Sacramento River Drowning
Sacramento River Drowning
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento personal injury lawyer. On July 4, 2016, California lost a true disability advocate and author in Laurie Hoirup. Mrs. Hoirup was a gubernatorial appointee to the position of Chief Deputy Director of State Council on Developmental Disabilities from 2006-2010 and had been a long time champion against spinal muscular atrophy, a disease that confined her to a wheelchair.
What Happened?
On Monday evening, Laurie and her husband, Jacob Hoirup, and their family were viewing fireworks from the couple’s boat on the Sacramento River. After the show had ended and the family returned the boat to a nearby dock, Mrs. Hoirup and others were attempting to exit the vessel. It was at this time, while Mrs. Hoirup was on the fixture connecting the boat and the dock, that there was sudden movement from the boat and the ramp went crashing into the water.
Husband Tried To Rescue Her
As they fell into the water, Jacob Hoirup grabbed Laurie in an attempt to save her. Unfortunately, the wheelchair was too heavy and both of them were pulled deep into the water- approximately fifteen feet. Jacob frantically tried to remove Laurie from her wheelchair to bring her to the surface for air but was unsuccessful and had to surface for air himself. When he went back under, he could not find his wife in the night-time water. Eventually, family and bystanders were able to find her body and used the boat’s anchor to bring her to the surface. Emergency personnel had been called and were arriving on scene while nearby onlookers attempted to aid the family and were making attempts to resuscitate Mrs. Hoirup- but it was too late. Paramedics took Laurie to Sutter Medical Center where she pronounced dead.
Professional Achievements
As mentioned, Laurie Hoirup was appointed by then Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to the position of Chief Deputy Director of State Council on Developmental Disabilities and served from 2006-2010. After her work in public service, Laurie began writing a book about her life and battle with spinal muscular atrophy, a battle that her family members will proudly proclaim that she won. After publishing her autobiography entitled I Can Dance: My Life with a Disability in 2012, Laurie focused her writing efforts on material for young-adult readers and had been working on a book at the time of her death. Laurie Hoirup was 60 years old.
We extend our condolences to the family of friends of Laurie Hoirup.
Sacramento Wrongful Death and Personal Injury Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento personal injury lawyer. If you or someone you hold dear has been seriously injured or passed away in an accident, please give me a call at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400 for free, friendly advice.
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Image Attribution: Public Domain Images at Wikimedia Commons – grief.jpg
Source of Sacramento River Drowning – Modesto Bee
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