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Key West World Powerboat Championship: Racer Jeffrey Tillman Killed By Incompetence (Video)

Audio By Carbonatix

The crash killed two men It was one of the most spectacular and horrible crashes in South Florida marine history. A powerboat traveling more than 130 miles per hour flipped over backward and two men drowned beneath the hull in a world championship event as rescue workers struggled to reach the site.

Now, a lawsuit filed in Fort Lauderdale charges the pair, Jeffrey Tillman and his 74-year-old throttleman, Bob Morgan, died unnecessarily.

The suit was filed November 7, just as this past weekend's races in Key West started.. More than 40 boats competed against one another to run the 6.2 mile course.

Miami is a powerboating mecca. Its role in the trade was highlighted in 1987, with the gangland style killing of Don Aronow , the greatest powerboat racer of all time. During that era, the boats were often used to transport cocaine to the United States from the Caribbean.

Tillman and Morgan were killed in November 2011 when their boat flipped over. It took rescue workers nine minutes to reach them, charges the lawsuit filed by attorney William Scherer, because race sponsors incorrectly assumed they were killed by blunt trauma,.

The race was later cancelled because a second boat turned over, and rescue workers were stretched too thin to continue.

Three days later, a second driver, Joey Gratton, was killed when his boat flipped over. His widow has also sued race organizers Superboat International Productions and President John Carbonell. That suit is presently scheduled to go to trial early next year.

Autopsies after the accident showed Tillman and Morgan died from drowning. Saltwater was discovered in their lungs.

The suit faults race sponsors for allowing Tillman's boat to continue even though it didn't have a reinforced cockpit or a through-hull escape hatch, which might have saved the men, According to the Associated Press, boat teams now have to share safety plans with race sponsors, which was not required in the past.

Send your story tips to the author, Chuck Strouse.

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VIDEO: Dramatic double boat flip kicks off Race World Offshore Key West Championships

KEY WEST, Fla. (AP) — Offshore powerboat racers Billy Mauff and Jay Muller have piloted WHM Motorsports to lead the Super Cat-class after the first of three competition days at the Race World Offshore Key West Championships in the Florida Keys.

Mauff, of East Setauket, New York, and Muller, of Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey, easily placed first, leading at Wednesday's start and never looking back.

CR Racing, with Robert Unnerstall of Wentzville, Missouri, and Casey Boaz of Osage Beach, Missouri, leads the Super Stock class.

A dramatic two-boat accident occurred on the fifth lap of the Super Stock race. LPC and Team Allen Lawn Care landed upside-down between Turns 2 and 3.

Officials say several crew members were transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Racing is to continue Friday with finals on Sunday.

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2 Powerboat Racers Die After High Speed Crash in Key West

Nov. 9, 2011: In this photo, provided by the Florida Keys News Bureau, rescue personnel, right, work on extracting offshore powerboat racers Robert M. Morgan of Sunrise Beach, Mo., and Jeffrey Tillman of Kaiser, Mo., after their 46-foot catamaran was involved in an accident, during the first of three race days at the Key West World Championship in Key West, Fla. (AP/Florida Keys News Bureau)

KEY WEST, Fla. – Two offshore powerboat racers died Wednesday after their catamaran went airborne at high speed and crashed, marring the opening of three days of racing at the Key West World Championship, officials said.

Big Thunder Marine — a 46-foot Skater catamaran with four 1,200 horsepower engines that competed in the Superboat Unlimited Class — came down so hard its right front hull was severely damaged on the third lap of Wednesday's race inside Key West Harbor, organizers said.

Superboat International President John Carbonell said he witnessed the crash, which occurred adjacent to a spectator area.

"He was probably going about 130 mph and the boat's propellers were barely in the water," Carbonell said. "The boat apparently caught some air and went bow (front) up; straight into the air, came down and went backwards."

He identified the dead as Robert M. Morgan, of Sunrise Beach, Mo., and Jeffrey Tillman, of Kaiser, Mo. They were piloting the boat as throttleman and driver respectively.

Carbonell said rescue divers deployed to the accident site in less than a minute. Both men were removed alive from the wreckage of the catamaran and transported to Lower Keys Medical Center, he added.

Tillman died either before or just after arrival at the hospital, and Morgan apparently soon after leaving Key West aboard an air trauma ambulance, according to organizers.

Carbonell said the force of the boat coming down was powerful and crushing.

Morgan had come out of retirement to race with SBI this year, Carbonell said.

