Capsule Builder Killed When His Boat Crashes : Racing: Mullins, who built safety compartments for drivers, dies in his at Puddingstone Lake.

A maker of capsules designed for driver safety in boat racing apparently drowned in his Sunday when his top-fuel craft became airborne slightly past the starting line and plunged to the bottom of Puddingstone Lake in San Dimas during an International Hot Boat Assn. drag racing event.

Denver Mullins, 48, was the owner of Capsules by Denver Inc., which designed compartments for boat racers similar to those used in in jet fighters. The capsules are credited with saving countless lives in a sport in which boats frequently travel at speeds faster than 200 m.p.h.

Mullins, of Rialto, had raced boats for four years, beginning in the blown gas hydro class and working his way up in speed and power.

“He was attempting to earn his license in top fuel,” Jeff Wolf of Pacific Drag Boat Promotions said. The process involves passes at 300 feet from the starting line, halfway to the regular quarter-mile racing distance and three-quarters of the way.

“Denver was on his ‘half-track’ pass,” said Armando Porras, who worked with Mullins in Capsules by Denver and who describes himself as a “friend for 25 years.”

“The boat made a violent shake,” Porras said, “then went airborne and came down, going upside down to the bottom of the lake in the mud.”

He added that the lake is approximately 25 feet deep at the crash site.

Normally, the driver’s capsule separates from the wrecked boat, then slowly fills with water to equalize pressure and facilitate rescue and driver release. This time, said Porras, the capsule stayed with the boat.

“I don’t know why,” he said. “I won’t know until I take a look at the boat.”

The rescue took about 12 minutes, Porras said, adding that the unofficial cause of death was thought to be drowning. “I talked with the doctor (at Pomona Valley Hospital) and he said that it didn’t look like there was any trauma,” Porras said.

Mullins was pronounced dead at 6:33 p.m.

It was the third crash of the weekend involving drivers in boats with capsules, and the first two drivers walked away. It was Mullins’ second crash this year.

“He crashed at Lake Ming in Bakersfield in March and the boat was totaled,” Porras said. “But the capsule worked perfectly and he was fine.”

Sunday was the first time that the capsule had not separated from the boat, Porras said.

Porras said he and Mullins were putting together an exhibit to promote driver safety. “He was known nationally as the person who perfected the capsule,” Porras said.