East Texas

By STEVE KNIGHT
Outdoor Writer

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is continuing its investigation into a Friday morning boating accident on Lake Fork that killed one man and injured two others.

Jerald McSchooler, 49, Mineola, died Friday at Tyler’s East Texas Medical Center from injuries he suffered when his boat was in a collision with another driven by Steve Hammargren of Celeste.

Hammargren remains hospitalized at Trinity Mother Frances Hospital. A third person involved in the accident, Michael McSchooler of Sulphur Springs, was treated and released.

TPWD Game Warden Chris Green said the accident occurred between 8:30 and 9 a.m. during the McDonald’s Big Bass Splash bass tournament.

“They were both fishing the McDonald’s up in Little Mustang,” Green said. “There are boat lanes up there and they kind of Y together. One branches to the left fork and one to the right. One was coming down one and one down the other. (Hammargren) obviously did not see the other boat lane.”

Green said Hammargren’s boat ran into the driver’s side of McSchooler’s boat, with the driver taking the brunt of the blow.

“He was the impact vessel, but that is not to say he was at fault,” said Green, who added wardens are still looking into the events that lead up to the accident.

The warden said McSchooler suffered head and other injuries, and that if never regained consciousness.

“Right now we don’t know if criminal charges will be filed or not because of the circumstances with the boat lanes,” Green said.

While the weather for the tournament deteriorate Saturday with the passage of Hurricane Ike, Green said weather conditions at the lake were not a factor in Friday’s accident.