# ReleasableAccidentes

BARDID: MD-2018-0106
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-09-08 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 18:32:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: 200 Oyster Cove Drive
NearestCityorTown: Kent Narrows
County: Queen Annes
WaterConditions: Rough
StrongCurrent: -1
HazardousWaters: -1
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Strong
Visibility: Fair
AccidentEvent1: Fall in vessel
AccidentCause1: Force of wake/wave
AccidentCause2: Hazardous waters
AccidentCause3: Weather
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On 09/08/18 I, Cpl, responded to an incident for a subject that fell on a boat and injured his back. Queen Anne's Fire and EMS responded to 200 Oyster Cove Road in Grasonville, MD to meet the subject who was still on the vessel in a slip at the community. 
Also on board the vessel was Subject's wife. Subject was transported to Shore Medical facility in Queenstown, MD with his wife in tow. I met both parties at the hospital and collected information for my report. Wife told me that they were on their way back to Kent Narrows from St. Michaels in Talbot County via Eastern Bay. She told me the sea conditions were rough and that Subject was leaning on the headrest of the seat with his arm when the headrest support broke and Subject fell backward over the seat and landed awkwardly on his back. Wife told me this occurred at about the halfway point on the return trip. She told me that Subject had the wind knocked out of him but that he did not lose consciousness.
 EMS staff assisted Subject off the vessel onto a stretcher and into the ambulance. There were no other vessels involved and no other injuries.
 All events occurred in Queen Anne's County, MD.


BARDID: MD-2018-0107
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-09-02 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 12:42:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Severn River
NearestCityorTown: annapolis
County: Anne Arundel
WaterConditions: Choppy
Wind: Moderate
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Flooding/swamping
AccidentCause1: Force of wake/wave
AccidentCause2: Equipment failure
EquipmentFailure: Auxiliary
OtherEquipmentFailure: bilge cover
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On September 2, 2018, at approximately 1:42 P.M. Maryland Natural Resources Police responded to a call for a vessel taking on water near the Route 450 Bridge on the Severn River. Upon arriving on scene I observed a vessel partially sunk at the Severn Inn Restaurant's pier located on the Severn River. The vessel's bow was up in the air and the entire stern was under the water except for the tops of the outboard engine covers. A good Samaritan was able to assist the vessel owner with tying up his vessel to the pier to prevent it from sinking any further.  

     Good Sam stated that she was having lunch at the Severn Inn when she observed Operator's vessel drifting in the middle of the Severn River near the Naval Academy with the stern of the vessel sitting considerably low in the water. Good Sam stated that as the vessel was drifting towards the east side of the river she noticed a piece of white material that was floating in the water not far from where Operator's vessel was first observed drifting. Good Sam stated that as Operator's vessel continued to drift towards her location the stern continued to fill up with water and the vessel began to "turtle" but never fully rolled over. Good Sam stated that by the time Operator's vessel reached her location the bow was completely up in the air and there was considerable water coming in over the stern. Good Sam, with the assistance of another good Samaritan, was able to secure Operator's vessel to prevent it from sinking any further.

     I then talked to the vessel owner, who was uncertain about how exactly his vessel took on so much water. Operator stated that he was floating out in the middle of the Severn River near the Naval Academy talking to his brother on the phone when a good Samaritan flagged him down and advised that his vessel was taking on a considerable amount of water in the stern. Operator then observed that the water pump exhaust on both outboard engines was under water as well as the bilge exhaust. Operator asked the good Samaritans if they would be able to give him a tow but they were afraid to do that because of the amount of water Operator's vessel was taking on. Operator then attempted to make his way back to his dock which was located on the east side of the river across from the Naval Academy. Operator stated that as he was attempting to make his way back to his dock he lost all forward propulsion despite the fact that his engines were still running. Operator stated that he eventually lost all power to both outboard engines and was dead in the water. Operator stated that he then began drifting towards the Severn Inn's dock where he was then helped by Good Sam. I asked Operator what he thought contributed to his vessel taking on water and he was uncertain. Operator advised that earlier in the day his bilge pump was operational and he stated that he had not removed the bilge plugs.

     Operator then contacted Tow Boat U.S. and they were able to provide him with a pump out. I asked Tow Boat U.S. employee what he thought contributed to Operator's vessel taking on so much water and he advised that one of the bilge covers was missing. It is my assumption that the white piece of material that Good Sam had observed earlier was the missing bilge cover on Operator's vessel. Subject advised that Operator's vessel must have taken considerable waves over the stern and, without a bilge cover, the bilge filled up very quickly and overwhelmed the bilge pump causing the vessel to take on so much water. The consensus amongst both members of Tow Boat U.S. and Operator was that both Suzuki outboard engines sustained considerable if not total irreversible damage. Operator valued both engines at $30,000 and the total value of the vessel at $80,000. Operator does believe however that his batteries and his Hummingbird electronic fish finder are intact and did not suffer any damage. The vessel itself was able to be salvaged by members of Tow Boat U.S. and they towed it to Port Annapolis Marina where a mechanic will appraise the damage sustained to both outboard engines.

     Based on the total value of both outboard engines I will be completing a vessel accident report but will be waiting to hear back from Operator on the total monetary value of damage sustained to the vessel. Operator will also be getting back to me with his insurance provider's name as well as the policy number. Operator was the only individual onboard the vessel at the time of the accident and did not sustain any injuries as a result of the accident. Operator will be following up with me at a later date and I will be issuing a supplemental report in the coming days. All events occurred in Anne Arundel County, Maryland.


BARDID: MD-2018-0108
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-09-02 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 12:12:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: 125 kitty knight boulevard
NearestCityorTown: earleville
County: cecil
WaterConditions: Choppy
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Fire/explosion (non-fuel)
AccidentEvent2: Person departed vessel
AccidentCause1: Machinery failure
MachineryFailure: Electrical
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On 9/2/2018 at 1315 hrs OFCs. were dispatched to a Boat fire on the Bohemia River at Long Point Marina. I arrived on Scene at 1328 hrs. to see that fire board and ems were already on scene. The fire had been put out and the operator was being treated by ems for a cut on his leg he suffered while trying to get off of his boat. He later went to the hospital to be treated and receiving eleven stitches.

 While the Operator was being treated by EMS I talked to the other occupants of the vessel. While talking to the Three occupants I asked them what happened while they were out on the boat. They told me they had just left Long Point Marina around 1245 hrs. They were Headed west out of the speed Zone in the Bohemia River. The operator had just started to power the motor up to gain more speed when the Starboard motor shut off. Shortly after that occurred they smelled smoke and Victim turned the vessel around to bring it back to Long Point Marina. Just as they approached the Marina the Port side motor lost power and there was now smoke filling the cabin of the vessel. They then tied the vessel to the pier where the Fire company arrived and got on the vessel and put out the fire and ems Treated Victim.

 After Victim was finished being treated by ems I talked to him about what happened while out on the vessel and his story matched the other occupants. I then asked Victim how he suffered the cut on his leg. He was unsure what he had cut his leg on exactly but he did know he suffered the injury while trying to get off of the vessel. I then collected all of the information that I needed to fill out the watercraft accident report from Victim.

 All events occurred in Cecil County Maryland


BARDID: MD-2018-0109
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-08-05 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 09:41:00
CoordinatesConfidence: NC
NameOfBodyOfWater: East Creek
NearestCityorTown: Marion Station
County: Somerset
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Falls overboard
AccidentCause1: Unknown
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On 8-5-18 at approximately 0950 hours, I Officer arrived on scene to a reported person under a vessel. Once I arrived on scene I noticed that an ambulance was in the drive way and that local fire agencies were on location. The residence was waterfront property that ran along East Creek and I could see a small white vessel bearing MD registration 8195AT in the center of the creek with a white figure on the starboard side in the water. 

The vessel was owned by the victim. Victim vessel was boarded by fire rescue with the assistance of a green john boat on the property and they were paddling the white vessel and the unresponsive individual in the water to shore when I approached. 

I spoke with subject1, one of the EMS from station 8 on location and she advised me the last contact with Victim was at 0555 through a text message. She said the Victim vessel was spotted by Victim's wife, who then called her son in law to investigate the situation. Several attempts were made to call Victim with no response. Son-in-law walked out to the water's edge and described seeing a leg sticking up out of the water near the bow of the vessel. He told everyone to go inside and his wife, called 911 at approximately 0941. 

Victim body was brought on to shore and I could see he had become entangled in several ropes including a boat anchor and a wooden 4x4 beam that was originally in the center of the creek as a mooring post. Victim had several small lacerations to his arms, legs and face. He was pale in color and blue in the face. EMS pronounced Victim dead at approximately 0950 and they stated rigor had set in to his body. The scene was secured at 1025 with yellow tape with the assistance of MSP once the body was recovered from the water. 

NRP investigator arrived on scene and he completed the remainder of the investigation. All events occurred in Somerset county Supplement #1 

The body had dock and anchor lines tangled around the victim's ankles and tangled onto a piling that was in the water. I was informed by the Fire Department that the body was not attached to the vessel by lines. The piling that was tangled in the lines was a random piling stuck in the creek and served no purpose according to the members of the fire department. It was not attached to anything else.

Due to the receding tide, it was clear as to where the boat was originally stuck in the mud. He drew the vessel with the bow of the boat face upstream and the victim's body was near the bow, with his feet towards the bow and the rest of his body, along with the piling, alongside the starboard side of the boat. He stated that there were no lines connecting the boat to the victim, but the body was pushed up against the boat.

There were multiple lines tangled around the victim's ankles/feet. There was also an anchor attached to one of the lines. The smallest gauged line was wrapped a few times around the piling that was found alongside the victim. There were multiple abrasions on the right leg of the victim that appeared to be from the barnacles on the pile rubbing up against the leg. There was also blood seen around the ears of the victim, more prominently around the right ear of the victim. The victim's pants were down and tangled around the ankles and a cellphone was retrieved by the medical examiner. The victim did not have a shirt on when he was found. The victim had an iphone in the right pocket. When taken out, it was functional and displayed the emergency call screen. The phone then lost complete battery power shortly after. I later tried to charge the phone, but was unsuccessful. After photos were taken, the forensic investigator removed the victim's wedding ring in order to return to his wife. A funeral company transport was contacted to transport to the medical examiner's office in Baltimore. While waiting for the transport, I searched the area around the dock. The dock area was not well maintained. There were boards missing and tools and gear left out. At the beginning of the dock, there was a box full of anchors. At the end of the dock, it splits into a "T." To the left, there was a line that went down to the water. The line was pulled up and it appeared that the line may have been broken off. A freestanding piling in the water that served no purpose. Upon inspection of the vessel, there were lines coming off of the stern, both starboard and port sides. One of the ends appeared to be broken off on the end due to the fraying of the line. The other side appeared to be clean cut and (melted). The vessel had multiple objects strewn about and kept in disarray. The top cover of the motor was removed and there was a screw driver jammed into the motor. I attempted to move the propeller, but it would not freely move, suggesting that it was not in gear at the time of the incident. It was reported by the fire department that the engine was down when they arrived on scene, but they had to pull it up in order to move the vessel. The last known communication by the victim was to a friend, at 0555 hours in regards to meeting for fishing later in the afternoon.

The victim has an extensive medical history involving spine and knee surgeries and went for a consult earlier in the week to have spinal surgery done on his upper spine due to his left arm and right leg going numb and consistently falling from the issues. The victim is also diabetic, but takes all medications regularly.

Photos and written statements were taken and the victim's family was notified. The body was transported to the Medical Examiner's Office for autopsy tomorrow (8/6/18).


BARDID: MD-2018-0110
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-08-09 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 10:35:00
CoordinatesConfidence: C
NameOfBodyOfWater: Monocacy River
NearestCityorTown: Creagersville
County: Frederick
WaterConditions: Choppy
StrongCurrent: -1
HazardousWaters: -1
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with submerged object
AccidentEvent2: Capsizing
AccidentEvent3: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Hazardous waters
DayofWeek: Thursday
RedactedNarrative:
On August 9, 2018 at approximately 1035 hours, Ofc, Maryland Natural Resources Police, received a call from dispatch reference a subject drowning on the Monocacy River. Ofc.1 responded to the scene and arrived at approximately 1122 hours along with Lt.. Upon arrival, Ofc.1 made contact with Fire and Rescue personnel. Fire and Rescue personnel advised they had the drowning victim, Victim, secured on the bank, upriver from the Creagerstown Park boat ramp. Fire and Rescue were in the process of transporting other kayakers, from the party, to the Creagerstown Park boat ramp.

At approximately 1130 hours, Ofc.1 made contact with three of the kayakers involved with the drowning incident. The kayakers provided written witness statements of the incident to the best of their ability. 

I was in contact with field officers who were already on scene while enroute to the scene, and was informed that CPR had been initiated, the victim had been kayaking the river and that the only way to access the victim was by boat. Ofc.1 contacted me by telephone and advised that the victim had been declared dead and that the Maryland State Trooper on scene wanted to know if they could move the body. I advised Ofc.1 that the body should stay in place until my arrival. Ofc.1 obtained written statements from the other 4 members of the kayaking party (see attachments). The statements were consistent in nature and supported the facts of the case as we understood them at that time.  

Upon arrival on scene I earned that the victim is a 59 year old had his right lung surgically removed three years ago due to lung cancer. Victim his wife and (3) others launched their kayaks earlier this morning at Rte. 77 and were traveling downstream on the Monocacy. They are all experienced kayakers and had planned to do a 5 - 6 mile trip. None of the kayakers had taken a cellular phone with them on the trip. When the group got to the Legore bridge, the left hand side was blocked by debris, one kayaker went through the middle section and yelled to the others to stay to the right. Victim and one of the other kayakers vessels capsized after striking an apparent submerged obstacle. The witnesses indicate that Victim panicked, stated that he had swallowed water and then became unresponsive. The rest of the group got him to shore where they initiated CPR, while one member continued downstream to Creagerstown in order to contact 911. Victim was pronounced dead at 1039 hours.  

Ofc. and myself were transported to the site by Frederick County Fire Dept. personnel. Victim's body was laying on the river bank with his feet toward the water. The bank was fairly steep slippery mud. Victim was still wearing his PFD, upon our arrival. Law Enforcement on scene stated that the PFD was re-secured on Victim 's body after he was declared dead at 1038 hours, because they didn't want his body to slide off the bank and sink to the bottom of the river. Victim's body was photographed (see attachments) and there were no outward signs of injury or trauma observed on his body. Due to the location of Victim's body, the natural hazards and the logistics of having to make additional boat trips on a river which was running high and muddy, the decision was made in consultation with the Forensic Investigator to transport Victim's body back to the staging area. 

Victim's body was secured in a body bag and transported by boat to the staging area, where he was transferred to the custody of the Forensic Investigator. Victim's body was transported to the Office of the Chief medical Examiner in Baltimore for autopsy. Once Victim's body was transported from the site, Cpl. and I drove over to Legore Bridge Rd. to assess the situation at the bridge itself where the incident began. I have attached photographs of the water conditions and the bridge. We found the left hand side of the bridge as you are coming down stream to be block as reported by the witnesses. The center arch looked to have some obstructions as well but was likely passable, the right passage was the clearest but it was apparent by watching the water flow through that there appeared to be an underwater obstruction close to the left hand side of that arch, which is quite possibly what Victim and the other kayaker hit that caused their kayaks to flip. Photographs of the conditions at the bridge location have also been attached to the report.


BARDID: MD-2018-0111
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-08-31 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 13:55:00
CoordinatesConfidence: NC
NameOfBodyOfWater: Goodhands Creek Landing
NearestCityorTown: Grasonville
County: Queen Annes
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Fair
AccidentEvent1: Falls overboard
AccidentCause1: Alcohol
AccidentCause2: Drug
DayofWeek: Friday
RedactedNarrative:
On August 31st, 2018, at approximately 1410 hours I, Ofc. of the Maryland Natural Resources Police, received a call from DNR Communications in regards to a deceased subject found in the water, off of Goodhands Creek Landing, Queen Anne's County Maryland. I arrived on the scene on NRP 834(Patrol Vessel) a couple minutes later and observed one, middle-aged white male, face down in the water approximately 100 feet from the landing. 

The subject was wearing a dark grey shirt with blue jeans. The only body parts observed out of the water at the time was the subjects back and the back portion of his head. There appeared to be no validity on the back of his head and neck. There appeared to be no sign of a struggle or anything out of the ordinary. A Queen Anne's County Deputy arrived on scene approximately the same time as I did. The deputy received a witness statement from the complainant. 

Subject stated that he knew the deceased subject and that he lived on the moored houseboat tied off to a sailboat right off of Goodhands Creek Landing. I found the subject in the water approximately 5 feet from those two boats. The dingy the subject used to travel back and forth from the landing was tied up to the houseboat.

I then waited for our NRP Investigations Unit, Cpl. to arrive before moving the body. We removed the body from the water onto the deck of the boat. I would like to note that I did make contact with the deceased subject with the bottom of the hull of my vessel when attempting to maneuver close enough to remove him from the water. The subject had a wallet in the back left pocket of his jeans. 

The subject was identified. Victim remained on the deck of my patrol vessel until the Medical Examiner (ME) arrived from Cordova Maryland. 

Weather Conditions: Skies were overcast, winds 10-15knts from the northeast, air temperature was 85F, water temperature was 86F, water depth at recovery was 3.5 Ft, and wave conditions for the creek were flat. Forensic investigation: Forensic Investigator from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner responded and preformed the field exam. The victim was clad in a gray tee shirt, blue jeans, a brown leather belt, and heavy black workboots. 

His clothing was in good repair, and there was heavy tread on his boots. There was detritus content on his clothing. It was noted that the fly on his pants was in the down or open position upon recovery. There were no noted injuries or defects to his person, except for a very small superficial cut on his lower right back. The hands and feet were observed as white and waterlogged, although no skin slippage was present. There was thin, bloody effluence from the nose and mouth. There was a tattoo of an eagle on the outside of the right bicep, and arrest reports noted Victim possessed said tattoo, as well as scaring above both eyes, over his nose, and on his right cheek. This scaring was not observed due to the condition on the skin. Other than the wallet pulled for identification, subject removed approximately $2.00 US dollars in change from the victim's front left pocket. The change and wallet were collected in an evidence bag, and retained for Next of Kin. Springbok Removal from Bowie, MD, transported the victim to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore City for autopsy the following day. 

Cpl of the Maryland Natural Resources Police Criminal Investigations Section will attend autopsy. Scene processing: QASO detectives and NRP units noted no recent calls for service or disturbances in the area of the boat landing or the creek, nor any recent criminal activity above normal traffic. The parking lot and ramp area were in working condition. A canvas of the area and facilities yielded no evidence, except a black Gary Fisher brand bike hidden on a path in the reeds. This bike was later confirmed to be owned by the victim. NRP field units and Ofc. of the NRP Criminal Investigation Section boarded the victim's boat, as well as canvased the other vessels moored in the creek. The victim's houseboat was moored to another sailboat in the creek, "ROSE II", which, according to Victim (Next of Kin) was given to the victim by it's prior owner. There was no sign of a struggle aboard the vessel, nor indication another person had been aboard. The vessel was littered with empty Natural Ice beer cans. A half consumed Natural Ice beer and the deceased's cellphone were located next to the bed on the houseboat, and the rear door leading to the deck was open. The cellphone was a prepaid style AT&T phone, which was in an unlocked state. The phone had been activated the day prior (30 August 2018), and the call log was observed to attempt to identify a next of kin. The only information on the phone was an outgoing call, a missed call, and an outgoing redial to the same number around 1030AM. This phone number was later identified as the victim's brother (Next of Kin contact). Ofc. photographed and documented the vessel condition and contents, in his supplement to this report. Victim Background: QASO Detectives reported their agency had traffic citation encounters on file involving the victim over the past few years, including D.U.I. and theft arrests. The most recent contact was noted in June 2018, where a subject brought found property to the Sheriff's Office. The item, a wallet containing Victim's ID and a glass smoking device, were noted in the report, and the wallet was returned to Victim. The victim was a handyman and carpenter who had at a marina with a boat builder but the two had a falling out 4-5 years prior over subject2 not paying the victim. There have been no known issues between subject2 and the victim, and it is not believed the victim had any known enemies. The victim is believed to still work as a handyman/carpenter, but it is unknown who he works for. There are no known associates or criminal endeavors the victim is related to at present.


BARDID: MD-2018-0112
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-08-19 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 13:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Rock Creek-Main Stem
NearestCityorTown: Pasadena
County: Anne Arundel
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentCause1: Improper lookout
AccidentCause2: Excessive speed
AccidentCause3: Operator inattention
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On August 19th at approximately 2:45 I, Officer First Class of the Maryland Natural Resources Police, was dispatched to a report of a boat accident at Maryland Yacht Club(MYC). The complainant a member at MYC stated someone had struck the Catamaran Sailing Vessel "Tir Na Nog" on C dock at the end. Upon arrival via patrol boat I spoke with the original complainant who stated there was a witness on another dock that watched the incident occur. I met with the witness who was able to give me a written stated as to what occurred which is attached to this report. Witness1 stated she witnessed a runabout type vessel strike the sailing vessel at end of C dock. She stated there were at least two people on the vessel and she believes a dog. She stated the vessel struck the sailing boat hard enough to make a large hole on the port side. Witness1 and her Husband were able to obtain the numbers off the striking vessel "MD0838DB". Witness1 also stated the male operator of the runabout provided his information to the MYC office and then continued down the waterway to Fairview Marina.
I was able to locate the vessel a Lagoon 380 "Tir Na Nog" on C dock that was struck and multiple pictures were taken and have been attached to this report. The damage appears to be extensive with a large hole on the port side of the vessel in the area of midship. I was able to contact the owner and advised him of what occurred to his vessel while it was docked. He stated his vessel was unoccupied and that he would be contacting his insurance company for a damage estimate.
At this point in time I left MYC and proceeded to attempt to locate the striking vessel at Fairview Marina. I was able to locate the striking vessel a SeaRay 290 bearing the registration provided by the witness "MD0838DB". The Searay had a decent amount damage to the port side bow. Pictures were taken on the vessel and have been attached to this report.
Based on my investigation and the information that was left at MYC I have been able to identify the operator of the striking vessel. I have attempted to contact Operator2 multiple times yet he has not returned my calls at this point in time.
A BAR will be completed once I am able to make contact with Operator2.
At this point in time I also have charges for Operator2;
1) Failure to reduce speed to avoid collision.
2) Failure to maintain a proper lookout.
3) Failure to report a boat accident
At this time the investigation is ongoing. A supplement will be added with additional information once it becomes available.
All of the above events occurred in Anne Arundel County, MD.


BARDID: MD-2018-0113
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-07-13 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 13:54:00
CoordinatesConfidence: C
NameOfBodyOfWater: Chester River-Corsica River
NearestCityorTown: Centerville
County: Queen Annes
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: -1
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Moderate
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Capsizing
AccidentEvent2: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Weather
DayofWeek: Friday
RedactedNarrative:
On July 13, 2018, at 1951 hours, I, Officer, of the Maryland Natural Resources Police was on boat patrol in the area of Rolphs Wharf on the Chester River when I received a call from DNR communications in regards to several individuals in distress in the area of the Corsica River and Conquest beach. Using my NRP patrol vessel, I responded to that location. When I arrived at 2001 hours, I observed an overturned sailboat with several occupants in the water, and standing on the hull. 

These individuals told me that there was a white female wearing a white tank top and dark colored shorts who got trapped underneath the sails when the vessel overturned. She had not returned to the surface of the water. They stated that there were 17 people on board at the time of the incident and only 16 accounted for, including 1 individual whom had already been taken to shore. The vessel capsized between their current location of N39 degrees 05.541/ W076 degrees 09.155 and the Red/Green"CR" channel marker at the mouth of the Corsica River. These individuals stated that were okay and would be attempting to "right" the sailboat. 

