Fisherman sues after narrowly escaping boat crash

Newly released video captured the moment three fisherman had to jump ship to avoid being hit by an oncoming motorboat last summer.

Go Pro video shows the three fisherman attempting to wave off the driver of the other boat just seconds before it hit.

Now one of the salmon fisherman who abandoned ship into the Columbia River has filed a $372,500 lawsuit against the other driver, the Oregonian reports.

74-year-old Marlon Larsen was the driver of a fiberglass 31′ Bayliner Trophy which struck the other boat. The Oregonian said Clatsop County Sheriff’s deputies accused Larsen of several crimes after he told investigators he couldn’t see where he was driving because he was sitting down and the dash of his boat was blocking his view.

The driver of the aluminum 20′ 7″ Weldcraft vessel was 45-year-old Christopher McMahon. He and 47-year-old Bryan Maess and 57-year-old Roni Durham were the ones who leaped out of the boat. All three fisherman suffered non-life threatening injuries.

The Oregonian reports, Maess filed suit claiming he suffered from vision problems, headaches and injuries to his ankle, leg and arm from the crash. His attorney said he’s also dealing with psychological trauma and hasn’t been on a boat since the crash.

Authorities don’t believe drugs or alcohol played a factor. Larsen was cited and released for Reckless Operation, 3 counts of Recklessly Endangering and 3 counts of Assault in the 4th degree.