Last weekend a man and his wife were on Boone Lake riding in a ski boat with their little three year-old boy sitting at the front of the boat. The father made a sharp turn to go back and meet his parents who were on the water in their boat.

The little boy fell off when the boat turned and they ran over him and the motor struck and killed him. He was wearing a life jacket but it made no difference. The father dove into the water and rescued the baby and it was taken to the hospital but was dead.

No charges will be filed against the father because it was an "accident."

Here is my question: It is against the law, in TN, for passengers to ride on the bow, sides, or stern of a boat and the fine can be up to $500. If the baby was sitting so close to the front that he was thrown into the water, can that be considered riding on the bow?

I know the parents must be devastated but, IMO it is both negligent and irresponsible to allow a child so small to ride in a position that it cannot be protected from falling overboard. I don't mean to sound unsympathetic but I keep asking myself, "What were they thinking?"