I relayed this information to Kent & Queen Anne's County Fire Board and then began rendering assistance and conducting a shoreline and surface search of the area. Kent County Fire Board, Queen Anne's County Fire Board, United States Coast Guard, Maryland State Police and several NRP units conducted a search of the general area until approximately 0530 hours on July 14, 2018. We were unable to locate the missing person. Corporal from NRP assumed responsibility for the investigation. All events occurred in Queen Anne's County.

The on scene lead for Queen Annes DES, declared the scene a Mass Casualty Incident (MCI), and established the command post at Roberts Farm Lane as the triage point. Victim was last seen wearing dark colored denim shorts and a light grey graphic tee shirt. She was described as a petite blonde with tattoos on her right forearm, and left bicep. She was not wearing a lifejacket, and was reported as a competent swimmer. Units from NRP, Queen Annes Fire, and the USCG, began a surface search. The USCG and MarylandState Police aviation units began observation flights. All search grids for marine and air units were coordinated through USCG Lt.  at Station Curtis Bay, Maryland National Capital Region. These patterns and report are included in the attachments.

 The weather was clear with a light wind, less than 5knts from the south. Waves were flat, and the water and air temperatures were in the low 80's. There was low vessel traffic on the river.

Crew on board the sailboat indicated the vessel overturned while making a turn, when the sails caught a gust of wind. Crew members indicated this is not uncommon in these types of racing hulls. Victim was believed to have become tangled under the sail or underneath the hull of the boat. The crew performed safety measures, checks, and searched for the victim in the overturned vessel and sails, without success. Queen Annes County EMS established a triage center at Richards Farm Lane, Centreville, MD, and transported the 16 crew to shore. Sgt. of the Maryland Natural Resources Police obtained written statements from the crew, after they were evaluated by EMS. 

One crew member was seated behind the victim and wearing a GoPro brand camera. He was identified as the victim's boyfriend. He told me this was the victim's first time sailing and that he had been trying to convince her to try it for almost a year. This camera recorded the vessel operation leading up to and including capsizing and search efforts. In the video, the victim can be seen jumping into the water, with the majority of the crew, as the vessel heels comes to rest on its port side. The video does not show her resurface when it pans back to the area where she entered the water, and she is not observed in any of the underwater footage from the search of the hull and sails/rigging. A copy of this video was transferred to my state issued MDT, and a copy was made onto a flash drive, which will remain in the physical case file. After triage and accounting for all crew members, apart from the one reported missing, one occupant of the vessel "Mystery" was believed by EMS to have a fractured foot, however, he refused transport. 

Queen Annes DES returned their units to service after exchanging information with me at approximately 2200. Queen Annes Fire vessels remained on scene and participated in the search. The vessel owner has owned and sailed the vessel "Mystery" since 1972. He reported that he is also the owner and was the operator of the chase boat, with two other adults and three children, when "Mystery" capsized. Owner identified the operator of "Mystery" that evening. This was confirmed by Operator in his written statement. 


The victim’s family advised me other the following: Victim lived in Easton with her sister, and was dating occupant, who lived in the adjacent apartment. They were in good standing together, and had been planning on becoming engaged in the near future. Both Victim and Occupant were in recovery together, and had both been sober for sometime. Victim was able to swim, but was new to sailing. Occupant has about 12 years of experience sailing on the "Mystery", and was Victim's safety partner. Victim has no known medical conditions or medications, and has two scars: one on the lower abdomen from a childhood surgery, and a second on the right bicep from an abscess that was removed. She had many tattoos, some of which were visible in screenshots taken from the GoPro footage. These screenshots of Victim were disseminated to marine units assigned to the surface search to aid in identification. Units from NRP and USCG will remain on scene overnight, and continue surface searches through the morning. NRP marine assets would perform a shift change at 0600 on 14 July, and SOD Sgt. was coordinating NRP dive unit to respond the next morning as well. I updated USCG Lt. of the above information, and coordinated overnight search patterns from USCG Station Annapolis vessels and Air Station Cape May's aviation units. Sgt. coordinated further with Maryland State Police Aviation Command, and arranged fo


BARDID: MD-2018-0114
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-08-25 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 21:54:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: 357 Pier 1 Road
NearestCityorTown: Stevensville
County: Queen Anne
WaterConditions: Choppy
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Fair
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentCause1: Excessive speed
AccidentCause2: Improper lookout
AccidentCause3: Inadequate onboard navigation lights
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On August 25th, 2018, at approximately 10:00 AM, I Ofc. received a call from DNR Communications in regards to a boating accident that occurred in the late evening, on August 24th. The complainant advised me that his vessel was struck by another vessel just outside of Hemmingway's Restaurant after sunset. Operator1 stated the reason for not calling in the accident immediately after it occurred was because he was "shaken up" and just wanted to get home. Operator1 was traveling out of the marina at Hemmingway's headed towards Annapolis. Operator1 is the owner and was the operator of his vessel( 2003, 36 foot, Cobalt, 360, MD registration 5361BW, HIN # FGE36039E303) when the accident occurred. Operator1 was accompanied by his wife and another couple. A total of 4 people onboard. He stated that out of nowhere, another vessel struck the stern, starboard side of his vessel. I asked Operator1 if he was using his Navigational green, red, and white lights while underway, he stated yes he was. Operator1 advised me that the damage to his vessel was approximately $2,000-3,000 worth. (See attached images)
I called the owner of the other vessel involved in the accident. Operator2 was operating a 20FT, White, Sea Pro VS2, D.C. registration 1829C, HIN# PIOGP107A303. I asked Operator2 how the accident occurred. He stated he was traveling south to Matapeake from the Bay Bridge when he was surprised by a large boat that he could not see until he got very close. Operator2 advised me that Operator1's vessel was completely dark with no navigational lights on. Due to it being night time and very dark, Operator2 struck Operator1s starboard side with the bow of his vessel. I then asked Operator2 to get all of his vessel information together for me and send it to me via email. Operator2 will not return any of my calls, texts, or emails. I was able to contact a D.C. Marine Unit to look up the D.C. vessel registration to obtain Operator2's vessel information.
Due to lack of evidence, I'm unable to say who is the at-fault operator.
All events occurred in Queen Anne's County Maryland.


BARDID: MD-2018-0115
State: MD
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2018-09-22 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 19:21:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Solomons Harbor-Mill Creek-Mai
NearestCityorTown: Lusby
County: Calvert
WaterConditions: Calm
CongestedWaters: -1
Wind: Moderate
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentEvent2: Fall in vessel
AccidentCause1: Excessive speed
AccidentCause2: Improper lookout
AccidentCause3: Navigation rules violation
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On Saturday, September 22, 2018 at 7:21 P.M. I, Officer First Class of the Maryland Natural Resources Police, received a call for a boat accident on Mill Creek off of Solomon's Harbor. The call was forwarded from Calvert County 911 stating that two personal watercraft had collided and that two people were in the water. I arrived on scene at approximately 7:48 P.M. and saw Calvert County Fireboard bringing one subject out of the water onboard their vessel. Once taken to shore I identified this individual. Fireboard docked at a private pier at the end of Ruxton Road off of Mill Creek to transfer Victim to Calvert County EMS. Victim had sustained a laceration six to seven inches along his right leg starting above his knee and ending at the top of his shin. When I asked what happened Victim stated that he and another PWC had collided. Victim was transported to Calvert Memorial Hospital in Prince Frederick by Calvert County EMS for treatment. 
The PWC operated by Operator1 was a 2017 11 foot Bombardier Canada model RXP 300 registration MD 7214 CS white and yellow in color. Operator1 stated that she and Victim who she stated is her boyfriend had been messing around jumping wakes and stuff when they collided. Victim was operating a 2004 11 foot 3 inch Bombardier Canada PWC model 6162 registration MD 4026 BT yellow and black in color. Both of these PWC's are registered to Operator1's father. Operator1 stated that she believed the PWC operated by Victim was being taken by two other individuals who had been out with her and Victim to the boat ramp at Drum Point Marine at 13860 Solomons Island Rd, Solomons, MD 20688 off of Back Creek which is where they had launched from. 

Victim stated that he and Operator1 had been messing around doing donuts and wake jumping when the collision occurred. He described it as both PWC's hitting each other side on and veering off. After the collision both PWC's involved began to sink and that is when the group split up as the PWC's were towed to two different locations. 

Operator1 was issued a total of three citations, one for operating a PWC within 100 feet of another vessel, one for operating a PWC negligent manner (wake jumping), and one for failing to maintain a proper lookout. Victim was also issued with three citations one for operating a PWC within 100 feet of another vessel, one for failing to maintain a proper lookout and one for negligent operation of PWC by weaving through congested vessel traffic.
All events occurred in Calvert County, MD.


BARDID: MD-2018-0116
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-09-22 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 17:40:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: 4109 Patuxent Ct
NearestCityorTown: Dunkirk
County: Calvert
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: -1
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with fixed object
AccidentEvent2: Person struck by vessel
AccidentCause1: Machinery failure
MachineryFailure: Throttle
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On September 22, 2018 at approximately 5:30 PM I, Officer First Class, received a call from the Department of Natural Resources Dispatcher to respond to a reported boat accident with injuries on the Patuxent River in Dunkirk, Md.
While en-route, I received an update that the victim in this case was being transported by the Dunkirk Fire Department ambulance to Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore Maryland.
I arrived on scene at approximately 6:05 PM and spoke to a witness to the accident. Witness stated that she was waiting on her dock to be picked up by Operator to go out for an evening boat ride. Operator was pulling up to her dock in his boat, a Suntracker Party Barge 20 with Maryland Registration 6171CF at approximately 5:20 PM. He was maneuvering the boat along side of the dock when the starboard side rear section of the boat struck the piling at the end of the pier. Witness stated that she saw Victim fall and then heard her scream in pain. Witness could not provide any further details on the incident.
I contacted the Duty Officer and advised him of the situation. It was determined that I would not transit to the hospital at that time, but wait for Victim to return to their residence on the following day.
On Sunday, September 23, 2018, I arrived at the residence at approximately 4:10 PM to conduct my interviews. Operator stated that as he was approaching the dock to pick up Witness he brought the boat into neutral and then into reverse to pull the back half of the boat along the pier. At this point he said the boat surged forward he returned the throttle to neutral. At this point the vessel struck the piling at the end of the pier and Victim fell down. He attempted a second reverse thrust, and again the boat went forward. The boat again struck the piling, however this time Victim's right hand was caught in between the boat and the piling. Operator wrapped his wife's hand in paper towels and returned to his dock which was approximately 100 yards away. They contacted 9-1-1 and went to the house to wait for the ambulance. The detailed account of the incident was corroborated by the witness.
Operator stated that he looked at his boat on Sunday morning and he believes that the mechanical linkage from the throttle to the outboard motor malfunctioned causing the forward surge of the vessel when the throttle is moved into the reverse position.
Victim sustained injuries on her right hand. She has lacerations to her pinky and ring finger of her right hand and had the tip of her middle finger de-gloved during the incident. She received stitches on her ring and pinky fingers and her middle finger was amputated just below the nail bed. She was released from the hospital that same day.
All events occurred in Calvert County, Maryland.
This case is closed.


BARDID: MD-2018-0117
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-09-16 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 00:17:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: 428 Kent Narrow Way,North
NearestCityorTown: Grasonville
County: Queen Annes
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with fixed object
AccidentCause1: Alcohol
AccidentCause2: Improper lookout
AccidentCause3: Operator inattention
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
Initial Observations
On September 16, 2018 at approximately 0017 hours I Officer First Class with the Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) was on patrol in marked NRP vehicle number 447 in the area of Romancoke Pier when I received a call from DNR Police Communications in reference to a vessel that crashed into the Red Eye's Dock Bar dock. Approximately two minutes later, I received a phone call from NRP Reserve Officer who informed me of the same thing. Subject also advised he witnessed the incident occur, and that the operator was "chugging" water. I arrived on scene at approximately 0031 hours. Once on scene, the bar manager approached me and escorted me to the vessel.
Violator Contact
I observed a white in color center console "Judge 265" bearing valid Delaware registration "8181AL"tied to the dock. I also observed a large piling which had been broken in half, lying on the dock (photos attached). There were several individuals standing around the vessel as I approached. When I asked the group who was the operator of the vessel, a gentleman spoke up. 

I asked Operator what happened to cause the damage to the dock to which he replied he was attempting to dock his vessel at Red Eye's Dock Bar when his stomach accidentally pushed the throttle forward, causing the vessel to crash bow first into the piling, and knocking the top half completely over. When I spoke with Operator, I noted a faint to moderate odor of alcoholic beverage emanating directly from his person. I also noticed there was an open can of "Bud Light" beer in the center console cup holder, and that Operator appeared to be speaking unusually slowly. Operator said the only occupants of the vessel were himself and his friend who was also standing on the dock. I then asked Operator to retrieve his driver's license and vessel registration. Operator then boarded his vessel because both items were still onboard. When Operator boarded his vessel, he picked up the can of "Bud Light", held it down to the opposite side of his body, and then placed it on the seat of the boat further away from me. As I moved to the right and to the left to see the can, he moved to the right and to the left with me, seemingly attempting to prevent me from seeing the alcoholic beverage. When I asked him why he was hiding the beer can from me which I had already seen, he said he was just getting it out of the way. Once I obtained Operator's driver's license and vessel registration, I inquired as to his alcohol consumption that day.
Operator said he had "2 or 3 beers". I then asked Operator to walk with me out to the parking lot. Once in the parking lot, I again asked Operator how many beers he consumed that day to which he replied "4". I also asked Operator if he had consumed any alcoholic beverages after crashing his vessel into "Red Eye's Dock Bar" which he replied he did not. I then asked Operator to submit to field sobriety tests. Operator was later arrested for OUI. Ofc. with NRP later arrived on scene to collect witness statements and take photographs. See report number NRP-18-01309 for arrest details and further events.
All events occurred in Queen Anne's County, MD.


BARDID: MD-2018-0118
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-09-28 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 19:45:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Sassafras River-Sassafras Rive
NearestCityorTown: Galena
County: Kent
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: -1
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with submerged object
AccidentEvent2: Fall in vessel
AccidentCause1: Other
OtherAccidentCause: unseen water hazard
DayofWeek: Friday
RedactedNarrative:
On Friday, September 28, 2018, I, Officer First Class was dispatched to Shore Medical in Chestertown Maryland for a patient that was involved in a possible boat accident.
I arrived to find two people in the Emergency Room. Victim had a large cut over her left eye and also a black eye and bruised face. After talking with the couple it was determined that while out on an evening cruse on the upper Sassafras River around Deep Point. The couple could not avoid and hit a submerged tree causing Victim to hit her face on the handrail and deck of the boat. She received treatment for the large cut over her eye and she was released to have a follow up with her primary care doctor for a possible broken orbital bone.
All events occurred in Kent County, Maryland. No further police action needed or taken.


BARDID: MD-2018-0119
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-10-04 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 16:39:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: 321 Casparus Way
NearestCityorTown: Elkton
County: Cecil
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Excessive speed
AccidentCause2: Force of wake/wave
DayofWeek: Thursday
RedactedNarrative:
On 4 October 2018, at 1645 hrs. I was dispatched to a boating accident PI, on the Elk River at 321 Caspurus Way in Cecil County. The subject had a head injury and is being transported to Christiana Hospital. Cpl. of the Delaware Natural Resources Police (DNREC) went to the hospital to speak with the victim, while I went to the scene of the accident. I arrived on scene at 1830 hrs, and nothing was observed or located. I spoke to a resident and he advised me that he saw a subject on the dock with six to seven medical personnel attending to him, and they transported the subject to the hospital.
 Cpl called me via telephone and gave me information about the accident. Cpl spoke to the victim, and he advised Cpl, he and his friend took two PWC's to Lee's Landing at approximately 1300 hrs, for lunch, and upon their arrival back to Elk River at approximately 1515 hrs, an unknown 22 ft. fishing vessel created a wake on the Elk River, when Victim struck the wake at approximately 40 mph, and fell off of his PWC, striking his head. Victim advised Cpl that he never lost consciousness, and friend assisted Victim to the nearest point of land, and called for an ambulance. Victim advised Cpl that he had one beer around noon. Cpl advised me, Victim did not appear intoxicated and he was able to answer all questions related to the vessel accident. Victim has a laceration above his left eye, and is complaining of some back pain. Victim provided Cpl with his Driver's license, Boater safety certificate, and his PWC registration. Cpl obtained all necessary information for the boat accident report, and provided me Victim's telephone number for follow up questions if needed.
All events occurred in Cecil County, MD.


BARDID: MD-2018-0120
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-08-19 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 09:30:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Miles River-St Michaels Harbor
NearestCityorTown: St Michaels
County: Talbot
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Moderate
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentCause1: Improper lookout
AccidentCause2: Operator inexperience
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On September 14th, 2018 at approximately 1400 hours, I (Officer First Class) made contact with a subject via cellphone in regards to a past boat accident that he was reporting once he found out that the damage to his boat was estimated by Higgins Yacht Harbor to be $2,000.
Subject1 advised that on August 19th, 2018 at approximately 1000 hours he was on his boat that was docked at Higgins Yacht Yard in St. Michaels Maryland, when a sailboat collided withit. The sailboat was  leaving the slip his vessel was docked in and while doing so the boat turned towards and struck Subject1's vessel damaging the anchor system of his vessel.
Attached is a United States Coast Guard Recreational vessel accident report that was completed on the day of the event.
All events occurred in Talbot County Maryland. No further police action is needed.


BARDID: MD-2018-0122
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-10-06 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 20:07:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: 28450 Oaklands Road
NearestCityorTown: Royal Oak
County: Talbot
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Fair
AccidentEvent1: Collision with fixed object
AccidentEvent2: Fall in vessel
AccidentCause1: Improper lookout
AccidentCause2: Operator inattention
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On October 6, 2018, I, Corporal of the Maryland Natural Resources Police, received a call at approximately 8:10 PM to respond for a vessel accident involving personal injury. Lieutenant of the Easton Volunteer Fire Department greeted me upon arrival and stated the injured passenger, Victim1, had been taken out to Easton Memorial Hospital with back and shoulder pain, and possible unconsciousness. While examining the vessel, displaying a current Maryland registration 9164 BE, there was significant damage done to the outer layer of gel coat and fiberglass on the lower port side forward half of the hall. Approximately 2.5 feet of fiberglass was striped away, exposing the next layer of fiberglass and several cracks surrounding that second layer. There was also damage done to the upper port side of the hull, directly behind the vessel registration. The top layer of fiberglass and gel coat remained intact, however there were several cracks and scrapes in the top later causing the fiberglass to begin to fray in this location. The vinyl rub rail surrounding the vessel, located just directly below the vessel's registration numbers, was pushed upward out of place, yet still intact.

The operator and owner of the vessel remained on scene. When asked, Operator identified himself as the operator of the vessel. He stated that he and Victim1 had been out to the bay to go fishing for the afternoon, as evident from the fishing equipment on board the vessel. The men then traveled to Doc's Sunset Grille located in Oxford Maryland for dinner, where Operator stated he had consumed alcoholic beverages. When asked, he stated "I had three beers...but I don't have an alcohol problem." He identified the beer as Yuengling Lager and claimed he had consumed his last beer at sunset. Operator and Victim1 made their way up the Tred Avon River after dinner to Oakland's Community Dock, where Operator docks his vessel, located off Peach Blossom Creek. Operator stated as they were headed up river, at the last minute he cut his wheel hard right to turn away from the boat house, to which he immediately stated the boat house was unlit and that he was following the markers up river to get home. He claimed his speed at the time was approximately 20 knots while going up river to port. I asked Operator how many times he has navigated the waters in the Tred Avon or Oxford area and he stated "at least 20 years if you want an even number." He also stated he has a working GPS unit on his vessel but does not have a radar unit. 
When the collision occurred, Operator stated he believed Victim1 was seated on the starboard gunwale of the vessel and he, himself was operating. Operator stated he knew what he had struck, described it as "the boat house at Double Mills with the large windmill between markers 12 and 15." When asked, he stated he did not check the boat house that was struck to see if there was any damage to the house or to the pier or pilings due to injuries sustained to Victim1.  Instead he made his way back to the community pier at a speed of, what he stated, "putting, 6 knots or so," where emergency personnel were on scene to assess the injuries. Operator sustained, as he stated, very minor hip pain to the left hip and there was a small cut on his right shin. He had refused any further medical treatment. 

While talking with Operator, I noticed there was an odor of alcoholic beverages coming from his person. He became very hostile and defensive when I began asking him if he had consumed any alcoholic beverages. Lieutenant informed me prior to my arrival, there were two opened cans of Yuengling Lager on board the vessel which were quickly discarded by the community members who showed up to help Operator tie his vessel to the pier. Please see report number NRP-18-01390 for the results of the Standardized Field Sobriety tests that were administered to Operator. Neither Operator nor Victim1 were wearing personal flotation devices at the time of the accident, however Operator did have personal flotation devices on board his vessel located inside the center console. The damage that occurred to the vessel was primarily on the port side, forward half of the hull. The images attached to this report document the damage to Operator's vessel and also document the damage to the boat house that was struck. Operator was issued the following citation related to the accident, (NR 8-704) 08.18.01.4B - Unsafe Speed for Conditions (Rules of the Road). The investigation is closed. All events occurred in Talbot County Maryland
Victim1 did not see anything before the collision and was thrown into the boat upon impact. His body was thrown into the forward "steps" (referring to the uneven flooring in the bow of the boat) injuring his back, ribs, and left shoulder. He felt "foggy" but did not believe he lost consciousness. He was incapacitated by his injuries, but did not sustain serious or life threatening injuries.


BARDID: MD-2018-0123
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-10-08 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 17:20:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: 301 Castle Marina Rd
NearestCityorTown: Chester
County: Queen Annes
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with fixed object
AccidentEvent2: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentCause1: Machinery failure
MachineryFailure: Shift
DayofWeek: Monday
RedactedNarrative:
On October 8, 2018, at approximately 1700 hours, I Officer of the Maryland Natural Resources Police was on patrol when I received a call for a boat accident at Castle Marina in Chester, MD.
 When I arrived on scene, I was met by the victim who walked me to her vessel bearing  MD Registration 5296BZ and named “The Patriot” at slip. Subject1 stated she received a call from an individual who has a vessel in the slip next to hers stating that a pontoon vessel named “Just for the Helen” bearing MD Registration 2953 AJ had struck her starboard bow and wedged itself between her vessel and the catwalk. Witnesses stated they could see the boat "Just for Helen" approaching the G Dock at a high rate of speed with no intention of stopping. The vessel struck a piling which caused the pole to lean equal to water level then hit Subject1’s starboard bow before getting wedged into the catwalk piling.  Witnesses then helped the suspect vessel into slip to help secure it.
I identified the owner of the vessel, "Just for Helen". Operator1 stated that as he approached the docks, he suddenly realized his vessel was having mechanical issues and he was unable to put his gear in reverse to slow his vessel down. Once he realized he had no control, he approached G Dock to secure the vessel in an empty slip and braced for impact. Operator1 stated he does his own mechanical work to his vessel and this is the first time this has happened. He also has been operating vessels for approximately 35 years and this was the fourth time this year he’s taken this particular vessel out. Subject1 is getting an estimate for the damage to her vessel. Operator1 will be moving his vessel in the next few days after he can identify the exact problem and safely have it moved.
See attached photographs. "Just for Helen" had a bent bar on the starboard bow of their vessel along with the anchor being misaligned. "The Patriot" had paint transfer and scratches on the starboard bow. 
All events occurred in Queen Anne’s County, MD.


BARDID: MD-2018-0124
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-11-03 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 13:18:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Chesapeake Bay Bridge
NearestCityorTown: Cape St Claire
County: Anne Arundel
WaterConditions: Rough
StrongCurrent: -1
HazardousWaters: -1
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Strong
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentEvent2: Grounding
AccidentCause1: Hazardous waters
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On 11/03/2018, at about 1205 hours the Department of Natural Resources Communications Center was notified by Anne Arundel County Fire Department about a subject who jumped from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.   
MTDA Case Number:18IR001764
NRP Dispatch Number for the MDTA "Assist":2018-00037521
Anne Arundel County Fire Department Dispatch Number:  201876098     
Initial reports were given to the Communications Center that the jumper had been picked up by a fishing vessel under the bridge. Units were dispatched to respond. 

