Excellent points Collette,

Originally Posted by collyk
...we are often inclined to try to place blame to make sense to ourselves something that seems so awful. Blame doesn't help anyone, nor is it constructive and often is based on poor information. ..


I agree 100%. Just as we waited for the results of the boating accident investigation last summer we need to do that here. I think its appropriate to expess ideas about possible factors leading up to the tragedy and I suspect it will be a multiplcity of factors and not one single issue. Personally I'm making no assignments of fault I simply remain deeply saddened by the events and thoise affected by them.

Originally Posted by collyk
Gaining wisdom and using that knowledge to help reduce the risk of further accidents is constructive and helpful...


What did happen? what were the circumstances? what decisions were made, by whom, and almost as importantly what was ommitted? I hope a clear picture can be obtained through the inquest process. Not for the purposes of assigning blame, (although that possibility exists with an inquest) but to draw from this understanding, to learn, and to reduce the risks...

Originally Posted by collyk
Nevertheless, accidents are accidents - that's why they are called accidents - and they will always happen, no matter how many precautions we take...


We simply need to strive to do the best we can to minimize those possibility where we can.