READERS RESPOND

The accident that killed Rupert the swan could have been avoided. The Harbor Patrol boat should have slowed down to avoid hitting the swan, the same way they would slow down to avoid hitting a kayak, canoe or any boat. The rules should be changed to allow the patrol boat operator to slow down when they see a possible collision with a large bird.

CHRIS GEOHEGAN

Balboa

I agree that the Harbor Patrol speeds around the harbor too often. I live in Irvine Terrace, and I hear their sirens going all the time. There can’t be that many emergencies, and I agree with others that they do it too often.

I don’t see why the Harbor Patrol deputy, when he saw the swan, didn’t slow down to let it pass. They could have some kind of device to scare birds to make them move out of the way. When you have an ambulance going across Pacific Coast Highway and they are in a hurry to get to a dead body or live one, they slow down for intersections. They slow down so they don’t cause accidents and hit cars. The same should be done with the Harbor Patrol.

They could slow down for a few seconds, and that poor swan trusted the Harbor Patrol. It makes me sick.

MARIANNE FARRELL

Corona del Mar

This thing about Rupert is a shame, and it goes to show that the Harbor Patrol really doesn’t care what happens.

Example, I live on the bay front and whenever there is something happening at the end of the jetty or in the ocean, they go racing by at 30 mph or more. The big red boat in particular makes big waves. The docks are torn apart. I have bumpers on my boat that popped because the waves hit my boat so hard.

I have made a suggestion that would help that situation a lot, but they pay no attention. If on the weekends, when most of the action out there occurs, they should have a boat posted at the end of the break water, from about 8 a.m. to sundown. There are about four times a day, Saturdays and Sundays during the summer they do this. I have talked to the Harbor Patrol about the posting of a boat out there, but they don’t do it.

KURTIS HERBERTS

Newport Beach

I say we need to review the Harbor Patrol’s call into the office first. As I understand it, the first call, identified the incident as a body floating in the harbor.

What gets this reader is the fact that the Harbor Patrol deputies couldn’t control a high-speed craft to avoid a living animal or a metal navigational marker; this raises questions about the training of the patrolmen. What if it was a little Sabot sailboat skippered by a 10-year-old and the metal navigational marker, perhaps the patrolman would have throttled down his speed? The question is sea room? Did the patrolman take off full speed “Code 3” with enough sea room in the beginning from his starting position.

After the jail duty the sheriff’s deputies must do, there’s no manual that includes experience in boat handling within close quarters as a prerequisite, so it’s OK to say someone messed up here.

Any skipper, and especially one who’s paid to skipper any craft, knows well enough to look around before increasing speed, especially to full speed, and to ensure the direction has enough room to accommodate the craft.

I’m very sad to read that a harbor commissioner would be so nonchalant about Rupert’s death and be happy with the job the Harbor Patrol does. Shame on you. Get the facts.

We may not have Rupert the swan anymore swimming about the harbor, but there’s still a lot of junior sailing programs and metal navigational markers in the harbor that the future Harbor Patrol deputies need to avoid.

TOM SMITH

Balboa Peninsula

I do agree that there are times that the Harbor Patrol should be allowed to speed through the harbor, especially if there is some kind of crime in progress. But the Harbor Patrol seems to have an awful lot of times when they’re speeding through the harbor and it appears that nothing is going on, that they’re just in a hurry to get to a location although there is no reason for them to speed to that location.

It is sad to hear that the black swan was killed. Unfortunately, although there was a body found, it would have made no difference if the Harbor Patrol was there in two minutes or 10. I feel the Harbor Patrol overuses its allowance to speed through the harbor.

NICK SCANDONE

Fountain Valley

I do think there are many instances when the Harbor Patrol unnecessarily speeds. Over many years I have seen them go to the rescue of a small boat that has turned over — a small sailboat perhaps — and on the way they create such large wakes that three or four large sailboats turn over in their wake. It’s ridiculous. Especially in the situation the other day, there was no need for speeding in that one. The other thing that they might look into is using catamaran-type boats that can go quite quickly without throwing a large wake. The colleges use such a boat for their rowing crew training.

We don’t need boats that patrol only in the bay to be the kind that can be deep sea boats and handle heavy seas because they never encounter them in the bay here. That should certainly be investigated.

GORDON GLASS

Newport Beach

It seems crazy talking about an animal when compared to a human life. The only thing that I’ve seen in your newspaper truly is concern about Rupert, who I genuinely, affectionately would care for when I was in the water myself, but the fact of the matter is that human life takes precedence and the Harbor Patrol needs to be able to respond to calls of human life being injured.

It is very, very disappointing to see so many people concerned about a swan versus the poor woman who was killed.

JIM DAILY

Newport Beach