Weather: Sunny and Clear.  Winds:15-20kts Gusts 25kts Seas 2-5ft. Strong Incoming Tide.  SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT

Officer First Class, with the Maryland Natural Resources Police who was in the area on patrol, responded to the scene.  After being dispatched Officer arrived to find an Off-Duty Howard County Police Officer, operating an 18.5ft Sea Pro and was holding on to the jumper on the port side of his vessel.  Ofc1 pulled alongside Operator1's vessel on the starboard side and tied to his patrol vessel to it to assist in the rescue efforts.  Ofc1 did deploy his vessels boat fenders in an attempted to provide vessel to vessel protection. During the emergency while Ofc1 was on Operator1's vessel the two vessels collided multiple times in the rough seas.  This caused fiberglass and rub rail damage to the starboard side of Operator1's vessel including the destruction of a gas release valve cover on the vessels gunnel.  During this time, Ofc with concerns about further injuring the jumper by pulling him into the vessel grabbed a PFD off his patrol vessel and placed it on the jumper.  

Damage from NRP vessel to Operator1's at the time of this report is being documented under NRP Incident Number# 2018-00037643. After the incident, Ofc confirmed that there was no damage NRP Patrol Vessel.

Members of Fireboat 36 reported that as they arrived on location and attempted to transfer emergency personnel from their vessel to Operator1's vessel, Fireboat 36 hit the anchor that sits on a small bow pulpit on the bow of Operator1's vessel.  This caused multiple deep scratches into the port side of the Fireboat 36 (see images) and bent the arm of the anchor and pulled up the wood attaching the pulpit to the fiberglass hull of Operator1's vessel. 

While transferring personnel Fireboat 19 made hard contact with the port stern of Operator1's vessel, leaving what appeared to be small spiderweb cracks in the fiberglass of Operator1's vessel.

After the incident, the crew of Fireboat 19 reported no damage to their vessel.     

After transferring the jumper to Fireboat 19's care, Operator1 proceeded into Sandy Point State Park to meet Ofc1 and Officers from the Maryland Transportation Police Department to give a witness statement. After entering the "minimum wake" zone (Defined in 08.18.07.02L in the Maryland Code of Regulations) of the Sandy Point State Park causeway, Operator1 was passed by Fireboat 19 who was transporting the jumper to an awaiting medic unit.   Fireboat 19 who was operating with emergency visual equipment, entered the causeway traveling at a rate of speed to keep the vessel on plane but minimize its wake and expedite patient transport reported giving 2 short blasts on his horn, the required signaling for passing and overtaking a vessel on their port side and proceeded to pass Operator1's vessel.   After Fireboat 19 passed, vessel1 was caught in the wake of the passing Fireboat and pushed into the jetty that makes up the causeway into Sandy Point State Park.  The impact into the jetty caused damage the skeg and the propeller of Operator1's outboard motor. (See Attached Images). 

All parties of the incident arrived and reminded at Sandy Point State Park where I, Sergeant of the Maryland Natural Resources Police, at the direction of Lt. was able to document the incident.  Operator1 pulled his vessel from the water on to his trailer where a closer visual inspection was completed on the boat, and the damage listed above was confirmed. A visual of the vessels bottom hull was completed while on the trailer, and there did not appear to be any visual damage that could be seen. 

There were no injuries to any of the responders or Operator1 that were reported. 

No citations or warnings will be issued in this case. 

All of the above took place to in Anne Arundel County Maryland.


BARDID: MD-2018-0125
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-11-18 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 10:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: 111 River Road
NearestCityorTown: chesapeake city
County: cecil
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Fair
AccidentEvent1: Fire/explosion (fuel)
AccidentCause1: Ignition of spilled fuel or vapor
AccidentCause2: Machinery failure
MachineryFailure: Engine
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On November 18, 2018 at approximately 0750 hours, I (Cpl.) received a dispatch of a vessel burning at end of the pier at Harbor North Marina. Monitoring the Cecil County Emergency dispatch channel it was reported all five passengers were out of the water and were being medically evaluated by paramedics. I responded to the marina and learned there were no injuries and all individuals declined to be transported for further medical treatment. 

I observed a thirty-two foot vessel at the end of the dock fully engulfed in flames and burnt down to approximately three feet from the water line. Responding fire boats from Hacks Point, North East, and Charlestown were in the process of controlling the fire. 

I interviewed the owner/captain, who stated they were exiting the C & D Canal at the beginning of the Elk River traveling south towards the Chester River. Operator stated he saw heavy black smoke coming from the starboard side and a loss of power. Operator advised he immediately changed course for Harbor North Marina, adding his passengers attempted to put out the fire. Operator stated the fire spread rapidly and approximately fifteen yards from the dock they were forced to abandon the vessel, adding they were unable to retrieve the life jackets stored in the bow due to the fire. Operator stated a good samaritan boater picked himself and one other up, while the other three passenger swam for the dock. The good samaritan left the area before being identified, with the only description given as a white center console boat. 

Operator stated they were boating in the Indian River Delaware and had spent the night in the Chesapeake City Basin before leaving that morning, I interviewed subject1, present on the bridge at the start of the fire. Subject1 stated he noticed  the starboard temperature gauge went hot and the tachometer jumped just before smoke came out of the starboard side of the vessel. All confirmed heavy black smoke started coming from the engine hatch and that they attempted to put fire out with an extinguisher, but were unable to so.

I met with Senior Deputy State Fire Marshal, who stated he would handle the fire portion of the investigation, advising at this point it would be classified as undetermined. Fire Marshal provided his case number of 07-18-081.  The owner provided his insurance information to Boat U.S. and the marina owner to have the vessel pulled from the water and stored at that location. The vessel was towed into shallow water by a fire boat at he marina, due to low tide and being unable to get the vessel to the marina's lift.
 


BARDID: MD-2018-0126
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-11-18 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 10:16:00
CoordinatesConfidence: NC
NameOfBodyOfWater: Dam 4 Road williamsport
NearestCityorTown: williamsport
County: washington
WaterConditions: Choppy
HazardousWaters: -1
Wind: Light
Visibility: Fair
AccidentEvent1: Collision with fixed object
AccidentEvent2: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Excessive speed
AccidentCause2: Operator inexperience
AccidentCause3: Hazardous waters
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
on November 18, 2018 I, Cpl.2 responded to the area of Canal Road and Harpers Ferry road at the mouth of Antietam Creek to assist field units with identification of vessel owners of a found overturned 19 foot Tracker.  The vessel had a temporary registration for Maryland and was not in Compass.  I drove to Bowers Marine Sales in Hagerstown to help identify the owners, but the dealer was closed on Sunday, Bowers is the closet boat dealer for Tracker vessels.  Field units were able to find a vehicle and trailer parked at Big Slackwater boat ramp just above Dam 4 on the Potomac River.   At approximately 1620 hours searchers located a female subject about three hundred yards down river from Dam 4 on the Maryland river bank.  Access from the C&O Canal tow path to body was not likely.  Fire and rescue recovered the body and transported her to Taylor's Landing.  I identified the female subject from her driver's license.  

A search for Victim2 continued, but ended about an hour after sunset.  Maryland State Police helicopter advised there was a mass at the base of Dam 4, but were unable to positively identify the mass.  The next of kin for Victim2 was notified and met with myself and Area 7 officers at Big Slackwater boat ramp.  

Subject is a foster brother to Victim2, victim’s biological mother and father are deceased.  Subject informed us that the victims recently purchased the vessel and that Victim2 had recently been released from the hospital for pneumonia.  Subject also advised that Victim2 was at times a risk taker and a dare devil.  I informed Subject that Victim2 was not yet located and asked if he would take the personal belongings of Victim1.  Subject refused to take Victim1's personal belongings, but did not offer any leads to her family members.  
 On November 19, 2018 Victim1 was autopsied at Baltimore Medical Examiner's Office and the search continued for Victim2.  At approximately 0945 hours Victim2 was located by Fire and Rescue approximately fifty yards down river from Dam 4 tangled among some submerged trees.  Victim2 was recovered and transported to Taylor's Landing and FI identified him by his driver's license.  I met with Subject again at Big Slackwater boat ramp and gave him the personal property of Victim2.  Subject also to possession of the vessel, truck, and trailer. 
 On November 20, 2018 I met with half brother to Victim1.  I informed subject2 of the incident and gave him Victim1's personal possessions as well as a contact number for subject1.
 Rangers with the National Park Service gave field officers still photos from a trail camera posted at Big Slackwater boat ramp.  The photos show the Victims launching the boat at 1544 hours on November 16, 2018 and retrieving the vessel at 1644 hours.  The Victims took ownership of the vessel earlier that day and had a fuel receipt in the pickup truck for 37 gallons at 1429 hours at a fuel station on Potomac St. Williamsport, Maryland.  The vessel has a fuel capacity of 21.5 gallons and a 115 horsepower four stroke engine, which efficient fuel economy would last a number of operation hours.  The Victims truck and vessel were photographed launching the vessel at 1345 hours on November 17, 2018 and no other photos of them recovering the vessel.  

A Deputy for Washington County advised that he spoke with the Victims prior to them launching their vessel on the 17th and did not notice anything out of the ordinary with them.  One resident in the area of Dam 4 report seeing a bass style boat about five miles up river from Dam 4 heading down river at approximately 1715 hours.  Another statement made to officers on the night of the 18th was a resident that lived near Dam 4 heard the sound of an outboard heading toward the Dam, but never heard it return and this was after sunset.  Speaking with a friend of Victim2, is that Victim2 was excited to have purchased the boat and was anxious to use the boat.  

Friend believes that Victim2 was new to a vessel or the power of this size.  Speaking with the dealer at Bowers, they indicated that Victim2 was well aware of the vessel he was purchasing and did a full operations walk through with Victim2 on the 16th.  The vessel came with a navigational unit, navigational lights, fire extinguisher, horn, paddle, and a motor stop lanyard.  The vessel did not come with any personal or throwable floatation devices.  

The state of the vessel when it was found was beyond repair, most of the vessels interior was possibly removed by the force of the river.  The throttle was found in neutral and the motor stop lanyard was not attached to the vessel or either occupant of the vessel.  A majority of damage was to the port side of the vessel, so much that the side was crushed in that the cap was separated from the hull.  The engine was in good condition compared to the rest of the vessel, except for the prop having multiple dents and curled edges as if it struck a submerged object.  

The electronic trolling motor on the bow was down and locked into place and it is not known if it was used prior to the accident.  The information leads this investigator to believe that the victims were operating the vessel after sunset on 17th and possibly drove past the boat ramp at Big Slackwater and drove over Dam 4.  At the time of the accident the Potomac River is flowing at a high rate and the normal drop for Dam 4 is approximately twenty feet, but is approximately twelve feet with flooding.  I am unsure who was operating the vessel, but believe that Victim1 may have been thrown from the vessel, because of being found three hundred yards downstream and on the river bank.  The churning of the dam creates an up river draft along the river banks, as far down as three hundred yards.  It is possible that Victim2 was trapped in the rolling water at the Dam base and became dislodged between the 18th and 19th.  With the majority of the damage…


BARDID: MD-2018-0127
State: MD
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2018-11-17 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 09:35:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Broad Creek Main Stem Bozman
NearestCityorTown: Bozman
County: talbot
WaterConditions: Choppy
HazardousWaters: -1
Wind: Moderate
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Flooding/swamping
AccidentEvent2: Capsizing
AccidentEvent3: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Hazardous waters
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On November 17, 2018, at approximately 9:30 A.M. I, Officer of the Maryland Natural Resources Police was on patrol with Cpl. when we were dispatched to an overturned vessel in the Choptank River at the mouth of Broad Creek. The communications center advised there was an overturned duck hunting boat with 3 people on board who were in the water.

 We responded to the scene on NRP 143. I observed the seas to be approximately 2 feet in height and the wind was from the North West at 10 to 12 mph. Shortly before we arrived, the communications center advised us the victims had boarded a good Samaritan boat and were being taken to shore to meet EMS. They advised that one victim was transported to Easton Memorial Hospital for further medical treatment.

 Once we arrived on scene at approximately 10:02 A.M., we met with a Coast Guard vessel who had been securing the scene until we arrived. We then took over the scene and I observed an overturned camouflage duck hunting boat with its stern and outboard motor submerged and facing the west. There was also approximately 50 sea duck decoys off of the bow and stern floating in the water. The boat appeared to be stationary and did not appear to be drifting with waves crashing over its stern. The Coast Guard was able to help us identify the boat's registration (MD 4717 DA) and then they cleared the scene. We then took over the scene and protected the vessel and their decoys. 

  I then obtained a phone number of Victim’s wife.  She was also concerned about all the lost property that fell off of the boat which included the following: 2 shotguns, all of their hunting gear, a red cooler, and a white 5-gallon bucket with a screw on lid containing all of their personal belongings including their wallets and cell phones except for Operator's wallet and cell phone which were on his person at the time of the accident. 

While waiting for the tow boat we recovered approximately 50 floating sea duck decoys and one flapper decoy. We also recovered 10 decoy anchors and all of the lines to hold the decoys together. A white work boat with the name of “Brandi Lee” of Bozman Md. approached us  and stated he talked to the victims on the dock and he claimed they asked him to recover the decoys and look for any other belongings that fell out of the boat. We told him we had the decoys and we would deliver them to the victims.

 Once Tow Boat U.S. arrived from Kent Island he then took possession of the vessel so he could tow it to Neavitt landing where the victims were waiting for it. As the tow boat was towing the vessel I observed a peanut butter jar containing the extra boat keys and another decoy surface from the overturned vessel. We then secured the items on the deck of our vessel with their other property.
             
We then cleared with Tow Boat U.S. and met the victims at Neavitt landing to return their property. All three victims were at Neavitt landing and appeared to be okay. They took possession of their property and we cleared the call.
                
On November 18, 2018 I spoke with the owner of the vessel. He stated the vessel was anchored from the bow  and facing northwest. The occupants had been hunting for 2 hours when the boat took a wave over the bow and began to capsize. The only occupant wearing a lifejacket was victim. Operator stated he has over 100 hours of boating experience and grew up on boats. He also stated he was familiar with the Choptank River. and obtained much of his boating experience there. Operator  stated all of his equipment was on board and in working order and believes the bilge pump was running and that, "Maybe it just couldn't keep up." Operator then advised the vessel was going to be a total loss but could not advise a monetary value.
             
All events occurred in Talbot county, Md. 
 
They were attempting to reposition their vessel, and the waves began to break over the cutout in the transom. Before they knew it, the vessel was being over run with water and rolled over. His brothers climbed up on the bottom of the overturned vessel, and he remained in the water, clinging onto the vessel. I asked Victim if he obtained any injuries. He stated that he did not, but his arms and fingers were sore from holding onto the vessel. I asked Victim if he had a life jacket on at the time. He stated that he wore it to put out decoys, then took it off to be able to shoot his gun, so he was not wearing it when the vessel overturned. He stated there were three PFD's that he brought, plus the ones his brother kept on board. I asked Victim who was operating the vessel to re position it.  He stated that he was at the helm. He stated that his father worked for DNR for over 30 years, so he and his brothers had experience with boats. I asked which direction the vessel was facing before he moved the vessel. He stated that the bow was anchored into the wind, towards Tilghman. Victim stated that when his brother started to pull the anchor, the vessel swung around, allowing the waves to come over the stern. I asked about his brothers, and was informed that they were on their way to the hospital with new pants for Victim. The medical personnel stated that Victim was free to go once his brothers arrive.


BARDID: MD-2018-0128
State: MD
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2018-10-27 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 20:53:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: 23703 Bill Dixon Road
NearestCityorTown: California
County: Saint Marys
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: No wind
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Fire/explosion (unknown origin)
AccidentCause1: Unknown
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On Saturday October 27th at approximately 9:00pm, I (Cpl.) received a call through our dispatch that a vessel was on fire at the Town Creek Marina, 23703 Bill Dixon Road, California, Maryland 20619. Additional information indicated the vessel was tied to the slip and no people were on board, and multiple fire departments units were on scene having already extinguished the fire.
At approximately 9:20pm I arrived on scene and met with Sgt and began to obtain vessel and owner information and make initial assessments of the incident. The fire consumed the majority of the vessel, a 1979 Pacemaker Sport Fish Yacht measuring 36' in length and showing a Maryland vessel registration of 7308 BC. Efforts were being made to extinguish remaining any hot spots and keep the vessel afloat. Due to the extent of damage to the vessel from the fire, the boat began to sink and subsequently leak fuel. While underwater, the leaking fuel could be through damage to the fuel fill tube leading to the fuel tank. The Solomons Fire Department notified me that the Maryland Department of Environment, Pax River NAS Spill Control Unit, Tow Boat US, and State Police Fire Marshall were all en route.
The wife of the boat owner arrived on scene and gave details of the work completed on the boat today by her husband and his brother. She stated the only work they did was replace sections of the plywood floor and all cutting work with saws was done on the dock, not on the boat so as not to interfere with wires, etc. After the men finished working on the boat, they left and went out for the evening with friends and were notified of their boat on fire.
The vessels to the immediate right side and left side of boat obtained some light to moderate damage from the heat of the fire. The owners of both vessels have been notified as to the situation and condition of their boats and will be obtaining damage estimates.
The cause of this fire is still under investigation with the Natural Resources Police and a supplemental investigative report to follow from the Maryland State Police Fire Marshall.
This case is closed.
All events occurred in Saint Mary's County, Maryland.


BARDID: MD-2018-0129
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-11-22 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 11:28:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: 300 Talisman Farm
NearestCityorTown: Grasonville
County: Queen Annes
WaterConditions: Rough
HazardousWaters: -1
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Strong
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Flooding/swamping
AccidentEvent2: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Force of wake/wave
AccidentCause2: Hazardous waters
DayofWeek: Thursday
RedactedNarrative:
On November 22, 2018 at approximately 10:00am I, Officer of the Maryland Natural Resources Police responded to a call regarding a missing person in Prospect Bay near Talisman Farm in Queen Anne’s County Maryland.

Dispatch advised the subject and hereinafter referred to as Victim, left a shoreline blind in a kayak and had fallen overboard. Corporal of the Maryland Natural Resources Police and Grasonville Volunteer Fire Department (GVFD) were on scene and had begun the search for Victim.

At approximately 10:45am, dispatch advised that the fire department located Victim. They transported Victim to the Waterman’s Wharf at the Kent Narrows to meet with EMS. 

According to Victim’s statement, Victim and four (4) other hunters were in a shoreline blind near Cabin Creek Road and Prospect Bay Road. Victim shot a duck and his dog swam too far from shore trying to retrieve it. Victim went after the dog in a 14-foot blue and camouflage kayak. Victim ended up in the water at approximately 8:00am after the 2 foot waves overtook his kayak. Victim removed his waders and began treading water. His father called 911 at 8:45am.

Victim continued to tread water and clench onto the kayak until the fire department located and retrieved him from the water. Victim was not wearing a life jacket but there was one stored on the kayak along with a whistle and a carbon fiber paddle with white ends. Victim’s shotgun was lost in the incident.

The five hunters estimated that Victim was approximately 2,000 yards from shore when he fell in the water, which was approximately 20-25 feet deep. The hunters advised they checked the forecast before beginning their hunt that day.

The other witnesses were not available to provide additional witness statements.

Victim remained at the hospital until his body temperature was back to normal.

The NRP-435 Boating Accident Report is attached.  

Cleared without further incident.

All events occurred in Queen Anne’s County, Maryland


BARDID: MD-2018-0131
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-02-28 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 14:55:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Chesapeake Bay
NearestCityorTown: Pasadena
County: AA - Anne Arundel
WaterConditions: Choppy
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Moderate
Visibility: Unknown
AccidentEvent1: Capsizing
AccidentEvent2: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Improper loading
DayofWeek: Wednesday
RedactedNarrative:
On 2-28-2018 at approximately 2:55pm I, Cpl. received a call from DNR Communications in reference to a subject in the water.  The Communications center advised a subject was in the water near the Downs Park fishing pier which is located on the Chesapeake Bay.  I, along with others responded to the area by vessel.  Once on scene I was advised the subject was transported for possible hypothermia.   

   At 4:27pm I arrived at BWMC to interview Operator1, who was alert and conscious.  Operator1 stated he launched his green 10' Ascend kayak from the kayak launch area at Downs Park to do some fishing.  Operator1 advised he dropped anchor near the end of the pier and dropped something in the water.  As he was trying to retrieve that item a wave strike the side of the kayak causing it to overturn.  Operator1 stated he tried several times to flip the kayak back upright but the anchor would not allow it.  At that time Operator1 hung onto the kayak for approximately 1 hour and waited for somebody to see him in the water.  Operator1 advise he has had the kayak for 2 years and has been out on it regularly.  Operator1 was wearing a Type 3 life jacket at the time of the accident. 

    Operator1 was admitted to BWMC for 24 hours for observation do to his body temperature was low degrees upon arrival.  

    His kayak and vehicle was secured at Downs Park by Anne Arundel County Park Rangers.  I had DNR Communications contact Anne Arundel County Police Eastern District and notify them that his vehicle will remain in the park over night.   


    All events occurred in Anne Arundel County, MD.


BARDID: MD-2018-0132
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-06-25 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 11:30:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Chester RIver
County: Queen Annes
WaterConditions: Choppy
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Moderate
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Grounding
AccidentEvent2: Fall in vessel
AccidentCause1: Operator inattention
DayofWeek: Monday
RedactedNarrative:
On Monday June 25th, 2018 at approximately 11:30 AM, I (Officer of The Maryland Natural Resources Police) received a call from DNR dispatch center for a PI vessel accident that had just occurred on the Chester River in Queen Anne’s County. The information that was given to me at the time of the call was that Coastguard Sector Annapolis had a vessel on scene and was following the sailing vessel into shore so the patient could be transported into the ambulance at Piney Narrows Yacht Club. Due to underlying conditions of the patient they could not transport her between vessels and she had to stay on the sailboat until reaching the dock.

 I arrived on scene at Piney Narrows Yacht Club at approximately 11:47 AM and met with the EMS personnel that were also staging at that location awaiting the Coast Guard to arrive with the victim. After approximately 10 minutes, I took two EMS personnel from Kent Island Volunteer Fire Company   onboard NRP 795 to meet with the vessels and drop of the paramedics so they could begin assessing the patient condition. I arrived on scene with the US Coast Guard boat out of sector Annapolis and the “Chances R” approximately 1 mile north of the entrance to the Kent Narrows from the Chester River, the patient was below deck the entire trip until she was transported off the boat at the dock at Piney Narrows. At the time of my arrival on scene the patient was stable with a neck brace placed on for precautionary measures. No other first aid was administered on scene or until Victim was at Anne Arundel Medical Center.  The sailboat was a 33 foot Hunter, white in color, USCG Documented vessel number 1192273 bearing the name “Chances R.” Chances R docked at Piney Narrows at approximately 12:40 PM. Upon docking, I spoke to the husband who was also the vessel operator up until the vessel was docked at Piney Narrows.

Subject advised that his wife Victim fell when below deck of the sailboat. Subject said the boat was heading south down the main stem of the Chester River coming from Langford Creek heading towards the mouth of the river when Subject realized he had drifted from the channel and was in approximately four feet of water and briefly ran aground. He believes at this time is when his wife Victim fell and hit the front side of her head. Subject also said that Victim was in and out of consciousness for approximately 1-3 minutes, after this time frame he said that se stabilized and was back to her normal self besides some pain in her neck and head. Due to Victim’s underlying conditions, she was transported by ambulance to Anne Arundel medical center for precautionary test and scans. I have followed up with subject and learned that Victim has recovered and is back to a normal state of condition.

 The results of this investigation indicate that this incident should be classified as a personal injury boating accident resulting from a fall within the vessel. The cause of the incident is operator inattention to depth. 

