Will the Point Pleasant Beach Grand Prix event return for a 3rd time next year?

While the investigation continues into the fatal boat accident at the Point Pleasant Beach Grand Prix Event Sunday, questions are swirling in the midst of all the shock about whether there will be a third event next year or any similar event coming up.

Mayor Stephen Reid says as of right now the chances of these boat racers returning is still largely unknown with the tragedy still fresh in everyone's mind, but he's not ruling anything out just yet.

"I've talked to a few racers that were racing at Point Pleasant Beach," said Reid. "As far as I'm concerned and the council is concerned, we'd love to have them back but that's going to be up to the OffShore Powerboat Association but we'll be in talks with them soon."

Reid adds preliminary discussion resulted in some interest but there's nothing definitive as of now.

Investigators have already ruled the fatal boat crash an accident but are still looking into what happened, and officials are joining in to see if any safety measures need to be expanded.

Reid says it's a dangerous sport and that's why emergency officials such as Police, Fire and EMS crews are on land and dive teams are in the water.

"As far as racing goes, it's very safe," said Reid. "They always prepare for the worst and it just so happened that on Sunday what they practiced for happened."

He says he's not sure they need to prepare any differently should they hold another event.

"I really don't know what else could have been done to stop this from happening," said Reid.

He believes neither boat on the water Sunday saw each other before they collided.

"It's a very dangerous sport and I know the Offshore Powerboat Association is going to look into it and see what they could have done differently if anything," said Reid.

The accident, he says, is a grieving pain still felt by the entire boating community, family and friends.

"My heart really goes out to the families of those racers," said Reid. "This is a very tight-knit family of racers. Everyone knows the racers families."