Fatal Distraction: Blondes

blondes links to original article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 4 September 2011)

Businessman Ali Küçükoğlu was spending time with family and friends while
anchored off Heybeli Island when he fell victim to a murder-like accident.
The businessman lost his life when his craft was hit from behind at high speed
by a speedboat.

Mechanical engineer and businessman Ali Küçükoğlu (54) set out into the
Sea of Marmara with his wife, two daughters and family friends Saadet and
Abdurrahman Özbağrıaçık aboard the boat 'Mistral Wilmington', which he
had purchased 20 days ago, for a celebration. After touring around the water
for a while the businessman and his companions anchored the boat at
Çamlimanı off Heybeli.

Following lunch, the women and two children went to the front of the boat to
sun themselves while Küçükoğlu and Özbağrıaçık sat in the rear and began
to chat. At this moment a speedboat driven by textile businessman Ilker
Yiğit Hepkeskin (38), who had been touring around with two Ukranian girls,
hit Küçükoğlu's boat anchored in the bay. Özbağrıaçık saw the speedboat
racing toward them and jumped in the water to save himself. But Küçükoğlu,
covered in blood, collapsed on the boat.

A Coast Guard team arrived on the scene and brought Küçükoğlu to shore
but despite all efforts he could not be saved. His funeral was held at the
Divinity Faculty Mosque at Marmara University, after which he was buried
at Ulus Cemetary.

Özbağrıaçık said that 'claims that Ali died from a heart attach are untrue.
There were two cuts and bruises on Alı's back.' Ilker Yiğit, who caused the
accident, was brought to court and arrested. In his statement to the
prosecutor Hepkeskin explained that 'the speedboat's gas pedal got stuck.
When the girls panicked I was trying to calm them and then we hit the boat.'