Reenactment Becomes Reality, Two Injured

The accidental usage of live ammunition during a classic naval battle reenactment seriously injured two people during a festival Saturday evening in Dana Point.

According to accident reports, two schooner ships, the Amazing Grace and the Bill of Rights, were engaged in a mock battle meant to simulate a historic sea engagement when a crew member aboard the Amazing Grace accidentally filled a cannon loaded with a box of buckshot after the ship had run out of theatrical blanks.

The accidental attack sent a spray of pellets at the crew of the foe-enemy ship, injuring two, including 32 year old Donna Reed, who was hit by five pellets in her lower body.

Some of the pellets remained lodged in her legs, and she was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital for emergency treatment. “It was like a scene from ‘The Exorcist’,” said Reed in an interview with the LA Times. “I started to bleed in several different areas.”

The incident forced the immediate conclusion of the reenactment as paramedics arrived on the scene to tend to the two wounded victims.

Residents in the area who witnessed the accident were more than a bit surprised that live ammunition was being fired in the recreation. “What was live shot doing aboard during the show?” shouted one baffled viewer.

The battle reenactment is a part of yearly festival that has been hosted by the Ocean Institute in Dana Point Harbor for nearly three decades. The festival is meant to celebrate and remember important historical events of the high seas, though not so realistically as to fire live rounds into other reenactment actors.

Situations like these are rare, though they still have the capacity to inflict life altering damages for those involved. Reed and the crew of the Amazing Grace are fortunate that the accidentally fired buck shot did not find a more lethal location to hit.

If you or someone you know has been injured in some kind of mishap or miscalculation in a harmless boating demonstration like this, however unlikely that may be, there are options available to you to receive the help you need to cover the high costs any damages may have inflicted upon you. Through the assistance of an experienced Orange County boating accident lawyer, you can get the compensation you deserve from those who are at fault in your accident.

At AA Accident Attorneys, we have the knowledge and expertise to guide you through the complex legal process and can get you the full amount that you are owed. We will never charge you a thing for our services until your case has been won. Call us today for a free evaluation and to learn what we can do to help you recover.