 All events occurred in Queen Anne’s County Maryland. This case can be closed no further police investigation needed.


BARDID: MD-2018-0133
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-06-27 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 14:22:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Chesapeake Bay
NearestCityorTown: Rock Hall
County: KE - Kent
WaterConditions: Rough
HazardousWaters: -1
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Strong
Visibility: Fair
AccidentEvent1: Grounding
AccidentCause1: Hazardous waters
AccidentCause2: Weather
DayofWeek: Wednesday
RedactedNarrative:
On June 27th, 2018, at approximately 1422 hours, I Ofc., of the Maryland Natural Resources Police, responded to a vessel in distress call in the area of Rock Hall, Kent County, Maryland. The vessel was a 21 foot Bayliner, Blue and White in color, bearing Maryland registration 1960 CS. The owner of the vessel, and his wife, were onboard the vessel at the time. 

Subject1 explained that he was headed from the Corsica River to Rock Hall to secure his vessel for the night. Subject1 stated he underestimated the severity of the weather leaving the Chester River. At that time there were 3-4 foot waves with strong winds, approximately 20-25mph heading northeast. Subject1 made it roughly ¼ mile from the Rock Hall Marina when he ran out of gas and lost power to his engine. He attempted to anchor his vessel to wait for assistance from Tow Boat U.S. His anchor held for a while but began to drag due to the severe force of the wakes and wind. Subject1’s vessel drifted into the rock jetty just north of Rock Hall Marina. His vessel started taking damage from the rocks bashing up against the starboard side. Subject1 and Wife remained on the boat until Tow Boat U.S. arrived on scene. Tow Boat U.S. attempted to float a tow line to Subject1 and his vessel. Tow Boat U.S. then propelled forward and mistakenly sucked the tow line into its jet propulsion unit. Tow Boat U.S. then became stranded alongside Subject1’s vessel. Tow Boat U.S. gave Subject1 5 gallons of fuel to fill his vessel with. After filling his vessel with the gas, Subject1 made one attempt to remove his vessel from alongside the rock jetty. During his attempt, his lower unit and propeller sustained severe damage from the rocks due to the force of wake pushing him back into the jetty, incapacitating his vessel. After the attempt to remove his vessel from the rock jetty, Tow Boat U.S. maneuvered Subject1’s vessel on the opposite side of the towboat to prevent any further damage. 

 I arrived on scene at approximately 1530 hours and observed both Subject1s vessel and Tow Boat U.S. stranded on the rock jetty. I made sure everyone was accounted for and ok. I was unable to provide any towing assistance due to the inclement weather. Tow Boat U.S. advised me that two more Tow Boats were on the way to remove and secure both vessels. Subject1 advised me later that both vessels were towed to and secured in Rock Hall Marina. 

Subject1’s vessel had moderate hull damage on both the port and starboard side from rubbing against the rocks. The lower unit of the engine along with the propeller was severely damaged also from hitting the rocks.(See attached images). Other than the tow line being sucked into the jet propulsion unit, the towboat did not receive any structural damage.

 Subject1 is awaiting a damage estimate from his insurance company. A supplement report will be added once the estimate is given.

 All events occurred in Kent County, Maryland.

On June 4th, 2018, Subject1 contacted me, Officer, via email stating a week has passed and his wife, Wife's elbow, back, and knee were in pain from the incident. Subject1 did state that she got knocked around the inside of the boat while being stranded on the rock jetty but did not complain of any concerning pain at the time. Subject1 advised me that he will be taking her to MedStar Harbor Hospital for an X-Ray and CT Scan.

 Once the information is gathered, a supplement will be completed that will include a damage estimate, insurance policy number, and the extent of Wife's possible injury's.

On July 27th, 2018, Subject1 contacted me via email to inform me that the total damage estimate to his vessel was approximately $8,495. Subject1 also informed me that his wife was diagnosed with a severe sprain to the elbow, back, and knee. He said she was treated with medications and released the same day from Medstar Harbor Hospital on July 4th, 2018.

 Subject1s Progressive Boat Insurance Policy 

 This case is closed.


BARDID: MD-2019-0002
State: MD
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2019-02-24 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 03:37:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Bar Harbor Marina
NearestCityorTown: Pasadena
County: Anne Arundel
WaterConditions: Choppy
StrongCurrent: -1
HazardousWaters: -1
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Fire/explosion (unknown origin)
AccidentCause1: Unknown
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On 02/25/19, at approximately 9:57 A.M., I, Cpl., of the Maryland Natural Resources Police, responded to a vessel fire that occurred in the early morning hours on 02/24/19 at Blake's Bar Harbor Marina (208 Bar Harbor Rd Pasadena, MD 21122). The call was originally handled by the Anne Arundel County Fire Marshall's Office but after their initial investigation, they labeled the official cause of the fire as "undetermined," and it was forwarded to the Maryland Natural Resources Police.

   The vessel that caught fire was a white colored, 35'3", 1972 Bertram, model 35 Sportfish, bearing Maryland Registration "5176 CG" and was named "Bimini Twist." I subsequently made contact with the owner of the vessel. Owner stated that his vessel was docked at Blake's Bar Harbor Marina (208 Bar Harbor Rd Pasadena, MD 21122) when the fire occurred. Owner stated that at around 3:43 A.M. on 02/24/19 he was contacted by the owner of Blake's Bar Harbor Marina, and was informed that his vessel was on fire. Owner stated by the time he arrived to the marina his vessel was completely burnt from the top of the vessel down to the rub rail. 

Owner described his vessel as a 35' Bertram inboard diesel, white in color, displaying MD registration 5176 CG. Owner stated that his vessel had been hooked up to shore power and believes that a faulty outlet from the electrical tower was to blame for the cause of the fire. I asked Owner if there were any heaters present on his vessel and he stated that there were 2 bilge heaters on the vessel and were operational at the time of the fire. Owner valued his vessel at $25,000 and advised that he had several expensive fishing rods and reels that were destroyed along with a Raymarine C97 multifunctional display and a brand new Lowrance VHF marine radio. The fishing rods and reels were valued at around $2,000, the Raymarine C97 multifunctional display was valued at $2,500, and the Lowrance VHF marine radio was valued at around $400.00. Owner advised that his vessel was towed by Tow Boat U.S. from Blake's Bar Harbor Marina in Pasadena to Syr's Marine Construction on Furnace Creek in Glen Burnie. Owner advised that his vessel was not insured.

He advised that his office officially ruled  the cause of the fire as "undetermined." Lt. interviewed several witnesses who advised that in addition to the 2 bilge heaters, there were possibly 2 propane heaters onboard the vessel, however no one was able to confirm if the propane heaters were aboard the vessel. Lt. stated that because Owner did not have his vessel insured, he did not suspect any foul play and chalked the incident up to an unfortunate accident.

I observed charring on the pilings as well as the dock and I further observed that the electrical tower was melted along with the vessel's yellow power cord. his pier, as well as the electrical tower, sustained considerable damage but no other vessels were damaged and no personal injuries were sustained. 

    Owner advised that his vessel was a total loss and that he did not have insurance for his vessel. 

    At this time no charges are pending. All events occurred in Anne Arundel County, MD.


BARDID: MD-2019-0004
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-02-25 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 11:06:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Cove Point
NearestCityorTown: Lexington Park
County: Calvert Co
WaterConditions: Rough
StrongCurrent: -1
HazardousWaters: -1
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Strong
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Fire/explosion (unknown origin)
AccidentEvent2: Fall in vessel
AccidentCause1: Machinery failure
AccidentCause2: Hazardous waters
AccidentCause3: Operator inexperience
MachineryFailure: Engine
DayofWeek: Monday
RedactedNarrative:
On February 25, 2019 at approximately 12:00 p.m., I (Officer of The Maryland Natural Resources Police) was on patrol when I received a call from the Natural Resources Police communications center about a vessel on fire on the Chesapeake Bay/South of Cove Point. The Natural Resources Police communications center advised that the operator of the vessel was being transported to MedStar Saint Mary's Hospital at 25500 Point Lookout Rd, Leonardtown, MD 20650 by Pax River ambulance #138 at approximately 12:13 p.m. After collecting initial information from the Natural Resources Police communications center, the victim was identified. 

At approximately 1:10 p.m. Cpl. of the Maryland Natural Resources Police and I arrived to St Mary's MedStar hospital. At approximately 1:30 p.m. Cpl. and I conducted an interview with Victim in Room #12. I asked him to describe the incident in as much detail as he could to Cpl. and I. Victim advised he is the owner of the vessel. The vessel is a white 31" 1967 Columba Sailboat bearing Maryland boat Registration number 7999 AU, HIN #561917. Victim said that at 07:30 a.m. he checked the weather forecast. At approximately 08:30 a.m., he operated his vessel to leave the pier located at Kingfishers Seafood Bar & Grill, 14442 Solomon's Island Rd S, Solomon's, MD 20688. He was the only occupant on the vessel. He was underway to store his vessel at Tall Timbers Marina, St Mary's County MD. Victim stated that the light conditions were "clear with no clouds or fog". He also stated that "the water was very choppy due to the waves". At approximately 11:00 a.m. While traveling south in the area of Cedar Point Sanctuary (off of the Chesapeake Bay,near the Patuxent Naval Air Station) when his engine cut off. He smelled smoke coming from the engine compartment. When he opened the compartment, he saw fire coming from the engine. He extinguished the fire with a Type B Fire extinguisher he had on board. 

During that time Victim inhaled smoked and fumes. He said the hairs of his arms have been "singed from the fire" and had redness on both wrists from "contact with hot oil coming from the compartment". He started to feel dizzy and said he hit his head on the "lip" of the vessel. After putting out the fire, he launched one flare into the air and then called 9-11. While on the phone with dispatchers, he said he felt as if he was" going to pass out". Victim launched a second flare that failed to attract the attention of a vessel in the distance. Victim stated that he didn't let the anchor down because he "feared falling into the water". While on the phone with 911 he saw two vessels approaching towards his. He stated that they were both from the Naval base. Once he arrived on land he was transported to MedStar hospital. While interviewing, Cpl. asked Victim if he had his boater safety certification. He said he "took a course from the DNR website two months ago". Victim said he has approximately "10 hours total" of boating experience. All of his belongings are still on board, including the keys to his vehicle. The sailboat is his current place of residence. He stated that he has Tow Boat USA "Gold" insurance as of 2/22/19. He said his insurance will "be active 30 days after 2/22/19". I was able to obtain a Victim statement report from Victim while he was admitted at MedStar Saint Mary's Hospital at 25500 Point Lookout Rd, Leonardtown, MD 20650. Victim was unable to write on his own and asked me to write for him. After reading what was written, he signed the victim witness statement. The Victim statement has been scanned and attached to the report. U.S. Coast Guard was unable to tow the vessel or secure it due to the large size of the vessel and hazardous wind and sea conditions. The last known position is on N 39 07.41/ W076 17.3 I was not able to conduct an investigation of the vessel to determine the cause, document damage and inspect required equipment. Victim was made aware that he was still responsible for the vessel. A copy of the boat accident report was not given to Victim.
All Events occurred in Saint Mary's County, Maryland.
There are currently no violations.
This case is closed.


BARDID: MD-2019-0006
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-04-19 00:00:00
CoordinatesConfidence: NC
NameOfBodyOfWater: 9450 River View Road
NearestCityorTown: Broomes Island
County: Calvert
WaterConditions: Rough
StrongCurrent: -1
HazardousWaters: -1
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Strong
Visibility: Poor
AccidentEvent1: Falls overboard
AccidentCause1: Alcohol
AccidentCause2: Hazardous waters
DayofWeek: Friday
RedactedNarrative:
On April 19, 2019 at approximately 12:55 p.m., I (Off. of The Maryland Natural Resources Police) was on patrol when I received a call from the Natural Resources Police Communications Center about a possible abandoned vessel on a private dock. The complainant advised that “Three employees from Len’s Marina took the vessel to search for a missing person”.  I immediately called Lens Marina and asked to have their employees bring the vessel back to the dock. Ofc. arrived on scene and secured the vessel onto  Subject1’s dock. 
Subject1 explained that at approximately 01:00 p.m. a 30ft Salt Shaker vessel, bearing Maryland registration 7288 BT “lightly crashed” onto his dock.  He stated that both motors were in gear and with one still running. He called Len’s Marina assuming that one of their vessels drifted onto his property. Subject2 advised there was an empty bottle of vodka on the floor of the vessel and took Victim’s vessel to look for any victims that may have fallen into the water.  Subject1 then stated  that’s when he called the Maryland Natural Resources Communications Center to report this incident.

Solomons Volunteer Fire Department, Calvert MedLife Paramedics and Saint Leonard Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched at 01:44 p.m. to assist on scene.

At approximately 01:46 p.m., the employees of Len’s Marina Docked Victim’s vessel where Ofc. and I took possession of the vessel. Calvert County Sheriff’s Office attempted to contact Victim at his home located at his additional address  at approximately 01:46 p.m.. Ofc. attempted to make contact with Victim at his business location. Attempt of contact with Victim was unsuccessful.

At approximately 02:44 p.m., I made contact with Victim’s girlfriend by telephone. Victim’s girlfriend stated "I live with victim."  She states that he arrived home drunk at 8pm the night before and got into a verbal argument  with her. She confirmed that Victim slept at the residence that night. She stated that at the next morning Victim started cutting the grass. Victim’s girlfriend states that at 11:00 a.m., Victim "drove to the liquor store and came back home with a brown bag with a bottle of vodka inside that he was drinking out of". After she finished working on the yard, she looked to the back of the house and saw that Victim’s vessel was gone. She stated that "he did not say goodbye to me" and "always spends less than an hour out on his vessel." Victim’s girlfriend stated that "the last time she saw Victim was at 11:30 a.m., wearing a dark green shirt, white pants, and brown leather sandals."

At approximately 03:39 p.m, Victim was located by Patuxent River Naval Aviation at N38 24 56.1/W76 34 15.6. The water temperature at time of recovery was 58.5 F. Patuxent River SAR aviation confirmed that Victim was not wearing a life jacket at time of recovery. Victim was secured on the helicopter and transported to MedStar Saint Mary’s Hospital (25500 Point Lookout Rd, Leonardtown, MD 20650).

At approximately 04:35 p.m., I arrived to Med Star Saint Mary’s Hospital. CPR was in progress. 
At approximately 06:20 p.m. the contents in Victim’s vessel had been inventoried and his vessel was secured to the pier.

At approximately 06:46 p.m., Victim was pronounced dead.
 
Alcohol, strong winds, and rough waters were cited as causes.
 

All events occurred in Calvert County, MD.


BARDID: MD-2019-0007
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-05-04 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 01:20:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Crab Alley Creek
NearestCityorTown: Chester
County: Queen Annes
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: -1
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Poor
AccidentEvent1: Collision with fixed object
AccidentEvent2: Fall in vessel
AccidentCause1: Alcohol
AccidentCause2: Excessive speed
AccidentCause3: Improper lookout
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On May 3rd, 2019, at approximately 2345 HRS I, OFC. of the Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) along with others responded in reference to a vessel striking a dock/pier at this address.

The weather/conditions that night were very cloudy, no moonlight (very dark), and with little to no wind (0-7mph NW winds). I was the first NRP Officer to arrive on the scene and met with the Queen Anne’s County Sheriff Deputies to gather more information on the incident. 

The owner of the property and the Dock/Pier that was struck let me know what he observed. Subject advised me that everyone on the vessel (25ft, white, Parker, MD Registration 9248CR, HIN# PXMLH347F102) seemed to be very intoxicated. I immediately found the operator/owner of the vessel and separated him from the rest of the occupants of the vessel. One of the occupants was severely intoxicated; she vomited in the cabin of the boat and needed to be checked out by QA County EMS. QA EMS checked on her and verified she was ok and said she did not need any medical treatment.  Occupant1 received a cut below his left eye caused by striking the inside of the cabin due to the sudden stop of the vessel and was also checked out by EMS. Occupant1 stated he was fine and refused all other medical treatments.

After separating Operator from the rest of the occupants, I asked him for the registration to his vessel. He replied he did not have the registration to the vessel. I instructed Ofc. and Cpl. to start gathering witness statements from the occupants on the boat and the owner of the property. I then brought Operator around to the front of the house to the flat paved driveway. I asked Operator where he was coming from, he replied “Big Owls Tiki Bar” and was heading up the creek a little further to where he keeps his boat. I then asked how fast he was going, he stated “20 mph”. Operator also stated that he was simultaneously leaning his head out of the cabin window of the vessel while trying to read the GPS inside the cabin. He also stated that while operating the vessel, he was staring at the bright GPS, which made it much harder for him to see during these dark conditions. I would like to note that Crab Alley Creek where the accident occurred is very narrow. I smelled a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from his persons, especially when engaged in conversation. I then asked Operator how many alcoholic beverages he consumed throughout the duration of the day. He replied “two Corona’s”.

Standardized Field Sobriety Test:

I started to perform SFST’s(Standardized Field Sobriety Test’s) on Operator at approximately 0015hours. I would like to note that Operator was born with an abnormality in his right foot causing it to be smaller than his left. Operator also advised me that he has a lazy right eye. I performed the HGN test (Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus) on Operator and found 3 out of 6 total clues. Operator refused the final two standardized tests. After evaluating the test results and Operator’s overall demeanor, he was not charged or arrested for OWI/OUI.

Investigation Continued:

I went back to the boat and pier/dock to take pictures of the damage. When I went on Operator’s vessel I saw a cooler that was full of empty alcoholic beverages. There were also alcoholic beverages in each cup holder found inside the cabin next to the operator seat and near the back of the vessel. (See attached images)

I exchanged information between Subject and Operator. The damage to the dock/pier will be handled civilly.

Charging Information:

On May 6th, 2019, I met with Operator at his residence to take more pictures of his vessel and charged him with the following:

08.18.01.04B Rule 6(Nav Rules), Unsafe Speed For Conditions $85

08.18.01.04A Rule 5(Nav Rules), Failure to Maintain a Proper Lookout $85

08.18.01.04A Rule 8(Nav Rules), Failure to Take Action to Avoid Collision $85

NR 8-712(d) Failure to Have Certificate of Number Available for Inspection $35

08.18.01.05A Did Operate a Vessel in a Reckless Manner $450

08.18.01.05B Did Operate a Vessel in a Negligent Manner $320

All events occurred in Queen Anne’s County, Maryland.


BARDID: MD-2019-0008
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-05-04 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 13:30:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Tangier Sound
NearestCityorTown: Ewell
County: Somerset
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: -1
CongestedWaters: -1
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with submerged object
AccidentCause1: Missing or inadequate navigation aids
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On 5-10-2019 at approximately 0900 hours, I OFC. was on patrol in Deal Island MD when I was approached by an individual who told me while operating his documented vessel “Long Shot” he hit a submerged dredge pipeline on 5-4-2019 at approximately 1330 hours in the west channel leading to the town of Ewell in Smith Island MD, resulting in damage to his vessel.

            Operator stated while entered Ewell from the west channel he contacted the pipeline at the approximate GPS coordinates of 37°59'53.40"N by 76° 2'7.18"W at 1145 hours which he pointed out on Google Earth. He said he was looking forward going about 5 miles per hour when he hit the pipeline but he cleared it without issue. He said there were no signs or floats marking the submerged pipeline. Later at 1330 hours, while leaving Ewell in his vessel to head back to Deal Island he struck the submerged pipeline again. He said he attempted to avoid the pipeline by going approximately 100 feet to the side of where he originally hit the pipeline. This time, however, he struck the pipe hard enough to cause damage; he said he was going approximately 5 miles per hour when he struck the pipeline. He was stuck on the pipeline and could not free himself with the boats power so a nearby vessel had to pull him off the pipeline. His vessel began to vibrate and then the hydraulics lines to the steering burst and he lost all steering function. He said he had 12 people on board and no one was injured in the collision. After the collision he was towed back to Scotts Cover Marina in Chance MD where he docked his vessel.

                On 5-7-2019 Operator told me he was able to have his boat pulled out of the water at Scotts Cove Marina where he was able to examine the extent of the damage. The keel of his vessel was bent and the wood had split at the joints in a few areas. There was one area where wood had broken off the keel and it was obvious the rudder assemble was bent significantly to the port side. The propeller had 4 blades and two of the blades had damage and were missing metal on the ends. The strut that supports the drive shaft was also bent to the port side as well as the rudder shaft and support. Operator estimated the damage would cost between seven to ten thousand dollars to repair.

                Vortex Marine Construction Company has been clearing the channels in the area of Smith Island around Ewell and is responsible for the submerged pipeline. They were contacted 5-10-19 about the obstruction of the channel and at 1222 hours were going to adjust the submerged pipe and make the channel clear of obstructions. Operator was given the contact information of Vortex and told to make contact with them directly.

                All events occurred in Somerset County.


BARDID: MD-2019-0009
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-03-24 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 15:27:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Severn River/Long Point Bouy #
NearestCityorTown: Annapolis
County: Ann
WaterConditions: Choppy
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Moderate
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Capsizing
AccidentEvent2: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Force of wake/wave
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
At approximately 12:30 P.M. on March 24, 2019 a call was received regarding an overturned kayak on the Severn River. Sergeant responded via vessel to the scene. Once on scene the officers were able to identify a vessel towing a green canoe, which was the subjects’ vessel. 
    Sergeant followed the vessel to Annapolis Landing Marina. Once on scene the officers were able to identify the subjects from the canoe. Both subjects refused medical treatment while on the scene. The subjects pulled their canoe onto land and got a ride with the Good Samaritan to retrieve their vehicle at Jonas Green Park. While in transit there Victim supposedly began showing symptoms of hypothermia. The Good Samaritan then diverted to Anne Arundel Medical Center. 
    At approximately 6:15 P.M. I responded to Anne Arundel Medical Center for a vessel accident report. Victim explained that he and Occupant left from Jonas Green Park between 1:30 P.M. and 2:00 P.M. They headed upstream just past the Route 50 Bridge before turning back towards the park. Victim was the one paddling. When they reached just south of the Route 50 Bridge Victim stopped to rest. At that time they are not sure how, but they overturned and were not able to get back into the canoe. 
    Victim stated that they were in the water for approximately five minutes prior to being picked up by the Good Samaritan. Victim then stated that Occupant was given a blanket while he worked with the Good Samaritan to retrieve the canoe, oars, and seats. 
    Victim stated that both he and Occupant were wearing Personal Floatation Devices at the time of the incident. 
    No violations were noted, this case is considered closed.


 They advised that they put their canoe in the water at Jonas Green Park located at 2001 Baltimore Annapolis Blvd, Annapolis, MD. They advised that the kayak overturned in the river as they were “not too far” from land. They advised that they had a very hard time righting the canoe. They advised that they did have lifejackets on when they capsized. Victim advised that they saw the “Lisboa” traveling in the river. He waved his hands at first and then waved a canoe paddle to get their attention. The “Lisboa” came to their rescue and two people pulled them from the water and provided them with dry blankets. 

They advised that they were not very scared at the time. Ofc and I explained that they probably only had 10 to 15 minutes of time before their bodies began to succumb to the cold water exposure, as the water temperature was recorded as 49 degrees, they looked at each other with concern. It was evident that neither Victim nor Occupant knew how dire their situation would have been if they didn’t have their life jackets on and if they chose to stay in place rather than self-rescue. Luckily, the “Lisboa” was in the area, as that was reportedly the only boat on the water at the time
. 
    


BARDID: MD-2019-0010
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-05-10 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 12:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Patuxent River/Solomons Island
NearestCityorTown: Solomons Island
County: Calvert
WaterConditions: Choppy
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Moderate
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Fire/explosion (non-fuel)
AccidentCause1: Machinery failure
MachineryFailure: Electrical
DayofWeek: Friday
RedactedNarrative:
On May 10, 2019, at approximately 12:00 PM I (Officer of the Maryland Natural Resources Police) received a call from dispatch (Maryland Department of Natural Resources Police Communications Center) for a vessel on fire just outside of the Solomon’s Harbor near Red Marker #10 with one occupant on board. The United States Coast Guard was already notified and en route to that location. While en route to the location of the fire the USCG notified DNR dispatch that the fire has been put out and the occupant is okay. 

