Utah Lawsuit: Swimmer Negligent in Fatal Boat Accident

Court papers filed for the defendants in a wrongful death lawsuit say a woman killed in a boating accident put herself in harm’s way when she chose to swim in open water.

Esther Fujimoto was killed Aug. 21 after being hit by a powerboat at Pineview Reservoir in Utah. Her family filed a 2nd District Court lawsuit against boaters Robert Cole Boyer, Skyler Shepherd and Colton Raines in Ogden last fall.

The family lawsuit contends the three men were drinking and smoking marijuana before the accident.

In a response last week, attorneys for Boyer and Raines say Fujimoto’s fatal injuries were the result of her own negligence, the Standard-Examiner of Ogden reports.

Shepherd’s attorney made similar claims in a separate response.

No criminal charges have been filed.