Professional bass angler Flint Davis has been indicted on manslaughter charges stemming from a fatal boat wreck that occurred during a Major League Fishing tournament in April. The crash on Alabama’s Smith Lake claimed the lives of three men and injured two more.
In announcing Davis’ indictment during a press conference Friday, Cullman County District Attorney Champ Crocker shared a video clip of the crash. The footage, which was released at the request of the victims’ families, paints a clearer picture of what occurred on the water and the factors that led to the fatal collision on April 16. It shows Davis’ Nitro bass boat traveling in a straight line at a high rate of speed down the middle of the open lake. Without turning or slowing down, Davis’ bass boat strikes the center-console vessel, which was anchored and fishing at the time. Davis’ boat then goes airborne.
Alabama Marine Patrol Chief Matt Brooks addressed the public after the video played, and he spoke directly to the factors at play. He noted that it was a calm, clear day with minimal boat traffic, and he said the underlying cause of the wreck was “operator inattention” and “distraction” on Davis’ part. He clarified that Davis was traveling at a speed of 67 mph at the time of the crash, and that alcohol was not a factor.
“Mr. Davis traveled in a straight line at a consistent speed with unrestricted forward view for at least one mile prior to striking the [center-console boat], a vessel our investigation indicates Mr. Davis clearly did not see,” Brooks explained.
Although this kind of video evidence is rarely made public during a pending criminal case, Crocker said he’d authorized the video’s release after consulting with the victims’ families and law enforcement.
“As a prosecutor, I am limited about what I can say about the facts and evidence in this case. However, the rules of professional conduct make an exception on matters of public safety,” Crocker explained during the press conference. “There are rules of the road when it comes to the water, just like there are on the highway. And we want the public to understand and follow these rules, and to appreciate the dangers of not doing so.”
Davis now faces three felony counts of reckless manslaughter and two felony counts of first degree assault, according to the Associated Press, along with three misdemeanors: reckless operation of a vessel, failing to follow boating rules, and boating without a boater safety certification. He was charged and booked in Cullman County Jail Thursday and subsequently released on bail.
Davis was competing in a Major League Fishing tournament when the collision took place. It was the second day of the three-day tournament, and MLF cancelled the third day of the tournament. The organization released a statement that afternoon, but it did not share any details around the circumstances of the crash. Pictures soon emerged, however, showing a wrecked Nitro Z21 bass boat with Davis’ name on the side.
Officials had identified the three individuals killed as: Joey M. Broom, 58, of Altoona Alabama; John K. Clark, 44, of Cullman, Alabama; and Jeffrey C. Little, 62, of Brandon, Mississippi.
During Thursday’s press conference, Crocker identified the two men who were injured as Luke Morgan and Gary Holcomb, a local striped bass guide with more than 30 years’ experience. He clarified that the four men onboard Holcomb’s boat, a 2007 Cape Craft CC22, were on a company-sponsored guided fishing trip, and that Holcomb was operating the vessel when it was struck.
In September, the widow of one of the victims, Lisa Little, filed a lawsuit against Major League Fishing, MLF’s president Boyd Duckett, Flint Davis, and Gary Holcombe of Smith Lake Striper Guide Service. Little’s lawsuit states that the tournament should have implemented speed limits for the competitors and it alleges that Davis did not have a valid boating license in his home state of Georgia nor did he have a Non-Resident Alabama Boater Safety Certification.
According to Little’s lawsuit: “Defendant MLF, including its president, Defendant Boyd Duckett, knowingly created a culture in its fishing tournaments that encouraged, incentivized, and caused participants to negligently, recklessly and wantonly operate their fishing vessels in a manner that endangers … public safety, and MLF did in fact encourage, incentivize, and cause Defendant Flint Davis to negligently, recklessly and wantonly operate his fishing vessel in a manner which resulted in Jeffrey Clayton Little’s death.”
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The family of Joey Broom has also filed its own wrongful lawsuit against Davis, according to Wired2Fish. Both lawsuits are separate from the criminal case involving Davis that Crocker is overseeing in Cullman County. During Thursday’s press conference, Crocker said the 18-member grand jury was unanimous in indicting Davis on manslaughter charges. He clarified, however, that an indictment is an accusation, and that all defendants are innocent until proven guilty.
“This was a complex and time consuming investigation,” Crocker said. “This matter has gotten a lot of attention but I want to emphasize that no one has more information about this case than the grand jury.”
Crocker said that in addition to its indictment, the grand jury also issued findings and recommendations that it authorized him to make public. Those are:
- “That all fishing tournaments in the state of Alabama require participants to provide proof of boating safety certification, boating licenses, and any other license required by law.”
- “That all fishing tournaments in the state of Alabama facilitate safety education for participants.”
- “The facilitators of fishing tournaments owe a duty to participants, to non-participants who happen to be on the water during fishing tourneys, and the general public, to promote safety during fishing tourneys.”
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