At approximately 1:00 PM all NRP units arrived on scene with the vessel on the Patuxent River. I made contact with the operator of the vessel. There was no physical injury to the operator and he was wearing a personal floatation device. There were no signs of anyone else on board and he stated he was the only passenger. The vessel a white 20-foot Hydrasport displaying Maryland registration 1972 BY (HIN HSX9C121K192) had damage to the outboard engine from an electrical fire on the top portion of the engine. Operator stated that he used his one fire extinguisher to put out the fire. Then another boat came up to help and used their fire extinguisher as well. Operator already notified Boat U.S. for a tow to Harbor Island Marina. Boat U.S. arrived on the scene just after 1:00 PM.

We met Operator at Harbor Island Marina 105 Charles St, Solomons, MD 20688 where he was towed to by Boat U.S. Operator stated he was heading north on the Patuxent River when he noticed the battery gauge was moving back and forth which was not normal. He stated he noticed the voltage was decreasing on the gauge and that is when he saw smoke coming from the top of the outboard engine. He was able to extinguish the fire with no physical harm.

The mechanic at Harbor Island Marina  estimated the damage to be greater than $2,000.

The investigation is complete and there are no charges related to this incident. This case is closed. All events occurred in Calvert County, Maryland.


BARDID: MD-2019-0011
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-05-19 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 18:20:00
CoordinatesConfidence: NC
NameOfBodyOfWater: 28230 Harleigh Lane
NearestCityorTown: Oxford
County: Talbot
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Capsizing
AccidentEvent2: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Operator inexperience
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On 05/19/2019 at approximately 6:20 PM, I, Officer First Class of the Maryland Natural Resources Police was on boat patrol in the Chesapeake Bay with Officer of the same agency when we received a call from the DNR communications center that a canoe had flipped over and a drowning had occurred in Trippe Creek on the Tred Avon River.  

Officer1 made contact with the Talbot County EMS via Phone call. 

There was a group of individuals who were with the victim when the incident occurred. The group was at the address to fish after they were given permission to be there by the caretaker, the group of fishermen also brought a canoe to go out on. 

The witnesses advised that the victim, Operator and his cousin Subject1, decided to take the canoe out on the water in Trippe Creek while the rest stayed on shore. The Property has a large backyard and a long dock over the water (see attached photographs). After paddling out into the center of the creek, Subject1 said that Operator started playing around and rocking the canoe back and forth which caused it to roll over and capsize. 

Subject1 grabbed the canoe and held onto it for floatation as there were no Personal Flotation Devices onboard or being worn by both individuals. Operator floated away from the canoe and began to panic splashing and waving his arms and yelling. Both individuals had never been on a boat before according to Subject1 and the other witnesses. 

One person on shore ran down to the water and swam towards Operator to help him, as he got close to Operator, Operator began to pull down on Subject2 and Subject2 had to pull away as he was exhausted from the long swim out . Operator then went under the water for approximately 2 minutes and Subject2 dove down to grab him and pulled him up. Subject2 said that at that time Operator was unresponsive, Subject2 then started swimming back to shore pulling Operator along with him. 

At this time a small vessel showed up with 2 individuals onboard and pulled them both from the water and took them back to the dock. Subject1 who was with the canoe was able to swim back to the dock safely. A Gentleman on the vessel began administering CPR on Operator on the dock while waiting for EMS to arrive. Once EMS arrived Operator was then transported to the Easton Memorial Hospital where Officer met with Operator’s legal guardian to explain the incident. Operator was then later flown to shock trauma in Baltimore in critical condition where the SOD investigator was responding for his investigation.
I was unable to get information of the individual on the vessel that assisted Operator out of the water and administered CPR as he had left the area prior to our arrival.

All events occurred in Talbot County Maryland. The canoe was a 15ft Coleman canoe that was red in color and had two flotation pods as seats. Subject2 was the owner of the canoe and the one who brought it. The only items on the canoe during the incident were 2 paddles which were not recovered. The Hull identification number of the canoe is CP220163F898. Subject3 described the depth of the water as being approximately 8-9ft deep where the incident occurred.

There was no indication that alcohol was a factor in the incident. This event occurred in Talbot County Maryland.


BARDID: MD-2019-0012
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-05-17 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 13:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Isle of wight bay, ocean city
NearestCityorTown: Ocean City
County: Worcester
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Fair
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentEvent2: Person struck by vessel
AccidentCause1: Excessive speed
AccidentCause2: Navigation rules violation
AccidentCause3: Operator inexperience
DayofWeek: Friday
RedactedNarrative:
On 05/17/2019, I (Officer First Class) responded to Odysea Watersports located at 49thStreet in Ocean City, MD for a report of a personal watercraft (pwc) collision. I arrived on scene along with LT around 1300 hours. Employees at Odysea Watersports advised that the group of rental pwc's were headed out to their riding location in the Isle of Wight Bay where two pwc's from their rental group collided with each other.

Upon arrival all members from the rental pwc group were walking around and talking to employees of Odysea Watersports. The driver of the pwc #10,(The vessel that was struck complained of minor knee pain but was walking around and icing his knee. The Driver of pwc #5 (The striking vessel was also walking around with no present injuries. All parties stated they did not need medical treatment at that time. The Guide and witness to the collision was also on scene.

I spoke with the subjects involved. Operator1 was operating the pwc that caused the accident with MD registration of 9200 LB (Ski #5) with no passengers. He stated he was operating the pwc at full speed towards the direction of land when he noticed the other pwc heading in his path. He stated that he tried to turn but the other pwc turned right in front of him where they collided hitting the front of his pwc into the other pwc's left side. Operator2 was operating pwc with MD registration of 9232 LB (Ski #10) with no passengers. He stated that he was turning and was headed back out into the pwc riding area when he noticed the other pwc headed right at him. He tried to turn out of the way but the other pwc collided with him hitting the left front side of his pwc and knee. Both operators stated this was their first time on pwc's and did not know what they were doing. Operator1 did not sustain any injuries and Operator2 had some pain in his left knee. Both refused needing any medical treatment.

Speaking with the guide he stated that as soon as the group went out that two of the pwc's took off into a restricted area and by the time he was able to catch up to those ski's, he saw the other two pwc's #5 and #10 collide stating that ski #5 was operating recklessly and caused the accident.

I determined that Operator1 caused the accident. He received a citation for operating a pwc more than 6 knots within 100' of another vessel, failure to fallow navigation rules of the road #8, and negligent operation of a vessel. Inexperience was a big factor in this.
All events occurred in Worcester County, MD


BARDID: MD-2019-0013
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-05-25 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 16:50:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Ocean Pines
NearestCityorTown: Ocean City
County: Worcester
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Person struck by propeller
AccidentCause1: Improper lookout
AccidentCause2: Operator inattention
AccidentCause3: Operator inexperience
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On Saturday, May 25, 2019 at approximately 1650 hours, I (Cpl. of the Maryland Natural Resources Police) was dispatched to Advanced Marine located at 66th Street and the Bay, Ocean City, Worcester County, Maryland for a boat accident that had already occurred.  

    Upon my arrival I met with staff and Advanced Marine who advised that one of their rental pontoon boats had returned with a female who had a deep laceration to her left leg.  They further advised that she had been transported to 75th Street Medical Center in Ocean City for treatment.  I was able to obtain vessel information as well as operator information from the staff and Advanced Marine.  I was able to make contact with the operator via telephone and he returned to Advanced Marina to speak with me.

    In speaking with Operator1, I learned that the victim had been swimming in shallow water around the boat in the area of the St. Martin's River at Isle of Wight Wildlife Management Area.  She had attempted to use the boarding ladder on the starboard side, stern of the vessel to exit the water.  While she was doing so, Operator1 stated that he put the boat in gear and struck Victim in the left leg with the propeller.  He stated that he did not check his surroundings or note the location of people he knew were in the water before putting the boat in gear.  Operator1 stated that once he realized what had happened, he assisted Victim on board and returned immediately to the dock.  Operator1 stated that he had never operated a boat prior to today.

    Due to the fact that Victim was still being treated for her injuries and I had responded via patrol vessel I was unable to obtain a statement from her.  I was advised that she received stitches at the 75th Street Medical Center and was released without transfer to a hospital facility.  

    I issued Operator1 two Natural Resources citations for 1) Negligent Operation of a Vessel and 2) Navigation Rule 5 Violation: Failure to Keep a Proper Lookout.  All of the above events occurred in Worcester County, Maryland.


BARDID: MD-2019-0014
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-05-06 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 16:00:00
CoordinatesConfidence: NC
NameOfBodyOfWater: South River-Main Stem
NearestCityorTown: Annapolis
County: Anne Arundel
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Falls overboard
AccidentCause1: Alcohol
AccidentCause2: Force of wake/wave
AccidentCause3: Improper lookout
DayofWeek: Monday
RedactedNarrative:
On May 6, 2019 at approximately 5:38 PM, I, Officer First Class, Maryland Natural Resources Police, was dispatched to respond to a report of a body located on the South River near buoy 10. I was underway on NRP 877 from Liberty Marina at 5:51 PM. I arrived on scene at 5:57 PM and coordinated the initial actions with members from the Anne Arundel County Fire Department Dive Team. Members from the dive team entered the water at approximately 5:58 PM and recovered the body. Initial triage of Victim showed a very weak pulse. Victim was transported on the Anne Arundel County Dive boat to shore, with CPR efforts continuing during the transit. I followed the dive boat into shore and met with the paramedics on scene. Victim was pronounced deceased at 6:18PM by the paramedics on scene. Victim was transported to Anne Arundel County Medical Center to the Chief Medical Examiner. The Ambulance run number for this incident was 2019-30211. 

At approximately 7:00 PM I returned to Liberty Marina to assist with the investigation. The vessel used in this incident had been located on a boat lift at Liberty Marina. I inspected the vessel and could not locate any Type III personal floatation devices or Type IV floatation device on the vessel. No other personal effects were located on the vessel. I observed a small splinter of wood in the rub rail on the port side of the vessel. I matched the splinter to a fresh impact mark on the piling at the entrance of the boat slip where the vessel is moored. At approximately 7:44 PM I responded with Sergeant to the Anne Arundel County Medical Center with Operator to observe the mandatory blood test. The blood test was completed at approximately 8:28 PM. At 9:02 PM I departed the Anne Arundel County Medical Center, arriving at the Area 3 Broadneck Office at 9:13 PM where the interview was conducted by Corporal. All events occurred in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. This case is still open pending further charges to be filed.
A short time later DNR advised a subject from Liberty Marina was calling in to report a subject had fallen off his boat in the South River. At that time I responded to Liberty Marina and came into contact with a Operator who was sitting on a dock box in the area of his vessel. Operator was speaking with slurred speech, and an odor of alcoholic beverage about his breath. Operator was observed to have wet blue slacks on and a damp gray workout style t-shirt on. Operator was also wearing brown sperry type boat shoes. Operator stated he had been out on his personal boat a Sea Hunt which displayed "MD 8859 CR" in the area of the South River.
Operator stated him and his friend went out on his vessel for a short boat ride just for fun. While they were underway Victim told him that he needed to use the bathroom. Operator stated at that point he placed his vessel in neutral and moved to the forward half of the boat so that his friend could use the bathroom. Operator stated a short time later Victim started yelling his name. Operator stated he turned around and witnessed his friend in the water yelling for help. Operator said at that point he stood on the back swim platform of his vessel and attempted to rescue Victim but was unsuccessful. Operator stated he then jumped in the water and attempted to rescue his friend but he stated "he fought with him for approximately 30 minutes". When asked Operator what he meant by fought he said Victim was moving around and spitting up water making it difficult for Operator to help. Operator stated he was unable to successfully get Victim back on his vessel and left the scene to go back to the marina. 

I inquired with Operator as to when the last time he had consumed alcohol. Operator stated he and Victim went to the Annapolis Buffalo Wild Wings earlier in the day and that he had 3-4 tall boy Michelob Ultras. I inquired with Operator if he had used any drugs to which he stated "no". I also asked Operator as to why he didn't contact 911 sooner to which he stated he was scared and didn't know what to do. Operator stated he contacted his wife prior to contacting 911. Operator also stated he had been on land for about 35-40 minutes before he called 911. Throughout the entire conversation with Operator he seemed extremely emotionally distraught. At this point in time Operator was advised of his Miranda rights. Operator was read his rights at 1850 hours.  At approximately 1857 hours Sgt. took custody of Operator and preformed standardized Field Sobriety Testing on Operator. All of the above events occurred in Anne Arundel County, MD.


BARDID: MD-2019-0015
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-05-17 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 16:11:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Between Key Bridge & Bay Bridg
County: Baltimore County
WaterConditions: Choppy
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Falls overboard
AccidentCause1: Other
OtherAccidentCause: Passenger/skier behavior
DayofWeek: Friday
RedactedNarrative:
On Friday, May 17th, 2019 at approximately 1611 hours Officer of the Maryland Natural Resources Police and myself, Officer of the Maryland Natural Resources Police, were dispatched to the area of Seven Foot Knoll for a man that had fallen off of a boat.

Upon arrival, myself and Officer were cleared of the scene, as it had been reported that a 70 year old white male had been pulled out of the water and transported to University of Maryland Shock Trauma. I then went to University of Maryland Shock Trauma and interviewed the subject who fell in the water.

After speaking with Victim, he stated that he and Subject1 were taking out Subject1's vessel for lunch to from Maryland Marina in Frog Mortar Creek to Red Eye's Dock Bar in Kent Narrows. When they were on their way back from Kent Narrows to Frog Mortar Creek, the vessel began to have issues just south of Hart Miller Island. Victim said that when he was standing at the side of the vessel attempting to urinate off the side, he fell off of the vessel. Victim said that Subject1 was unable to get the vessel started to come and retrieve him from the water. According to  Victim, Subject1 tossed him a life ring and a sailboat was able to get him out of the water.

Victim was then transported to Fort Smallwood Park, where he was transported to University of Maryland Shock Trauma. Victim reported that he suffered hypothermia and a scrape on his left forearm.

Victim is awaiting to be released from University of Maryland Shock Trauma.

All Events occurred in Baltimore County, MD.


BARDID: MD-2019-0016
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-05-25 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 16:24:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: 10090 Wades Point Rd
NearestCityorTown: McDaniel
County: Talbot
WaterConditions: Choppy
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Strong
Visibility: Unknown
AccidentEvent1: Fall in vessel
AccidentCause1: Improper lookout
AccidentCause2: Force of wake/wave
AccidentCause3: Operator inattention
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On Saturday May 25, 2019, I, Corporal of the Maryland Natural Resources Police, was dispatched to the area of Wades Point for a female on board a vessel with an injury sustained while underway. At the time of the call, the winds were gusting 15 to 20 knots out of the south with clear and sunny skies. The National Weather Service had issued a small craft advisory for the area of Eastern Bay with waves 1 to 2 feet in height.

Upon my arrival, I was met by subject 1 and subject2. Subject1 stated that they witnessed the vessel, identified as a 2005 Chris Craft bearing Maryland registration 0470CT, hit a wave launching it out of control. Subject1 stated they then navigated their vessel towards the Chris Craft to offer assistance to the two people on board. The operator of the Chris Craft stated they needed medical help. It was at that point, subject2, a pediatric nurse practitioner, stated she went on board Operator’s vessel to provide medical aid to the female passenger. Talbot County Paramedics, Ambulance 94, met Victim at Wades Point Inn and transported her to University of Maryland Shore Medical Hospital located at 219 S. Washington St, Easton, Maryland, where she received stitches to her left forearm for a deep laceration sustained from a metal deck mount hinge.

When asked what happened, Operator stated that he and his wife were leaving the Jetty Dock Bar located in Grasonville, Maryland, heading back to Bert Jabin Yacht Yard in Annapolis, Maryland, traveling at a speed of about 25 knots. While making their way back to port, Operator stated his cup, containing water, fell on the floor. As he bent down to reach for his cup, letting go of the steering wheel, he stated his right arm bumped against the steering wheel and at the same time the vessel hit a large wave. He could not remember which side the wave came from, however, Operator did say that the force of the wave was enough to send his boat spinning, causing him to fall onto the floor. Victim was sitting on the starboard side of the vessel, in a seat closest to the stern when the accident occurred. The force from the vessel spinning caused her to be thrown from her seat on the starboard side into the port side of the vessel, ultimately causing a deep laceration on her left forearm from a metal deck mount hinge.

The metal deck mount hinge was still intact and there was no damaged caused to the vessel. A safety inspection of Operator’s vessel was conducted after the accident. Operator could not produce a Type B-I fire extinguisher and a Type IV flotation device. Neither Operator nor Victim have obtained a boating safety certification certificate, however Operator stated he has over 500 hours of experience operating vessels while Victim is only familiar with operating vessels.

I was unable to make contact with Operator on Tuesday May 28, 2019 to issue a citation and a warning related to the accident. As a result, the paperwork was left with Corporal of the Maryland Natural Resources Police to issue. On Wednesday May 29, 2019, Corporal was able to make contact with Operator at his residence in Prince George’s County Maryland. Operator was issued the following citation,

COMAR 08.18.04.03 Failure to Carry Equipment (Fire Extinguisher, Type IV Flotation Device)

Operator was issued the following warning,

COMAR 08.18.01.04A Failure to Obey Navigation Rules of the Road (Rules of the Road - Improper Lookout)

Pictures were taken of the inside of the boat showing where Victim was seated and the metal deck hinge that caused her injury.

All events occurred in Talbot County, Maryland.


BARDID: MD-2019-0017
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-05-27 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 16:56:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Ft Washinton-Potomac River
NearestCityorTown: Ft Washington
County: Prince Georges
WaterConditions: Choppy
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Skier mishap
AccidentCause1: Force of wake/wave
DayofWeek: Monday
RedactedNarrative:
At approximately 4:56 PM on May 27, 2019 while on patrol of the Potomac River on NRP 888 I, Officer First Class, saw a vessel heading into the 6 knot speed zone on the south side of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. The vessel, a 33 foot Chaparrel displaying Virginia Registration 6608 CD, decreased speed as it approached my location. The operator, later identified as the owner, stated he had a medical emergency on his vessel and was meeting the Alexandria Fire Department at the pier just north of Old Town Alexandria docks. He asked if he was cleared to violate the speed zone to facilitate the medical attention needed. I escorted the vessel through the speed zone and to the docks where EMS crews were waiting. Initial reports from Operator was that someone had a possible neck injury sustained while tubing.

    EMS crews from Alexandria conducted their initial assessment and placed the victim, onto a backboard with a c-spine collar. Victim was transported by Alexandria EMS Crews to Children's Hospital in Washington DC for further medical care. The Alexandria EMS Run Number was 19-010460.

    After Victim was transported, I interviewed the remaining people on the boat. It was determined from these interviews that the tubing incident had occurred in Maryland waters near Ft. Washington, on the Potomac River. I spoke to Operator, gathering the required documentation to include in this report and to determine the cause of the incident. I was not a witness to the incident, but from all accounts, the vessel was traveling at approx twenty knots, towing the two person tube north on the Potomac River. A small wake caused Victim, to fall backwards on the tube. She snapped her head backwards as she bounced on the tube. Victim did not fall off the tube but immediately signaled for the boat to stop. Victim was wearing a personal flotation device at the time of the incident. The spotter alerted Operator, who immediately brought the speed of the vessel down and they pulled the tube back into the vessel. Victim was taken below decks and a telephone call was placed to 9-1-1 to request medical assistance.

    Operator provided all paperwork for the vessel, provided proof of his completion of the boater safety course, and the vessel passed a full boating safety inspection with all required gear on-board and in good condition.

    I contacted Operator on May 29, 2019 to get a medical update on Victim. She was released from Children's Hospital approximately three hours after admission to the Emergency Room with a diagnosis of minor back and neck muscle strains.

    All events occurred in Prince Georges County, Maryland.

    This case is closed.


BARDID: MD-2019-0019
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-05-26 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 12:40:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Isle of Wight-Rt 50 Bridge Har
NearestCityorTown: Ocean City
County: Worcester
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: -1
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: -1
Wind: Light
Visibility: Fair
AccidentEvent1: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Alcohol
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On 05/26/2019 at approximately 1740 hours OFCs of the Maryland Natural Resources Police were on marked vessel patrol in the Isle of Wight Bay when we heard reports that Ocean City EMS responded to Seacrets Bar and Grill on 49th Street in Ocean City, Maryland for a traumatic injury from a PWC accident. 

We responded and advised other NRP units in the area of the situation. The weather conditions were sunny, temperatures in the 80-90 degrees Fahrenheit, with winds less than 10 MPH. Boat traffic was heavily congested due to the holiday weekend. 

Upon arrival, I made contact with Sgt. of the Maryland Natural Resources Police who arrived on the scene before I did. Sgt. advised it was a single PWC accident with two subjects involved. He advised there was only one patient and EMS was removing her from a Samaritan’s vessel as we spoke. 

Sgt. stated the other subject was sitting down on the dock beside a tied up PWC and had received reports from witnesses that he was the operator of the PWC and possibly under the influence of alcohol. The patient was being transported by Ocean City EMS to PRMC Trauma Center in Salisbury, Maryland

While I was speaking to Operator, I could smell a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from his breath and I observed his eyes were bloodshot and glassy. Operator speech was also slurred when he spoke. While Operator was walking with me down the dock, I observed him swaying from side to side, and then when we stopped walking, he couldn’t stay in the same location. Operator had to keep readjusting his footing and he was using the piling of the dock to lean against to keep his balance.

I asked Operator to explain to me what happened and he stated that he was at Seacrets and was approached by the victim, who offered him $100 for her and her fiancé to take his PWC out for a ride. Operator stated he agreed to it and the group went to his PWC. Operator stated when they arrived, fiance asked him to take Victim out because he didn’t feel comfortable operating the PWC. Operator said he showed Victim how to operate the PWC but never operated it himself. 

Operator said Victim was sitting in the front seating position and he was sitting behind her on the PWC. All while I was speaking to Operator I continually detected the odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from his breath and person and he had noticeable slurring of his speech. Operator also swayed side to side and front to back while he was standing still speaking to me. When I asked Operator if he had any drinks earlier, he became silent and just stared directly ahead and didn’t answer my questions. I asked Operator again and he remained silent. I told Operator I would like to conduct SFSTs, which he refused to do and immediately sat down on the dock. I asked Operator again if he would like to take the test and he refused again. At approximately 1750 hours, I placed Operator under arrest for operating a vessel while under the influence of alcohol. I began reading him the NRP-482 Advice of Right. While I was reading Operator the Advice of Rights, he continued talking and interrupting me. At one point, Operator asked me if he could wipe his nose on my shirt, I told him that he could not. Operator then proceeded to turn around and rub his nose on the bench. 

When he stood back up, Operator stumbled and then regained his balance. After I finished reading Operator the Advice of Rights he refused to take the Intoximeter. When I told Operator he needed to sign the Advice of Rights acknowledging his refusal to take the intoximeter, he refused to sign the NRP-482 at 1757 hours. I returned to my patrol vessel and issued Operator citations for OUI, OWI, and negligent operation of a vessel. I returned to Operator, explained to him the citations, and tried to find him a sober party to release him to. When we provided Operator his phone, its screen lock was enabled, he proceeded to tell us the wrong passcode to the phone. We eventually were able to get his phone unlocked and called a sober friend to come and pick him up. While waiting for Operator’s friend to arrive, we spoke more about the incident. I was still able to detect an odor of an alcoholic beverage from his breath and I observed his eyes were still bloodshot and glassy. While speaking to Operator he lost his footing again and I had to grab onto him to prevent him from falling. Operator's friend arrived on location and took custody of him from myself. I made sure Operator had his personal property and citations before leaving. 

