woman dead and her husband injured near Fresno, California on Friday are the parents of Uber CEO and co-founder Travis Kalanick. They were not wearing the mandatory Life Jackets
On Saturday, the Fresno County Sheriff's Dive Team and Boating Enforcement Unit worked together to successfully recover the wrecked boat from Pine Flat Lake. The victims of a boating
accident that left a woman dead and her husband injured near Fresno,
California on Friday are the parents of Uber CEO and co-founder Travis
Kalanick. By Jackie Wattles NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Uber CEO Travis Kalanick's parents were involved in a boating accident on Friday that killed his mother and left his father badly injured.
The company, in a statement on Saturday, called the incident an "unspeakable tragedy" and said that Kalanick's father remains in a "serious condition." Kalanick's mother, Bonnie, was 71.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with Travis and his family in this heartbreaking time," the Uber statement reads.
An email sent to Uber employees said that Kalanicks father is being treated at a hospital.
Kalanick's parents, who went on frequent boating trips, were on Pine Flat Lake in Fresno County, California, when the accident occurred Friday.
The Fresno County Sheriff's Office said in a statement that an investigation into the incident is underway. An autopsy is planned for Sunday.
"A preliminary report indicates the boat struck a rock and the man and woman on the boat suffered injuries from the collision," the sheriff's statement said. They were not wearing the mandatory Life Jackets.
Kalanick was close with his mother, a person familiar with the matter said. Just over a week ago, he shared a Facebook post for Mother's Day with photos of them together, saying "I appreciate my mom, her infinite love and huge [heart] more and more."
Where the oak and pine meet
in the Sierra Nevada foothills, 35 miles east of Fresno, you will find an exceptional body of water called Pine Flat Lake.
Over a million acre feet of water is fed from the Kings Canyon watershed, the highest and longest watershed drop in the Continental United States. The lake offers a variety of activities such as recreational boating, world class fishing, and camping. At maximum capacity, the lake holds 1,000,000 acre feet of water, is 30 miles long and has a surface area of 6,000 acres. The lake and surrounding watersheds have great fishing. There are wild trout above and in the lake. In the lake lives large and smallmouth bass, bluegill, crappie, and planted trout.
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Boaters and Swimmers at Pine Flat Lake Have New Life Jacket Rule
Increasing Federal Regulation for Many Boaters, Says BoatUS
Photo Caption:
Without any public comment, the US Army Corp of Engineers has instituted
a new mandatory life jacket regulation at Pine Flat Lake, CA (shown).Photo Credit: USACE
In addition to life jackets now being mandatory for all
swimmers outside of designated swim areas, new USACE regulations say
that US Coast Guard approved life jackets must be worn by:
- Everyone aboard all non-motorized vessels, regardless of length, at all times,
- Everyone aboard motorized vessels up to 16-feet in length, at all times.
- Everyone aboard motorized vessels 16-feet in length or larger when underway (except when powered by trolling motor or if you are inside a fully-enclosed cabin or the boat is stationary.)
The US
Army Corps of Engineers is the nation's largest provider of outdoor
recreation, operating more than 2,500 recreation areas at 456 projects
(mostly lakes) in 43 states and leasing an additional 1,800 sites to
state or local park and recreation authorities or private interests.
With
nearly 372 million visits a year at the Corps lakes, beaches and other
areas, the overall number of Corps water-related fatalities nationwide
averages around 150 annually. Boating-related fatalities at Corps
facilities nationwide average 32 deaths a year (not including those who
voluntarily left their boat to swim).
“Unlike
state agencies, or even the US Coast Guard, the Corps of Engineers can
make this kind of change without any public comment,” said Boat Owners
Association of The United States (BoatUS)
Vice President of Government Affairs Margaret Podlich. “As part of a
multi-year study, they have instituted similar requirements in the
Pittsburgh, PA area and some lakes in Mississippi. While the word
‘study’ implies a temporary ruling, the Corps says they are considering
more permanent life jacket rules in the future that would cover much
larger geographical areas.”
Boaters
are encouraged to share their thoughts about these requirements by
logging in at [link removed since comment period over] to send email
comments to the Pine Flat Lake Park Manager and their members of
Congress.