"He told me a few days ago that this (Key West) was his last hurrah," he said "He was a helluva of a nice guy and is going to be missed."

Despite the accident and rescue efforts, the race later continued. But Carbonell said he stopped the race before the scheduled seventh lap due to another accident, which stretched medical and safety resources. Scott Roman of Marlton, N.J., and Ron Roman of Lumberton, N.J., escaped injury after their Motley Crew boat overturned.

Carbonell said that the world championship will continue with scheduled races Friday and the finals Sunday.

"This is a very dangerous sport and the racers know that," he said. "You push it to the edge and see how far you go."

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Two Powerboaters Killed At Key West Race

Two missouri men killed when catamaran crashes at key west world championship, published november 10, 2011.

Two offshore powerboat racers died Wednesday after their catamaran went airborne at high speed and crashed, marring the opening of three days of racing at the Key West World Championship, officials said.   Big Thunder Marine - a 46-foot Skater catamaran with four 1,200 horsepower engines that competed in the Superboat Unlimited Class - came down so hard that its right front hull was severely damaged on the third lap of Wednesday's race inside Key West Harbor, organizers said.   Superboat International President John Carbonell said he witnessed the crash, which occurred adjacent to a spectator area.   "He was probably going about 130 mph and the boat's propellers were barely in the water," Carbonell said. "The boat apparently caught some air and went bow (front) up; straight into the air, came down and went backwards."   He identified the dead as Robert M. Morgan, of Sunrise Beach, Mo., and Jeffrey Tillman, of Kaiser, Mo. They were piloting the boat as throttleman and driver respectively.   Carbonell said rescue divers deployed to the accident site in less than a minute. Both men were removed from the wreckage of the catamaran and transported to Lower Keys Medical Center.   Tillman died either before or just after arrival at the hospital, and Morgan apparently soon after leaving Key West aboard an air trauma ambulance, according to organizers.   Carbonell said the force of the boat coming down was powerful and crushing.   Morgan had come out of retirement to race with SBI this year, Carbonell said.   "He told me a few days ago that this (Key West) was his last hurrah," he said "He was a helluva of a nice guy and is going to be missed."   Despite the accident and rescue efforts, the race later continued. But Carbonell said he stopped the race before the scheduled seventh lap due to another accident, which stretched medical and safety resources. Scott Roman of Marlton, N.J., and Ron Roman of Lumberton, N.J., escaped injury after their Motley Crew boat overturned.   Carbonell said that the world championship will continue with scheduled races Friday and the finals Sunday.   "This is a very dangerous sport and the racers know that," he said. "You push it to the edge and see how far you go."   In the Superboat Unlimited class, driver Bob Bull of Macks Creek, Mo., piloted CMS to first place in the standings with an average speed of 120.31 mph during the first race which counts for 25 percent of accumulated points.   Second in the Superboat Unlimited standings was Gasse, with driver Tor Staubo of Oslo, Norway, and veteran world champion John Tomlinson of Miami on the throttle. Gasse achieved an average speed of 116.44 mph.   In the Superboat Vee Extreme class, Outerlimits with Joe Sgro of Bellmore, N.Y., placed first at 98.81 mph, while Mike Janssen of Denver piloted Watch Your Back to first in the Superboat Vee Limited class at 82.06 mph.   Miss Geico, running alone in the turbine class, posted the race's fastest average speed at 122.23 mph with Marc Granet of Riviera Beach, Fla., at the helm.

Watch CBS News

2 Power Boat Racers Taken To Hospital In Key West During Race

November 11, 2011 / 10:37 PM EST / CBS Miami

KEY WEST (CBS4)- One Florida offshore powerboat racer is in critical condition while his teammate is in good condition following a Friday accident at the Key West World Championship.

Joey Gratton of University Park, in or near Sarasota, is being airlifted to Ryder Trauma Center in Miami, according to officials with Super Boat International, the event's sanctioning body.

His partner Stephen Page, the owner and driver of Page Motorsports, was admitted to Lower Keys Medical Center, but is in good condition, officials said.

The 38-foot Superboat 850-class Skater catamaran, rolled over twice in turn 1 of the 6.5-mile course Friday. No other boats were involved in the accident.

Story: Deadly Crash On 1st Day Of Keys Power Boat Races

For more on the Key West World Championship visit http://www.superboat.com

(©2011 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Andy Newman of the Florida Keys News Bureau contributed material for this report)

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