After Operator left, I made contact with a friend/ witness of Victim. Friend stated she met Victim and Fiance earlier at Seacrets, and they became friends. Friend stated they talked about wanting to go ride PWCs. Friend stated Victim left for a short amount of time and returned back telling them she rented a PWC for $100. Friend stated their group went over to the PWC where they met Operator. Friend stated she didn’t want to ride the PWC, and Fiance asked Operator to take Victim out due to him not knowing much about the water and how to operate a PWC. Friend stated Victim and Operator got onto the PWC with Victim sitting in the most forward seat and Operator sitting directly behind her. Friend advised she saw Operator operating the PWC away from the dock. Friend said after they left the dock they waited around for approximately 20-30 minutes for Victim and Operator to return back, before they were told by a member of Seacrets security that there had been an accident. 

Friend stated they saw a boat return to the dock and Victim was on it with blood on her face. Friend stated she saw Operator after the vessel returned, at the end of the dock and never saw him drink anything up until I made contact with him. Friend completed a witness/ written statement form. I advised I would be in contact with her in reference to the upcoming court date. The PWC’s side mirror had minor damage. It was tied up at the dock beside Seacret’s until Operator could make disposition with it at a later time. I cleared that location without further incident. Later that evening, I made contact with Fiance and asked him how Victim was doing. He stated she was doing better and that she was just discharged from PRMC. I asked him if, on the following day 05/27/2019, he and Victim could meet me so I could obtain her statement from the accident. Fiance advised that was fine and he would meet me at approximately 1600 hours at the NRP boat house in West Ocean City.
All the above events occurred in Worcester County, Maryland.

On 05/27/2019 at approximately 1645 hours I made contact with Fiance and Victim at the Maryland Natural Resources Police boat house. I read Victim her Miranda Rights and she agreed to speak with me. Victim signed a form stating she was waiving her Miranda Rights and would speak with me about the incident. Victim stated she and Fiance were at Seacret’s Bar and Grill when they made friends with Friend. Victim stated they were talking and decided they wanted to try and ride a PWC. Victim stated she met Operator near his PWC and offered him $100 if she and her friends could ride it. Victim stated Operator agreed to the offer, so she returned to her friends and brought them over to the PWC. Victim stated Fiance told her that he wanted Operator to take her out on the PWC to show her how to operate it since he wasn’t familiar with the PWC and didn’t have a boater safety license. Victim stated she and Operator agreed and they proceeded. victim struck the boat, suffering injury.

Subject stated she sat in the front seat of the PWC and Operator sat directly behind her. Subject advised Operator started the PWC up and operated it away from the dock. Subject stated once they were away from the dock, Operator began to accelerate the PWC to a high rate of speed which she stated “scared” her. Subject said she told Operator it was too fast and it scared her. Subject said Operator slowed down and gave her the kill switch cord to the PWC, and told her “The jet ski will stop if it comes off.” Subject stated she started to operate the PWC but after approximately one minute she became scared again due to the sea and wind conditions. Subject said she turned the controls back over to Operator and he operated it while sitting behind her. 

Subject stated Operator started operating the PWC again and “went from 0 to as fast as it could go.” Subject stated she wasn’t sure what happened next but she remembered waking up being pulled out of the water into a boat. Subject advised Operator was operating the PWC when the accident occurred. Subject stated she couldn’t see much because she had blood in her eyes and face but she thought it was the Seacret’s tender boat that pulled her out of the water. Subject advised she wasn’t sure what happened to Operator but she remembered seeing him when she was being transported from the boat to the dock by EMS personnel. Subject stated Operator kept trying to talk to her and EMS personnel had to move him away from her. Subject stated she was then taken to the hospital in Salisbury, Maryland where she was treated and released.

The PWC’s side mirror had minor damage. It was tied up at the dock beside Seacret’s until Operator could make disposition with it at a later time.

In Subject's witness statement she states "I am not sure what we hit the next thing I know I was in the water with blood coming down my head and a nearby boat pulled me out of the water."


BARDID: MD-2019-0021
State: MD
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2019-05-24 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 16:30:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Edge Creek, Chop Tank
NearestCityorTown: Royal Oak
County: Talbot
WaterConditions: Choppy
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Moderate
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentEvent2: Person struck by vessel
AccidentCause1: Excessive speed
AccidentCause2: Improper lookout
AccidentCause3: Navigation rules violation
DayofWeek: Friday
RedactedNarrative:
On 05/24/2019 around 1700 hrs, I Corporal of the Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) received a call for a boat accident with injury around Edge Creek in Talbot County. Corporal also from the NRP and I responded to the call by vessel. OFF from the NRP responded by land to the listed address. OFF. conducted interviews and gathered witness statements upon arrival. By the time Cpl and I arrived on scene the victim was being flown out to Shock Trauma. I was able to speak to the other party involved in the accident. 
Operator1 stated that they had just left the dock when Operator2 slowed her jetski down. Operator1 said that he couldn’t stop in time and hit Operator2. Operator1 guessed his speed at the time of the collision was around 20mph.  Operator1 also stated that both Operator2 and himself were not wearing lifejackets at the time. A passing boat referred to as Subject1, saw “what looked like an overturned jet ski”. Subject1 helped apply medical treatment and brought Operator2 to the dock so EMS could begin treatment. OFC met Operator2 and another witness at Shock Trauma and gathered additional information from them. Operator1 will be receiving citations at a later date. All events occurred in Talbot County.
On 05/24/19 at approximately 1900hrs I made contact with the victim of a personal water craft (PWC) accident at University of Maryland Shock Trauma hospital in Baltimore, MD. The victim was currently located in the Trauma Resuscitation Unit bed 2 where she was brought by Maryland State Police helicopter an hour or two prior to my arrival. Upon my arrival Operator2 was awake and talking but was unable to complete a formal written victim statement because she was in a significant amount of pain and on pain medication. Operator2 was willing to give me a verbal statement and summarized the event by stating herself and a male friend each got on a PWC at the dock attached to Operator2s property. 
The victim stated that she was out ahead of the other operator but slowed down to a stop in order to stow her hat because she felt like it was going to fall off while at operating at high speed. While attempting to stow her hat she saw the other operator coming right at her "at high speed" and struck her PWC. 
Operator2 stated she was thrown from the PWC but did not lose consciousness and was able to tread water until the other operator returned with help along with another good Samaritan boater. Operator2 stated she was not wearing a life jacket at the time of the incident, has a boater safety card "somewhere", and has been operating the PWCs in question for the last 3 or 4 years. I was unable to do much more detailed questioning because the victim had to have some tests done and was being prepared for surgery. Finally, Operator2 did relay that her leg injury was the only major injury that she knew about as of our interview. 
In addition to the written statement subject2 completed, she did relay that prior to the accident everyone present had consumed an alcoholic beverage, however it was the first drink of the day and she could not relay what either of the PWC operators had consumed. All events occurred in Baltimore City, Maryland.
The injury was described by dispatch as an open femur fracture. Upon arrival, County Fire/Ems were already on scene. I then made contact with Operator1, and asked him what happened. Operator1 stated that he was operating the jet ski behind Operator2, and when she began to stop, Operator1 couldn’t stop in time before hitting her from the rear of the jet ski. I asked Operator1 if he and Operator2 were wearing PFDs, which he said that neither of them were. I asked Operator1 if he would write what happened on a victim/witness form, which he agreed to do.
Cpl. later asked Operator1 approximately how much boating experience he had, which he stated about 500 hours, but had never been on a PWC before. All events occurred in Talbot county.


BARDID: MD-2019-0022
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-05-18 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 15:45:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: 26106 Bachelors Harbor Drive
NearestCityorTown: Oxford
County: Talbot
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with fixed object
AccidentEvent2: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentCause1: Machinery failure
MachineryFailure: Engine
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On Saturday May 18, 2019 I, Corporal of the Maryland Natural Resources Police, was dispatched to a property damage only vessel accident at Campbell’s Boatyard located at 26106 A Bachelors Harbor Drive, Oxford, Maryland. At the time of the call, it was approximately 83 degrees in Oxford, Maryland with a light wind blowing 5 knots in a South/Southeasterly direction and calm seas. Upon my arrival, I was met by Chief of the Oxford Police Department, operator1 the Captain operating the striking vessel, Mugsy (Vessel #1), the owner of Mugsy, and Sergeant Jeff of the Maryland Natural Resources Police. Chief stated to me that Mugsy had struck two other vessels, Halcyon (Vessel #2) and Songbird (Vessel #3), which were tied up at privately owned docks off Yacht Road, directly across from Campbell’s Boatyard where Mugsy was docked. Sergeant and Chief went to assess the damage sustained to both vessels while I stayed with the owner and operator of Mugsy and investigated the events that occurred.

When asked what happened, Operator1 stated he had taken the helm of Mugsy in an attempt to dock the vessel since Owner was having trouble docking the large vessel. While coming into the dock, Operator1 stated the vessel was turning to its port side with the port engine in reverse and the starboard engine in forward. He was able to get a stern line on the vessel, however while attempting to put the starboard engine in neutral, the starboard throttle appeared to be stuck in forward gear. Operator1 stated it was at that time he attempted to shut the engines off by turning the keys. Due to the flybridge controls not responding to Operator1’s attempt to shut off the engines, he went to the deck controls to make another attempt to shut off the engines. 

Operator1 said he attempted to shut off the engines using the emergency switch on both the flybridge controls and deck controls with no response. It was at that time Operator1 went below deck and hit the kill switch for both engines finally turning off both engines. Operator1 and Owner were able get the vessel under control after the engines shut off. Once the vessel was tied up, Owner and Operator1 were able to assess the damage. 

The piling Mugsy was tied to during this attempt to dock had been pulled from its normal position and is now leaning about 10 degrees towards the center of the dock, near the walkway. Due to the force pulling the piling from its normal centered position, the dock has caved and sloped downward towards the water. 

Mugsy’s wooden gunwale on the forward port side sustained damage consistent with hitting a stationary object. The wood had been broken and chipped away with the railing still intact. The stainless steel rub rail on the forward port side of Mugsy had been stripped off the boat approximately 3 inches, with the rest of the rail still intact. Looking further down the hull of the vessel, I could see white paint transfer on the gelcoat, however, Operator1 stated that was from previous excursions. 

On the starboard side of Mugsy, the only apparent damage to be seen was on a support structure from the rail on the bow of the vessel. It appeared to have struck something, causing the stainless steel rail to bend and pull away from the wooden bow railing. Halcyon and Songbird sustained damage, as well as the private docks which the vessels were tied. Operator1 stated that he has captained and operated Mugsy, since it first set sail with its maiden voyage nearly ten years ago. He also stated that he had taken Mugsy out for a test sea trial prior to leaving Connecticut and transporting the vessel to Oxford, Maryland. There were no issues during that test voyage and throughout the trip from Connecticut to Maryland, until they attempted to dock the vessel in Oxford. 

He stated that's when it appeared to have had a mechanical malfunction with the transmission and throttles. Both Operator1 and Owner have approximately over 500 hours of boating experience operating vessels. Operator1 stated he has a Master Captain's License 100-ton, although he did say it was expired. Owner did state he has a United States Coast Guard boating safety education certification. Pictures of the damage Mugsy has sustained and the damage to the dock that was created by Mugsy have been included in this report. On Tuesday May 21, 2019, I attempted to make contact with Owner for an estimate on the damages to Mugsy and the privately owned docks, however I was unable to reach both individuals. I made contact with owner of Campbell's Boatyard, who she stated Bailey's Marine will be doing the repairs to their dock. 

Campbell's Boatyard will be buffing out the small amount of damage and paint transfer done to his vessel, Songbird. Campbell's Boatyard had hulled his vessel out of the water and will be doing the repairs on Halcyon. No estimates were available as of May 21, 2019. Included in a supplement to this report, from Sergeant, is the described damage from Mugsy’s impact to both vessels, Halcyon and Songbird, as well as damage to the private docks.

Halcyon is a USCG documented vessel (1360783) with a Maryland Yacht Validation sticker(246193). It is a 2013 39 foot fiberglass custom make cabin vessel with 600 HP diesel engines. The vessel has a hull id number of CTV39001E213. The "Halcyon" displayed rubbing, crushing, and impact damage to approximately 25 feet of the forward portion of the starboard side and rail where a vessel had apparently made impact. The starboard railing of "Halcyon" was bent in and pushed in several feet toward the center of the boat for much of the forward two thirds of the boat. The forward starboard dock line had been retied to a partially broken cleat attached to a floating pier directly adjacent to the starboard side of the vessel. A broken dock line was coiled near the partially broken cleat. The steel piling to the starboard of the vessel had rub marks approximately 5 feet up from the bottom. The bow pulpit and anchor roller were broken and twisted upward and to the port side. The swim platform on the stern of the vessel displayed impact and rub marks from impacting at the rear dock of the slip and rubbing beneath the dock as it was apparently forced backward from a force at the front of the vessel. The port side of "Halcyon" had no apparent crushing damage, but displayed some rub marks from making impact with the docked vessel and piling to the port side.


BARDID: MD-2019-0023
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-05-24 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 13:51:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Severn River/Annapolis City Do
NearestCityorTown: Annapolis
County: Anne Arundel
WaterConditions: Choppy
Wind: Strong
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Other
OtherAccidentEvent: person entangled in vsl equip
AccidentCause1: Weather
DayofWeek: Friday
RedactedNarrative:
On 05/24/2019 at approximately 1:51 p.m., I, Officer of the Maryland Natural Resources Police, was dispatched to the Baltimore Washington Emergency Room (ER) to address a possible boat accident that occurred on the Severn River at City Dock located in Annapolis, Maryland. I arrived at the ER at approximately 2:20 p.m.

    At approximately 3:45 p.m., I was able to get into contact the injured subject involved in the accident, and her husband, the operator of the vessel involved in the accident. When asked separately what happened at the time of the incident, both stories matched.

    Victim was attempting to secure their vessel, a white 49' DeFever Trawler (USCG Documentation "Dream Seeker" 698424), to a mooring buoy located at the Annapolis City Dock off the Severn River. The vessel was in neutral as Victim wrapped the line around the midship cleat. Due to strong winds, the vessel moved suddenly and "whipped around" away from the mooring buoy. During this time, the line Victim was in control of became undone from the cleat and her left wrist got caught in it. Victim sustained a rope burn and a broken left wrist. Operator was not injured during the incident and no other vessels were involved.

All events occurred in Anne Arundel County, Maryland.


BARDID: MD-2019-0024
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-05-25 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 21:15:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Beacon Marina Solomons
NearestCityorTown: Solomons
County: Calvert
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Moderate
Visibility: Poor
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentCause1: Weather
AccidentCause2: Sharp turn
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On Wednesday, May 5, 2019 at approximately 10:34pm I, Officer First Class of the Maryland Natural Resoures Police, received a call reference to a vessel collision at the Solomons Harbor Marina LLC located on Back Creek in Solomons, Maryland. Upon my arrival I spoke to the reporting party and also the owner/operator of the striking vessel. 
Operator1 stated that at approximately 9:15pm, he was dropping friends off at Solomons Harbor Marina LLC when he struck another vessel’s bowsprit. Operator1 was operating a 1989, C&C 37 Plus 39.8 foot auxiliary sailboat named “Sea Hawk” (USCG#: 1240498). He stated that while attempting to back into a slip he realized that he was not going to make it. He then put his vessel into gear, first traveling in a South-southeast direction out of the slip, and made a left turn to head out to the main channel. The vessel, now traveling under 10 knots in a Northeast direction, was pushed closer to the dock and vessels docked there by the wind. At that time the wind was approximately 12 mph. He went on to state that his vessel did not have enough forward momentum to combat the wind, and that while traveling forward his vessel’s port side rail stanchion made contact with another vessel’s bowsprit. He stated that it was dark but he heard a lot of cracking as he continued his travel forward. This vessel was unoccupied at the time of the accident.  However, Operator1 made no attempt to make contact with the owner while at the scene of the accident. He operated his vessel back to his slip at Beacon Marina where he called the United State Coast Guard. He was advised by the Coast Guard to call the Maryland Natural Resources Police.

The owner of the second vessel, the “Osprey II” a 1944, Custom built Oxford Boat Yard 38 foot auxiliary sailboat, was away on vacation at the time of the incident. Owner reported that Operator1 reached out to him to let him know of the collision.

All events occurred in Calvert County, Maryland. Investigation is closed. No violations.


BARDID: MD-2019-0025
State: MD
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2019-05-31 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 21:50:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Deep Creek Lake
NearestCityorTown: Swanton
County: Garrett
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Fair
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentEvent2: Fall in vessel
AccidentEvent3: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Improper lookout
AccidentCause2: Excessive speed
AccidentCause3: Operator inattention
DayofWeek: Friday
RedactedNarrative:
On 05/31/2019 around 2150 hours, I, Cpl. was on marked vessel patrol of Deep Creek Lake in the main body adjacent to the Glendale Bridge. At the time, I was adrift approximately 400 yards north of the Glendale bridge with my navigation lights on but my motor cut off, to better hear vessels traveling at night without proper lighting. The winds were calm with mostly cloudy skies. The shoreline was heavily back-lit with all the lake homes' outdoor lighting and/or dock lights. The back-lit effect caused the shore lights to also be reflected on the calm water surface, causing a slight disorienting effect when traveling on the water at night, particularly with no moon illumination. One way to compensate for the reflected light confusion and operate safely is to simply slow your travel speed and maintain a proper lookout. There was a small fishing vessel engaged in trolling activity, moving at a very slow speed with the aid of an electric motor affixed to the bow, this vessel was on my port side and north of the Glendale bridge also. The fishing vessel was properly illuminated with red and green bow lights and a bright white stern light, traveling in a northeast direction towards the state park ramp area. Besides the fishing vessel and myself, there was no other vessel activity around the Glendale bridge, state park cove area, or waterway between the Glendale bridge and the state park boat ramp.

     As I watched the fishing vessel for a moment, I suddenly heard the high pitched whine from the boat motor of an approaching vessel heading towards the Glendale bridge at a high rate of speed. I was able to identify the sound of a vessel approaching the bridge at a high rate of speed, based upon my knowledge, training and experience as a Maryland Natural Resources Police officer and ten years of marine patrol assignments. I saw the red and green bow lights of the approaching vessel and the blurred outline of several people on-board using the bridge navigation lights . The approaching vessel briefly slowed as it neared the concrete bridge abutment and then quickly accelerated again after passing underneath the bridge. Several seconds went by and I suddenly heard a resounding heavy boom, almost like a cannon fire, directly on my port side and realized that the speeding vessel had just struck the fishing vessel at full throttle. As my motor was still off, I could hear immediate screaming, heard someone yell that a person was in the water and another voice yell that there were children on board. I also immediately recognized that the motors of both vessels were cut off and the vessels weren't moving. 

     I immediately notified DNR Communications that a serious boat accident had occurred on Deep Creek Lake and I needed emergency personnel and medical services to stage at the Deep Creek State Park boat ramp. I activated my emergency equipment and fortunately was only approximately 200 yards from the scene. I turned on the patrol vessel search lights and saw one man floating in the water with a life-jacket under one arm and a Type IV personal flotation device in the other hand. The victim in the water was out of breath but said he thought he was okay; the striking vessel (MD 7548 BG) operator was still in his vessel, bleeding from the face but able to communicate and the four occupants in the victim vessel (MC 5703 RX) were still on-board their vessel and able to communicate. The four occupants in the victim vessel advised they seemed to be uninjured and were all accounted for, the man in the water was a passenger on the striking vessel. 

The victim in the water was the immediate priority so I motored over to him and cut my engine, throwing a line off the stern for him to grab onto and pull him towards my swim platform. I was unsure of possible neck or spinal injuries on the victim after he was ejected at such a high speed onto the water, so I decided to use my motor and propeller as a stepping/guiding platform to raise him to the swim platform, where I was able to more gently grab his upper body and help him slide into my vessel from the stern. The victim advised he was shaken and his leg hurt, I could see bleeding through his right pant leg and several scratches on his face and right shoulder. I had Subject1 seated comfortably inside my vessel and told him medical attention was waiting for him at the dock.

     At this time, Cpl. arrived on scene in another patrol vessel and was able to attend to the victim vessel and four occupants. The victims' vessel had disabling damage and was placed in a side tow by Cpl.. All four occupants were shaken but said they didn't appear to be injured; the two children on board were wearing their life jackets and seated with their father. The victim vessel operator/owner2 tried to turn his vessel to starboard to avoid the collision but didn't have enough time. The adult passenger and father of the two children, said he had a second to scream to the children to lay down flat on the floor and they all hugged the starboard side of their vessel. At that time the striking vessel hit the engine of Operator2's vessel at the stern, rode up the stern of the vessel, traveling through the occupied interior with the propeller still turning at full throttle and exiting through the port side windshield. The striking vessel came to rest about 100 feet from the victim vessel after suffering major engine damage. There were significant propeller "strikes" throughout the interior of the victim vessel, marking the path of the striking vessel as it travelled up and over. 

The striking vessel operator suffered facial damage when his face struck the operator side windshield of his vessel sometime during the collision. Operator1's bottom teeth tore through his lower lip and he appeared to have scratches to his face. Operator1's immediate concern was for his passenger that was ejected and the well-being of the victim vessel occupants. 

Operator1 said that he had operated a vessel on Deep Creek Lake for years and was very familiar with the lake layout. Operator1 said that he was running about 40 mph south of the Glendale bridge, slowed to about 30-35 mph at the bridge while looking for fishing vessels near the abutment, seeing none under the bridge, he then accelerated back up to about 40 mph heading north in a straight line for the Deep Creek Lake state park boat ramp. Operator1's vessel and the victim vessel were both pointed in the same northeastern direction and Operator1 would only have seen the white all around stern light of Operator2's vessel. 

At the last second, Subject1, the passenger on the striking vessel, said that he saw the green bow light of Operator2's vessel as he hurriedly tried to avoid the collision and screamed, "Boat!." but the next instant was flying through the air and hit the water around 40 mph. Subject1 said that he "felt uneasy and should have told (Operator1) to slow down", but Operator1 advised that he had run that route dozens of times and knew the lake like the "back of his hand". Operator1 advised that he was focused on the lights illuminating the state park boat ramp on the eastern shore of the lake and didn't notice any additional lighting around him.

     Operator1 was asked about any alcohol or drug use, Operator1 advised that he had not been drinking that day and no alcohol was found on the striking vessel. Operator1 showed no signs of impairment and no odor of an alcoholic beverage was coming from his person or vessel. Both vessels were placed in side tow and towed back to the state park ramp to waiting medical personnel. All six individuals involved in the collision refused any medical treatment or transport to Garr


BARDID: MD-2019-0026
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-05-22 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 16:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Severn River/Annapolis/Spa Cre
NearestCityorTown: Annapolis
County: Anne Arundel
WaterConditions: Rough
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: -1
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentCause1: Navigation rules violation
DayofWeek: Wednesday
RedactedNarrative:
On 05/22/2019 at 1747 hours, I responded for a report of a boat accident. Upon arriving on scene I met with operator1. He informed me that he and another vessel collided earlier in the day while traveling on the Severn River in the area of the Route 50 Bridge. Operator1 told me at about 1600 hours he was leaving the Blue Angels viewing and began to travel further up stream on the Severn River when the port stern of his vessel was struck by another vessel. The resulting damage was minor. Two metal support beams that hold up the vessel's canvas top were bent and a small hole was created in a plastic window on the vessel.

I then spoke with the operator and owner of the other vessel involved in the accident. He told me he was traveling at about 12 knots, heading up stream in the Severn River, when Operator1's vessel turned directly into his path. Operator2 said he brought his vessel down, in an effort to avoid the collision, but was unable to come to a complete stop. The bow of his vessel struck the port stern of Operator1's vessel. No injuries were reported from either party.

At this time no probable cause exists for charges to be placed against either party.
All events occurred in Anne Arundel County, MD.


BARDID: MD-2019-0027
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-06-16 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 23:17:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: 4909 Hine Drive, Shady Side
NearestCityorTown: West River
County: Anne Arundel
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Fair
AccidentEvent1: Falls overboard
AccidentEvent2: Collision with fixed object
AccidentEvent3: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentCause1: Excessive speed
AccidentCause2: Force of wake/wave
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On 06/16/19 at approximately 11:30 P.M., I, Cpl. of the Maryland Natural Resources Police, responded to a call for an unmanned vessel stuck in gear and hitting multiple docks and pylons in the area of South Creek on the West River. Upon arriving on scene, Anne Arundel Fire Boat 41 had the vessel secured to a dock. 

The vessel was a white 17' Mako; model Pro Skiff, displaying MD vessel registration 4786 DB. I observed that the bow cover was completely ripped off as well as fiberglass damage to the bow of the Mako where it had been wedged underneath the dock. I further observed 3 beer cans located in cup holders on the starboard side of the Mako as well as life jackets strewn across it. There was an odor of alcohol resonating from the Mako as well. I then talked to Captain of the Anne Arundel County Fire Department, who stated that when they arrived on scene the Mako was wedged up underneath the aforementioned dock with the engine stuck in gear just above idle. Captain stated that the bow was perpendicular to the dock and was stuck between the dock and the outdrives of a vessel that was up on a lift at the dock. Captain advised that both occupants were safe and accounted for and he was going to have one of his units bring the captain of the Mako to our location.

    It should be noted that approximately an hour earlier, Ofc., of the Maryland Natural Resources Police, had received a pulse point update of a vessel that ran aground in the area of the West River. At that time no response was required.  It was later discovered that the vessel that had run aground was in fact the unmanned Mako that I had received a call for.

    Approximately 15 minutes later, the captain of the Mako arrived on scene. Operator1 appeared to be shaken at first and I detected an odor of alcohol resonating from his person. Operator1 advised that around 10:00 P.M. he and his friend were leaving Riverside restaurant located on the West River. Operator1 advised that they were travelling East, at approximately 15 knots, when Operator1 turned the Mako approximately 45 degrees to the port side heading back towards his dock. Operator1 stated that when he was turning the Mako he felt a thud that sounded like it came towards the front-center of the vessel just forward of the helm. The impact caused Niece, who was standing on the port-center of the Mako, next to the helm, to fall overboard. 

Operator1 stated that when Niece fell overboard he attempted to grab Niece but his hand was still gripping the steering wheel as he shifted his momentum to the port side. This shift of momentum caused Operator1 to inadvertently turn the wheel harder to port, which caused the Mako's stern to kick out, thus causing Operator1 to fall overboard as well. Operator1 stated that they were a couple hundred yards off shore, in the middle of South Creek on the West River, when they fell of the Mako. 

Operator1 advised that the Mako was turned hard to port and must have made a dozen or more circles before he heard it impact the dock. Operator1 stated at one point the Mako was no more than 25 feet from him performing a variety of small to large port-side turns as it was stuck in gear. Operator1 estimated that it was about a 1/4 nautical mile swim to the shore which took him and Niece approximately 20 minutes; at which time they ran back to Operator1's residence and called 911. Operator1 advised that he was not wearing his engine cut-off switch at the time of the accident.

    I asked Operator1 how many beers he had consumed prior to leaving the restaurant to which he responded "one." I asked Operator1 if that was the only beer he had consumed all day to which he responded that he had consumed 2 beers around 10:00 earlier that morning but then took a nap before heading back out later that afternoon. I advised Operator1 that I could smell an odor of alcohol resonating from his person and he admitted to chugging a beer right when he got back to his residence following the incident. I asked Operator1 if he thought alcohol had contributed to the accident to which he responded "no." Operator1 contributed the accident to the fact that both he and Niece were located on the port side of the Mako when he made his turn to port. Operator1 stated that Niece was located on the port-center of the Mako, at the gunwale; while he (Operator1) was at the helm, leaning towards the port side near Niece. Operator1 stated that due to this positioning, it caused the Mako to list prominently on its port side. Operator1 also cites the fact that he wasn't wearing his engine cut-off switch as a contributing factor to the accident.

    I then talked to the property owner, who had came out to investigate what was going on at his pier. I advised him on what had happened and asked if he thought the vessel, (2000 white in color, 40' Formula, model 400SS displaying MD registration 7749 CH) which was on a lift at his pier, had sustained any damage. He stated that the outdrives on the Formula had been set straight but after the impact from Operator1's unoccupied Mako the outdrives were now pushed to the left. He advised that the Formula was not his but rather belonged to his friend. He stated that he would have to consult to determine the extent of damage done to the outdrives and if any other damage was sustained. 


Mechanic stated that the impact caused by the Mako shifted both outdrives to the left and broke the gimbal ring on the port outdrive. He estimated that parts alone would be approximately $3,500, with a total cost including labor at around $7,500.

    On 06/19/19, at approximately 6:00 P.M., mechanic had advised and further advised that there is significant play in the steering.  

    The accident resulted in property damage only; no injuries were sustained. All events occurred in Anne Arundel County Maryland.


BARDID: MD-2019-0028
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-04-15 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 09:54:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Pier D-River Watch Restaurant
NearestCityorTown: Essex
County: Baltimore
WaterConditions: Unknown
Wind: No wind
Visibility: Unknown
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentCause1: Operator inexperience
DayofWeek: Monday
RedactedNarrative:
On April 15, 2019 at approximately 1000 hours I, Officer of the Maryland Natural Resources Police, responded to a call of a boat accident. The caller informed me that a sailboat (Registration # MD 0594 CD) came in contact with the bow of his vessel the previous day while he was docked at River Watch Restaurant.

I then asked Caller if he had received an estimate yet. He stated that he had not but was going to. I informed him of the monetary limit for damage for reporting a boat accident. I told him to call back with the price of the estimates.

I then called Caller back at a later date. He said that the estimate was at around $5,800.00 and that the owner of the vessel that came in contact with him had insurance that was covering the damages. Caller sent over documents related to the accident that will be attached to this report.

I then contacted the owner of the other vessel, and obtained a statement from him. The statement will be attached to this report.

Operator1 told me that while pulling into the docking area of River Watch Restaurant, he was unable to stop his vessel in time and his vessel struck the bow of Caller's vessel.

All events occurred in Baltimore County, MD.


BARDID: MD-2019-0029
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-05-29 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 18:27:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Magothy River-Main Stem
NearestCityorTown: Severna Park
County: Anne Arundel
WaterConditions: Very rough
StrongCurrent: -1
HazardousWaters: -1
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Storm
Visibility: Poor
AccidentEvent1: Capsizing
AccidentEvent2: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Weather
AccidentCause2: Hazardous waters
DayofWeek: Wednesday
RedactedNarrative:
On 5/29/2019 at approximately 18:27 I was alerted by DNR Communications of multiple sailboats in distress in Anne Arundel County. At this time, I could see a significant storm occurring just north of the Area 3 office in the area of the Magothy River. Due to my location and availability of Police/Fire boats, I responded to the Magothy River near Dobbins Island for two overturned sailboats with multiple reports of people in the water. During my response, I could see a storm to the east of the Magothy River towards the eastern shore. I arrived on scene in approximately 15 minutes and found calm water and wind conditions.  I located two trimaran sailboats that were capsized with multiple good samaritan vessels nearby. I checked both groups and they advised me there were no injuries and everyone was accounted for. OFC and USCG arrived shortly later and assessed how to further proceed. Due to the vessels being separate accidents, OFC handled the investigation for the vessel closer to Gibson Island while I handled the investigation for the other. TowBoatUS arrived on the scene and started the process to right both vessels, starting with the other sailboat.

     I made contact with operator1 who was on board the nearby sailboat Incommunicado who advised he was the owner and operator of the capsized vessel further from Gibson Island. Operator's vessel was a 1994 27' Corsair F27 trimaran (Maryland registration MD 6284 BN). Operator advised they had checked the weather forecast before sailing and the storm had been expected to be further north as it moved east.  He stated they were near Dobbins Island and were heading south, then turned to head back up the river when storm hit. They continued to build speed and due to concern of hitting Dobbins Island, they turned and began to try and get the sail packed and could only get approximately a foot at a time. Operator further stated the boat was now broad side to the wind and being lifted without the ability to turn into or away from the wind. He stated the wind got under the windward pontoon and caught the nets between the pontoon and the center hull causing the boat to roll over. He stated he and Occupant were thrown from the vessel without Personal Flotation Devices into 3-4' waves. He advised he used a hatch from the boat for some minor buoyancy and was beginning to tire when the vessel Incommunicado arrived with a life ring and safely pulled him aboard. He stated at this time he noticed Occupant had made it to safety on the hull of his capsized vessel. Operator has completed a boater's safety course and has over 500 hours of sailing experience.

Subject stated when the storm hit, the anemometer on his vessel measured 50 knot winds. Subject had not been able to see the vessel capsize due to poor visibility during the weather event. The vessel capsized in 13 feet of water causing the mast to strike the bottom of the river. TowBoatUS successfully righted the both vessels after many attempts. I later spoke with Operator who stated the mast had broken above the second spreader and was removed from the step. There was also a hole punctured in the top of the cabin and the beams were severed. Operator is still awaiting the final estimate from the insurance company. I spoke with Occupant who estimated the damages to be $40,000. All events occurred in Anne Arundel County, MD.


BARDID: MD-2019-0030
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-05-29 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 09:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Magothy River-Main Stem
NearestCityorTown: Pasadena
County: Anne Arundel
WaterConditions: Very rough
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: -1
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Storm
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Capsizing
AccidentEvent2: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Weather
DayofWeek: Wednesday
RedactedNarrative:
On May 29, 2019 at approximately 630 PM, a full water rescue assignment was dispatched to the Magothy River near Gibson Island and Dobbins Island near main channel for two overturned sailboats. Originally this was reported as numerous subjects in the water but upon arrival, all Passengers on board were accounted for. 

On this date and time, the Magothy River Sailing Association was having their weekly sailboat races in this particular area. Numerous storms were in the area but had not arrived to this particular section of river. As the race began, two storm cells with winds close to 50 knots and lightening, moved from West to East along the main channel of the Magothy River. This was recorded on radar from local WBAL News Doppler Radar. Photographs of the storm cells are contained in the attachment section. The storm knocked over several sailboats with all able to right themselves except two. These two Trimarans turned completely over.

Cpl. arrived on the scene couple minutes prior to me and confirmed all parties accounted for and no reported injuries.  I(Officer) handled one report as the estimated damage cost would be over $2000. 

A Boat Tow service was called by the boat operator and arrived soon thereafter. Operator was the operator of my vessel report and reported that he was not injured and his crew mate reported he was not injured. Operator would report that he entered the race late and began his course "down river" and turned to cross the river when the storm hit. He advised that the wind hit his starboard side and he instructed his mate to release the sail but couldn't in time. The sailboat capsized completely over and both subjects were able to self rescue without injuries. Operator reported that his mast was 35 foot in height and I checked GPS and noted the depth was 14 feet. 

Operator's vessel:

1989 Corsair F27
Trimaran 27 foot length
Documented vessel name Tri-Umph with hailing port of Baltimore MD
Document #1078305

After the recovery of the vessel, it was towed to Ferry Point Marina by the tow service. Operator's cell phone was ruined from falling into the water. 

On June 5, 2019, I responded to Ferry Point Marina and was directed to Operators sailboat in the storage yard. The most obvious damage was the mast snapped in two places. The Maryland documentation sticker was confirmed as #1078305. Photographs of the breaks were taken and submitted as attachments. Contact with operator was negative and his cellphone went directly to voicemail and no space for messages. Marina management at Ferry Point also advised they have been unable to reach Operator and that the insurance company has been to examine the vessel.


BARDID: MD-2019-0031
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-06-15 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 13:42:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Ocean City
NearestCityorTown: Ocean City
County: Worcester
WaterConditions: Choppy
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: -1
Wind: Moderate
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Excessive speed
AccidentCause2: Operator inexperience
AccidentCause3: Force of wake/wave
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On Saturday, June 15, 2019 at approximately 1400 hours, I (Cpl. of the Maryland Natural Resources Police) was dispatched to Atlantic General Hospital (AGH), located at 9733 Healthway Drive, Berlin, Worcester County, Maryland in reference to meeting with the victim of a Personal Watercraft (PWC) Accident that occurred in the Isle of Wight Bay, near 49th Street in Ocean City, Worcester County, Maryland.  

    Ofc. responded to AGH to meet with the victim and advised me that the accident had occurred on a rental PWC that had been rented from Bayside Boat Rentals, located at 5307 Coastal Highway, Ocean City, Worcester County, Maryland.  Ofc. further advised me that Operator had been the sole occupant and operator of a rental PWC.  He stated that Operator was operating at a high rate of speed and, due to heavy chop in the area, was thrown from the PWC.  As he was thrown from the PWC, he injured his right ankle.  He was transported to AGH via the Ocean City Fire Department ambulance.  The extent of his injury was a dislocated and broken right ankle and it will require surgery in the near future.  

    During the course of my patrols on this date, I noted that it was extremely windy, which was creating hazardous water conditions in the area of the Isle of Wight Bay.  I traversed the area where the PWC accident is reported to have occurred in my patrol vessel, NRP832.  NRP832 is a 24 foot Boston Whaler equipped with two outboard motors and is designed to operate in moderately heavy weather conditions.  It is equipped with a larger than normal amount of freeboard and a self-bailing deck.  While traversing this area I had to operate my patrol vessel at lower than normal speed, and alter my course to quarter the waves to avoid unsafe conditions for myself and my passengers.  There was also a Small Craft Advisory in effect for the area.

    I contacted Bayside Boat Rentals and obtained the information for the PWC that Operator had been operating.  They advised that there was no damage to the PWC.  All of the above events occurred in Worcester County, Maryland.


BARDID: MD-2019-0032
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-06-20 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 16:17:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Sinepuxent Bay
NearestCityorTown: Ocean City
County: Worcester
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: -1
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Strong
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentEvent2: Person struck by vessel
AccidentCause1: Excessive speed
AccidentCause2: Improper lookout
AccidentCause3: Operator inexperience
DayofWeek: Thursday
RedactedNarrative:
On 06/20/2019 at approximately 1610 hours OFC.s of the Maryland Natural Resources Police heard a 911 call being dispatched to Berlin EMS for a water rescue in the area of Grey’s creek and Frontier Town in the Sinepuxent Bay. OFC. and I got underway on marked NRP vessel 858 and responded to the area.

 Upon arrival, we both observed three PWC’s with one of the operators waving us down. The subject waving us down was the PWC guide for the group, and he pointed us to the PWC with the injured subject. Our location was in the middle of the Sinepuxent Bay in front of the Frontier Town Pier. OFC. maneuvered our vessel over to the PWC that had the injured subject on it. The injured subject was later identified. I conducted a quick trauma assessment on Victim. I didn’t observe any blood or obvious signs of broken bones. I did see red marks on Victim’s right leg. Victim appeared to be in obvious signs of discomfort and pain. I performed a sensory assessment on Victim’s right foot, which she stated she could feel me touching the bottom of her foot. Victim stated she had some pain in her right leg but wasn’t hurting anywhere else. OFC. and I decided to transfer Victim from the PWC to our vessel in a position of comfort for her and keeping her in an upright position to prevent any unknown spinal injuries. Once we had Victim on board our vessel, we transported Victim to Frontier Town’s pier where Berlin EMS and Fire Department was waiting to take over patient care.

 Upon arrival, we secured our vessel to the pier and I gave Berlin EMS a quick patient assessment on Victim. EMS took over patient care and removed her from our vessel onto their stretcher. After transferring Victim to EMS I started to gather information regarding the PWC accident. Vessel #1 bearing Maryland registration “8852LB” was being guided in by the guide from Under the Bridge Watersports. 

Vessel #1 was being operated by Operator1 and his passenger was V1 occupant. Both subjects stated they weren’t injured and didn’t need medical attention. Vessel #1 was later determined to be to the striking vessel and at fault vessel. 

Vessel #2 bearing Maryland registration “8855LB,” was the vessel that was struck, and had Victim as a passenger. Both vessels were owned by Under the Bride Watersports and were being rented by the operators at that time. Operator2 arrived at the pier and stated he wasn’t injured and didn’t need medical treatment. Operator2 requested to go to the hospital with Victim. The PWC guide stated he would have another guide come down and transport the PWC back to their base of operations. Victim was transported by Berlin EMS to Atlantic General Hospital. 
 
While at the pier I observed minor damage to PWC#2. The rear plastic handle and the leather seat strap was damaged. I observed minor cosmetic damage to PWC#1 but was unable to tell if it was prior damage or from this collision. I spoke with the PWC guide and he agreed to escort Operator1 and V1 occupant back into their base of operations. I advised him I would continue my investigation there.
 
Upon arrival, I made contact with Operator1 and V1 occupant. I obtained Operator1’s verbal statement about the collision and had him complete a written statement regarding it as well. Operator1 stated all four individuals were friends and they were in Ocean City for vacation. Operator1 stated they were following behind the guide and Victim and Operator2’s PWC when he observed them suddenly slow their PWC. Operator1 advised while he was behind them water kept getting into his eyes and his visibility was greatly reduced. Operator1 said as soon as he saw Operator2 slowed down he attempted to slow down but realized he was going to run into the back of their PWC. Operator1 said he tried to turn his PWC to the right to avoid hitting them but he ran into the back of their PWC hitting Victim’s right leg. 

Operator1 admitted he was going “too fast.” While speaking with Operator1 I didn’t detect any suspected use of drugs or alcohol. I had Operator1 fill out a witness statement while I spoke with V1 occupant. V1 occupant said she wasn’t paying any attention and didn’t see what happened until after they struck the other PWC. V1 occupant provided me with Operator1’s, Operator2’s, and her driver’s license. She wasn’t able to find Victim’s license. Once Operator1 was completed with his written statement I told him where Victim had been transported and I would meet them there in a little bit to give him back his driver’s license. I told Operator1 he was free to go and then I made contact with the guide from Under the Bridge. 

Guide advised the only damage was the handle and leather seat strap to the one PWC and that came out to be approximately $80 to fix. I cleared that location and responded to Atlantic General Hospital.
 
Victim stated she was feeling a little better but her leg was still hurting some. Victim stated the hospital staff didn’t think her leg was broken but they were waiting on x-rays to confirm. I provided her with my name, rank, and telephone number to reach me if she had any questions. I made contact with Operator2 and obtained a verbal statement from him. Operator2 stated they were on their way to the riding area when he saw their guide motion for the group to slow down. Operator2 stated he released the throttle and slowed his PWC down. Operator2 said he didn’t see the other PWC because it was behind him but he felt it hit his PWC and then heard Victim start screaming. Operator2 said he turned around and grabbed Victim to prevent her from falling off the ski. Operator2 advised 911 was called and he waited for us to arrive on location. I provided Operator2 with my contact information in case he had any further questions for me. After I obtained Operator2’s verbal statement, I spoke with Off. and he provided me with Victim’s and Operator2’s written statement.
 
After getting the statements from Off., Operator1 arrived at the hospital. I issued him two citations resulting from the collision. I explained the citations in detail to Operator1 and he stated he didn’t have any question about them. After issuing the citations I cleared the hospital and returned back to patrol.

Cleared without further incident.

All the above events occurred in Worcester County, Maryland

EMS # 19003315

Citations Issued:

NR00B0U4K- Failure to obey navigation rules, Rule 5 – Failure to maintain a proper lookout

NR00C0U4k- Op a PWC on state waters in excess of 6 knots w/in 100 FT of another vessel


BARDID: MD-2019-0033
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-06-21 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 09:39:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Ches Bay & Tribs-Bay Bridge-Wo
NearestCityorTown: Stevensville
County: Queen Annes
WaterConditions: Rough
StrongCurrent: -1
HazardousWaters: -1
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Strong
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Flooding/swamping
AccidentEvent2: Capsizing
AccidentEvent3: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Weather
AccidentCause2: Hazardous waters
AccidentCause3: Operator inattention
DayofWeek: Friday
RedactedNarrative:
On June 21, 2019, at approximately 9:40am, I CPL received a call for a vessel overturned under the Chesapeake Bay Bridge in Queen Anne's County, MD.  It was reported that a 21 foot vessel carrying 5 people had overturned and all 5 people were in the water. SGT and I responded by vessel, however while en route Coast Guard reported that all 5 subjects had been recovered by Good Samaritan vessels nearby, and were transporting them to Hemingway's Restaurant. 

Upon arrival to Hemingway's, all 5 subjects were being evaluated by EMS and all signed a refusal of treatment. All subjects reported that they did not have any injures and did not want to be transported to the hospital for evaluation. 

The owner of the vessel reported that while fishing under the Bay Bridge they had several issues with trying to anchor the vessel but at some point the anchor held between pilings 52 and 53. The vessel was a 2003 21 foot Seapro, white in color and registration displayed VA 7594 BT. 

All stated that the vessel had several issues anchoring and was a small vessel to be out in the very rough waters and winds. They stated that there were three strong waves over the vessel and it capsized. Good Samaritans were able to recover three of the subjects, while another good samaritan recovered the remaining two, one of which did not have a life jacket. 

The weather conditions that day per NOAA were a small craft advisory, Northwest winds 15 to 20 knots, and gusts up to 30 knots. Waves were reported to be 2-3 foot high. While responding to their location, the winds were very strong and waves were around 3-5 feet high. 

The vessel was recovered by TowBoat US and towed into Sandy Point State Park, where they were able to get the vessel upright and onto their trailer. 

Pictures of the vessel are attached to this report.

All events occurred in Queen Anne's County, MD.

This case is closed.


BARDID: MD-2019-0035
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-06-26 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 12:25:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Deep Creek
NearestCityorTown: Oakland
County: Garrett
WaterConditions: Choppy
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Fall in vessel
AccidentCause1: Force of wake/wave
AccidentCause2: Other
OtherAccidentCause: Passenger/skier behavior
DayofWeek: Wednesday
RedactedNarrative:
On Wednesday 06/26/2019 at 1225 hours Garrett County EMS was dispatched to Bills Marine for a boating accident. I Maryland Natural Resources officer called Garrett County 911 center to see what the call was for. Garrett dispatch advised a male fell down while in a boat and had severe back pain. I responded to Bills Marine at 20420 Garrett HWY, Oakland Maryland 21550. I arrived on scene at 1238 hours, EMS was already on scene.

I made contact with the victim who was conscious laying on his back on the floor in a white runabout boat Maryland registration MD3683LB. Victim stated his back didn’t hurt if he did not move and was comfortable where he was at. I asked him what had happened. Victim stated he was sitting up front on the left seat when the boat hit a wave, he then stood up to move to the back of the boat and lost his balance falling between the front seats hitting the floor with his tailbone. Victim also scraped the underside of his bicep on the left seat as he was falling. I asked who was driving the boat Victim stated his brother and he stated they were the only two on the boat.


I asked Operator 11/11/1953 what had happened. Operator stated they were south of the Glendale bridge traveling toward it (north) about a half mile away from it when a boat crossed in front of them far in front of them. Calm traffic calm conditions. When the boat traveling at approximately 22 MPH they were operating crossed the wake path on the second wave Victim stood up then tripped as he was attempting to move. Operator stated they idled to Bills Marine and called 911. I did not detect any evidence of alcohol or CDS use from both subjects. Operator stated he had about 15 years boating experience and has owned 2 runabouts in the past.  

Neither were wearing life jackets at the time of incident, all safety equipment was on the boat and serviceable. The boat was a 2017 Crownline 180SS 19’ runabout rental boat from Bills Marine. Victim was transported to Garrett Memorial Hospital at 1315 hours. Fault of passenger no citations or warnings issued. 

On 6/27/19 at 1255 hours I made phone contact with Victim, he stated he was released from the hospital and home, he said he feels better however will need back surgery when he returns to his permanent residence. 
 

Request case closure

All of the above occurred in Garrett County Maryland.


BARDID: MD-2019-0036
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-06-23 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 20:46:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Annapolis Harbor @ Ego Alley
NearestCityorTown: Annapolis
County: Anne Arundel
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: -1
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentCause1: Alcohol
AccidentCause2: Navigation rules violation
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On 06/22/2019 at approximately 9:07 p.m., I, Officer of the Maryland Natural Resources Police, was on boat patrol on the Severn River. At that time, we responded to a call for service at Ego Ally located near City Dock off the Severn River in Annapolis for a vessel that struck another vessel. As we turned into Ego Ally, we were waved down by a vessel docked at slip 17. A gentlemen on the vessel stated that he had witnessed the accident and that the striking vessel had just docked a few slips down. Cpl. got off of our marked patrol vessel to make contact with the vessel struck (vessel 2), a white 44’ Sea Ray 420 Sedan Cabin motorboat (Document #1175567). No one reported injuries at that time and medical attention was declined. No damage was sustained to the vessel itself or its anchor.

    At approximately 9:15 p.m., I made contact with the striking vessel (vessel 1), a white 47’ Four Winns Excalibur Cabin motorboat (Registration #1149244). The owner and operator was identified and there were eight total people on board at the time of the collision. No one reported injuries at that time and medical attention was declined. Most of the party on vessel 1 had to leave, but four occupants stayed which includes the operator. Subject1, an occupant on vessel 1, stated that they were “entering ego ally. There was an oncoming boat. The captain of our boat pulled to the right as far as possible to avoid the other boat. A docked boat had an anchor which scrapped the side of our boat”. While I was with vessel 1, Cpl. obtained information from vessel 2 as well as a witness statement from someone on a separate docked vessel that witnessed the incident. Both versions of the story were the same, with the exception that the witness and vessel 2 both attempted to get the attention of vessel 1 before it struck the docked vessel.

    At approximately 9:30 p.m., Cpl. and I pulled Operator1 aside to ask him what happened. As Operator1 began to step off vessel 1, his fiancé attempted to give him a bottle of water. Operator1 stated the same story, but pointed out that he should not have operated into Ego Ally while the other large vessel was coming out. As Operator1 explained his story, I observed his eyes to be glassy and bloodshot, and an odor of alcohol was present. Cpl. asked Operator1 how many alcoholic beverages he had to drink that night and he stated three to four.

    At approximately 9:35 p.m., I conducted standardized field sobriety testing on Operator1. I asked Operator1 if he wore glasses or contacts, and if he had any injuries or medical conditions that would prevent him from taking tests that involved simple things such as following directions or simple motor skills. I also asked Operator1 if he had taken any medication that night that would prevent him from taking these tests or could affect his mental and/or physical state. Operator1 stated that he did not wear contacts or glasses and that he currently took fitness supplements, had diabetes and gout in his knees. I asked Operator1 if he thought that would prevent him from walking in a straight line, taking a series of steps or balancing to which he replied no.

    The first test I requested Operator1 to perform was the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) Test. I explained the instructions of the test to Operator1 and asked if he understood. Operator1 replied yes. As I conducted the test, I had to remind Operator1 twice to follow the stimulus with his eyes only as he moved his head in the direction of the stimulus. I observed a lack of smooth pursuit, distinct and sustained nystagmus at maximum deviation and nystagmus onset prior to 45 degrees in both eyes. Six out of six clues were observed in total.

    The second test that I requested Operator1 to perform was the Walk and Turn (WAT) Test. The test was taken on a flat brick surface free from debris. Operator1 was wearing flip flops at the time of testing which he elected to take off. I explained the instructional phase of the test to Operator1, and asked if he understood to which he replied yes. Operator1 stared at me with a blank expression until I reminded him to get into the stance demonstrated. Operator1 had to be shown and instructed once more how to get into that phase. While Operator1 was in the instructional stance, he swayed and lost his balance two times, using his arms to balance each time. I explained the rest of the test to Operator1 and then asked him if he understood the test. Operator1 replied yes. I told Operator1 he could begin. On the first nine step portion of the test, Operator1 took fourteen steps, stopped, turned around to look at me and then asked how many steps he had taken. After replying that he should have been counting them, he turned around and took an additional four steps for a total of nineteen steps. I observed only three of Operator1’s steps to be heel to toe. Operator1 stepped with slightly in front of the other off to the side on all other steps. Operator1 did not count any of the steps out loud and stepped off the line five times. I observed Operator1 use his arms for balance on all steps due to swaying. Operator1 then turned around normally, incorrectly completing the turn. During the returning nine step portion of the test, Operator1 took a total of thirteen steps. I observed Operator1 miss heel to toe on every step, and step in the same fashion of the first nine step portion of the test. Operator1 again had to use his arms for balance while walking and stepped off the line three times each. Seven out of eight clues were observed in total.

    The third test that I requested Operator1 to perform was the One Leg Stand (OLS) Test. I explained the instructions of the test to Operator1 and asked if he understood. Operator1 replied yes. I advised Operator1 that he could start the test. I observed Operator1 lift his left foot, sway and then lose his balance at second three, putting that foot back on the ground. Operator1 used his arms for balance. Operator1 put his foot down a total of four times. Operator1 stopped counting on second 11, 17, and 21; he paused for three seconds before resuming counting. Operator1 also skipped numbers; he jumped from 17 to 19 and 21 to 23. I observed Operator1 could only lift his approximately two inches from the ground and he continuously looked at me instead of his foot. Three out of four clues were observed.

    At approximately 9:45 p.m., I placed Operator1 under arrest for operating a vessel under the influence of alcohol. I read Operator1 his Advice of Rights and he refused to take a breath test. At that time, I advised Operator1 that he would be released via citation after all information needed was obtained. While obtaining information for my report, Operator1’s fiancé repeatedly kept stating that he only had “a few beers” that night and that the accident was the other vessel’s fault. Operator1 was given a lawful order not to operate a vessel or vehicle for the next 12 hours. Operator1 advised that friends were on the way to pick him up.

    After corroborating all stories, I find vessel 1 to be at fault as vessel 2 was docked and it is the duty of the operator to assess the risk of collision and to take corrective action to avoid a collision per the United State Coast Guard Rules of the Road.    

Operator1 was issued the following citations:

MR 08.18.01.05(B) – Negligent Operation of a Vessel
NR 8-738(a)(1) – Operation While Under the Influence of Alcohol
NR 8-738(a)(2) – Operation While Impaired by Alcohol
MR 08.18.01.04(A) – Failure to Obey Navigation Rules of the Road (Rules 7 & 8)
This case is considered closed.

All events occurred in Anne Arundel County, Maryland.


BARDID: MD-2019-0037
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-06-23 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 15:29:00
CoordinatesConfidence: NC
NameOfBodyOfWater: Susquehanna River/Main Stem
NearestCityorTown: Perryville, Haver de Grace
County: Harford
WaterConditions: Choppy
StrongCurrent: -1
HazardousWaters: -1
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Flooding/swamping
AccidentEvent2: Capsizing
AccidentEvent3: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Unknown
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
a On June 23, 2019 at 1530 hours I, Officer First Class, responded to a call of an overturned vessel and a subject in the water between the Tydings Bridge and the Hatem Bridge on the Susquehanna River aboard vessel NRP 887. I arrived in the area near (GPS Coordinates 39 34.468, -076 05.377) Garrett Island and located a vessel bearing PA vessel registration 3491 DU (an approximately 14 ft Elgin gray and red aluminum boat) that had taken on water and was floating with a small portion of the bow up out of the water. A good Samaritan helped to get the boat emptied and floating, gather up a fishing pole, seat and cooler found floating nearby and the boat was taken into the Havre de Grace American Legion pier. The subject was located face down in the water nearby (GPS Coordinates 39 34.491, -076 05.755) not wearing a personal flotation device by another good Samaritan and picked up by the Susquehanna Hose Company and transported to Harford Memorial Hospital where he was identified through license.
The victim had been fishing in a small boat (10’-12’ in length) when it began to take on water. Victim was not wearing a Personal Flotation Device (PFD) and was recovered floating face down, not far from his boat. A passing boater located Victim’s body and alerted emergency personnel to his location.

Forensic Investigator (FI) \ arrived at the hospital and examined the decedent. FI  found no obvious signs of trauma or abnormalities. The victim was transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) in Baltimore for autopsy.


BARDID: MD-2019-0038
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-06-26 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 20:05:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: West Ocean City Commercial Har
NearestCityorTown: Ocean City
County: Worcester
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentEvent2: Collision with fixed object
AccidentCause1: Machinery failure
MachineryFailure: Engine
DayofWeek: Wednesday
RedactedNarrative:
On June 26, 2018 at 2000 hours I, Officer, was made aware by Natural Resource Police communications that a boating accident had occurred in the commercial harbor and was being reported after the fact.  I was able to make telephone contact with the complainant who stated the following.

On June 26, 2018 at approximately 1730 hours Subject1 was preparing his vessel to be retrieved from the boat ramp from the commercial harbor in West Ocean City.  Subject1 stated that his vessel was tied of to the dock and he was waiting for the vehicle to retrieve the boat.  Subject1 stated that he observed a large "sport fisher" type vessel on a course to strike his vessel.  Subject1 stated it appeared the operator of the "sport fisher" vessel was not proficient in maneuvering a vessel because the operator made no attempt to reverse or modify course prior to the collision.  Subject1 stated his vessel was struck on the stern, by the starboard side of the "sport fisher" style vessel.  Subject1 stated that he was able to observe the name on the vessel that struck his vessel was Wet Dreams.  

Subject1 stated he had a brief conversation with the operator of Wet Dreams which mainly consisted of the operator inquiring if Subject1 was injured.  Subject1 stated that he continued the process of removing his own vessel from the water.  Subject1 stated that he inspected his vessel which is a 20 foot Mako Maryland registration MD9462AR, and observed damage.  Subject1 stated that his vessel received damage to the fiberglass gel coat on the stern and there was damage to the outboard motor of the vessel.  He noticed some gouging occurred to the motor.  Subject1 stated he was not sure on the exact amount of damage done to his vessel but if the motor was damaged the repairs would be well over $2000.00. He then removed the vessel, returning it to the storage yard located in Willards.  

Subject1 stated that he was currently home in Salisbury.  I made arrangements to meet with Subject1 at the boat yard on June 27, 2019 in the afternoon to obtain photographs of the vessel and obtain his written statement.  Subject1 stated that he did not seek any medical attention on the scene, but was now feeling sore and may go to his doctor at a later date.  

I asked Subject1 why no one called the police at the time of the original collision, the response was he was too shaken up and did not think about it.  Subject1 stated that he was a former boat captain and had completed numerous hours of operating vessels.  On June 27, 2019 at 1440 hours I was able to respond to Oceana Boat Works to make observe the damage to the vessel.  I observed the vessel to be a 1987 Mako displaying Maryland registration 9462AR.  I observed the vessel to have paint damage to the bow, this was due to the vessel striking the piling after the initial collision according to Subject1.  The vessel also suffered paint transfer and gouging to the port side of the stern.  The engine cowl received gouging, and the hydraulic steering system received damage as well.  Several digital photographs were taken of the damage and placed in the water craft accident portion of this incident report.  Subject1 also completed a written statement, that was scanned and placed in the water accident portion of this incident report. 

 I was able to obtain via the internet the name of the captain and phone number of the vessel Wet Dreams.  I made phone contact who stated he was still on his vessel currently in the slip at Fisherman's Marina I responded to that location and spoke with Operator1.  Operator1 stated that on June 26, 2018 at approximately 1730 hours he had entered the commercial harbor, and was in the area of the Mad Fish restaurant.  Operator1 stated that in the area of Mad Fish he places his vessel in reverse to make sure it is operating correctly before proceeding to dock the vessel.  Operator1 stated that when he tested reverse it was not working, and he was aware at this point there was a mechanical issue with the vessel.  

Operator1 stated not only was the vessel not able to be place into reverse it was stuck in forward gear.  Operator1 stated he planned to head towards the boat ramp area and essentially run the vessel onto the pavement to stop it.  Operator1 stated that when he turned the vessel toward the boat ramp he observed the vessel that Subject1 was in, and knew they were likely to collide.  Operator1 stated that he began to yell and scream and was trying to gain the attention of Subject1 however this was not successful.  

Operator1 stated that he collided with the vessel that Subject1 was on.  Operator1 stated he struck the stern of Subject1's vessel on the port side.  Operator1 stated after the collision with the vessel and then colliding with the dock, his vessel came to a stop.  Operator1 stated he assured that Subject1 was not injured.  Operator1 was able to respond to the engine room of his vessel locate the broken part and place the vessel into neutral, and was able to limp the vessel back to the nearby slip.  Operator1 stated the mechanical failure was a rod that connected the throttles to the engine had broken, and this broken linkage would not allow the vessel to be taken out of gear.  I did observe that Operator1's vessel had paint transfer on the starboard side.  Operator1 does not believe that his vessel had sustained much damage from the collision.  

Operator1's vessel is a 42 foot Ocean Yacht "sport fisher" style boat with weight of 31 gross tons.  Operator1's vessel is a documented with the United States Coast Guard with a document number of 1223820.  Operator1 stated that he has been operating a vessel since he was 18 years old, and even has attended some form of a formal captains school but did not complete the amount of hours to obtain his captains license.  

 Operator1 stated that he was taking several friends out for a fishing trip for the day, and was returning from said fishing trip when the collision occurred.  Operator1 stated there was 7-8 subjects on board the vessel when the collision occurred.  All but one remained for me to speak with.  On June 27, 2019 at 1730 hours I was able to respond to Ocean City Fishing Center where Operator1 had his vessel pulled from the water and dry docked.  I was able to observe the damage to the vessel Wet Dreams.  I observed the vessel received paint transfers and gouging on both the port and starboard bow of the vessel.  Operator1 stated that the deepest gouging was from when the vessel struck the dock on the opposite side of the Mako.  It should be noted that there was not any damage done to the dock.  Also the keel portion of the vessel has some gouging as well due it scraping the pave portion of the boat ramp.  Operator1 had estimated the damage to the vessel to be approximately $3000.00  Operator1 did not wish to complete a written statement in this matter.  Operator1 was able to provide the information of the rest of the subjects on the vessel at the time of the collision as well.


BARDID: MD-2019-0039
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-06-28 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 14:45:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Camp Tockwough-Still Pond
NearestCityorTown: Worton
County: Kent
WaterConditions: Choppy
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Skier mishap
AccidentCause1: Operator inexperience
DayofWeek: Friday
RedactedNarrative:
On June 28, 2019 at approximately 1627 hours Officer of the Maryland Natural Resources Police was dispatched to YMCA Camp Tockwogh, located at 24370 Still Pond Neck Road for a report of a boating accident with injury.  Upon arriving on scene at approximately 1752 hours, Officer met with the manager for water activities at Camp Tockwogh. 

Manager advised that one of his counselors had taken a group out tubing earlier near the entrance to Still Pond in the Chesapeake Bay.  Manager stated that one tuber fell off the inflatable, which caused the second individual to fall from the inflatable as well.  That individual then hit his head on the water's surface as he fell.  Manager said that the individual was complaining of headaches later in the day, and at that point was taken to Chestertown Hospital for evaluation.  Manager stated that this was check out day for campers, and if Victim had been going home like other campers, they would not have taken him to the hospital. Manager stated that Victim was staying at the camp for an additional amount of time unlike other campers.

Officer then spoke to the operator of the vessel, who advised that the weather was clear at approximately 1445 hours when she had taken a group out tubing on a 2013 Boston Whaler 17' Super Sport bearing MD Vessel Registration 6712CF.  She stated that one individual fell off the tube, followed by the victim, who hit his head. 

Upon his return from Chestertown Hospital, Officer spoke to the victim who stated that he fell off the tube and hit his head after his friend fell off.  He stated that he was diagnosed with a concussion, without unconsciousness.

All events occurred in Kent County, MD

I respectfully request that this case be closed.


BARDID: MD-2019-0040
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-06-30 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 16:06:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Prospect Bay
NearestCityorTown: Grasonville
County: Queen Annes
WaterConditions: Choppy
StrongCurrent: -1
HazardousWaters: -1
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Strong
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Flooding/swamping
AccidentEvent2: Capsizing
AccidentCause1: Force of wake/wave
AccidentCause2: Hazardous waters
AccidentCause3: Hull failure
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On 06/30/2019 at approximately 3:57 PM I, Ofc. and Ofc., responded to Prospect Bay (38 54.024’N, -76 12.621’W), in reference to a vessel in distress. There was a small craft advisory in effect with winds over 15 MPH and roughly 2-3 foot waves at this location.

    On our way to the vessel in distress, I received notification that everyone onboard the vessel was safe and on a friend’s vessel close by. Upon arrival, I observed two recreational vessels on scene along with Queen Anne’s County Fire Boat 9 and a Saint Mary’s Fireboat. I observed one of the recreational vessels (1987, blue, Seacraft, Walkaround, MD registration MD 0712 CS, HIN# SICF3183F787) completely capsized with only the bottom of the bow visible. The owner was located on his friends vessel (2000, white, Bayliner, Cierra 2455, MD 1609CB, HIN# USCB76SKL900) tied off to his capsized vessel. QA Fire advised us that they have already called a tow. I got Operator’s information and phone number to make contact with him about his vessel to begin a report. Operator advised me that he would stay on location with his friend’s vessel until a towboat arrives.

    I met with Operator on land at Kent Narrows Landing later in the evening. I asked Operator what exactly happened. All he could tell me was that both his vessel and his friend’s vessel were side by side and tied together with some line and at anchor. He told me that everyone was on his friend’s vessel before he observed his boat taking on water. Operator said it happened very fast and luckily was able to untie his friend’s boat from his sinking boat before it brought down both of them. He also advised me that Tow Boat U.S. failed to move his vessel from where it was capsized and would stay with his boat until they got the equipment to remove the boat the next morning. I advised Operator I would contact him the following day to continue the investigation.

    On 07/01/2019, I made contact with Operator and met with him and his vessel on land at 101 Dundee Ave. in Chester. I observed his vessel on a trailer at this time. The damage to the vessel was substantial. I observed his entire center console including his T-Top completely ripped off from the deck of the boat. The entire vessel seemed to have some sort of water damage. The hull of the boat had numerous scratches alongside the fiberglass. (See attached pictures) I asked Operator for a rough estimate of the damage to his vessel. He replied $15,000. 

I would like to note that I have attempted to contact Operator multiple times in reference to getting all the passengers information on his vessel that day. Operator is unwilling to give the names of the people that he had on his vessel because none of them were on the vessel at the time it was taking on water.

    All events occurred in Queen Anne's County Maryland.


BARDID: MD-2019-0041
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-07-02 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 15:30:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Deep Creek Lake
NearestCityorTown: McHenry
County: Garrett
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Skier mishap
AccidentCause1: Force of wake/wave
DayofWeek: Tuesday
RedactedNarrative:
On 07-02-19 at approximately 1530hrs Victim was tubing behind vessel MD-0187-AZ on Deep Creek Lake near the Dam. The tube he was riding struck a wake created by Vessel MD-0187-AZ, causing Victim to collide with the water fracturing a rib on his left side. 

   On 07-03-19 at approximately 0930hrs Victim was taken to Garrett Regional Medical Center by his Father. The examination by medical staff revealed that Victim had sustained a broken rib on his left side. Victim was treated and released for his fractured rib. It was also at this time that I contacted operator. Operator stated that the incident occurred on Deep Creek Lake in the area between the dam and Skipper's Point. Operator stated that they were traveling east and turning to the south when the tube struck the wake generated by MD-0187-AZ. This caused Victim to be thrown from the tube.

   I also interviewed two people who were observers in the boat at the time of the incident. Both stated that the incident occurred when the tube struck the wake causing Victim to collide with the water. I then contacted the owner of the vessel by phone. She provided me with insurance information for the vessel. She advised that Operator had permission to operate the vessel and could show me where the vessel was docked and provide additional vessel information. 

Operator there provided me with the vessels information, was able to produce required safety equipment, and after some difficulty with the starter show that the vessel was able to shift into forward and reverse. No citations were issued and all events occurred in Garrett County Maryland. I cleared the incident on 07-03-19 at 1540hrs.


BARDID: MD-2019-0042
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-07-04 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 06:23:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Rhode River-Main Stem
NearestCityorTown: Galesville
County: Anne Arundel
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentEvent2: Person struck by propeller
AccidentCause1: Alcohol
AccidentCause2: Operator inattention
DayofWeek: Thursday
RedactedNarrative:
On July 4, 2019 at approximately 0623 hours, I, Ofc., responded to a vessel in distress with two persons in the water on the Rhode River near Carrs Wharf Pier, Galesville, Anne Arundel County, Maryland. Upon arrival, I found both persons sitting on a 16' Carolina Skiff, bearing Maryland Registration 466 BF. The Carolina Skiff was being towed by a green 19', G3, open vessel bearing Maryland registration 2980 BU. The towing vessel was occupied by four persons who responded to assist the persons in the water..

I observed both persons on the Carolina Skiff to have suffered some minor injuries and refused all medical treatment from the Anne Arundel Fire and Rescue Services. The Carolina Skiff was then towed to Backyard Boats located on Parrish Creek, Shadyside, Maryland. I followed the towed vessel back to Parrish Creek. Once at the marina, I spoke with the Good Samaritans who advised they did not witness the subjects fall into the water. They advised they observed the Carolina Skiff riding in circles as they approached. They were able to turn off the motor and retrieve both subjects from the water.

I then spoke with both subjects that had fallen off the boat. It was at that time, I witnessed occupant to have sustained more serious injuries to both arms, chest and chin then originally thought. I immediately wrapped both arms with clean gauze. I also observed Operator to have swelling and cuts to his left lower leg. Based on their injuries it was evident that both subjects had come in contact with the propeller as they tried to gain entry into the boat. In speaking with both subjects, I could smell an odor of alcoholic beverage about Occupant. My observations of Occupant did not lead me to believe he was intoxicated. He did not slur his words, his motor skills were normal and he was steady on his feet. He did indicate that he attended a Fourth of July Party in Galesville the night before. I recommended they be treated for their injuries at a hospital and offered to call EMS. They refused EMS but indicated they were going to the hospital. 

I spoke with both Occupant and Operator about the incident. Both subjects indicated that they boarded the small boat moored at the Backyard Boats Marina between 0530 hours and 0600 hours. Occupant operated the vessel from the marina to the middle of the West River. At this time, Operator indicated he would like to operate the boat. Both subjects repositioned themselves on the boat. Occupant sat on the middle seat facing forward to the bow and Operator sat on the right rear seat operating the boat via the 25 horsepower Yamaha boat motor. Both subjects indicated they were traveling at a fast speed. As they entered into the Rhode River near the Carrs Wharf Pier, Operator lost control of the steering causing both subjects to be ejected from the boat into the river. Both subjects indicated the boat circled them as they attempted to climb back into the boat. During their attempts to gain access into the boat, they came in contact with the propeller of the Yamaha engine causing injury. They both stated they were rescued by a recreational crabber. The Carolina Skiff belonging to Occupant did not sustain any damage.

I spoke with both individuals in reference to their boating skills. Occupant indicated he had a United States Coast Guard Captains License. Operator indicated he had no boating experience and did not have a Boaters Safety Certificate. At approximately 0730 hours, Operator texted his father who responded to the Backyard Boats Marina in Shady Side and transported both subjects to the Anne Arundel Medical Center. Cpl. met the subjects at the hospital where he took statements from both Occupant and Operator. Operator was issued a citation under NR 8-712.2 a1i for failing to obtain a Certificate of Boaters Safety Education while operating a vessel. All events occurred in Anne Arundel County.

  I met with Occupant first who was being attended to by hospital staff. Occupant had his shirt off and I observed considerable trauma sustained to Occupant's right shoulder and elbow across his chest to his left bicep. The trauma sustained to Occupant's right shoulder consisted of 5 pronounced red "slashes" that were indicative of propeller strikes from a vessel's propeller as it spins. There was also a major gash in Occupant's right elbow that kept oozing blood even after a gauze pad was placed over it. I further observed red abrasions on Occupant's chest and cut marks on his left bicep. There was also a cut directly under Occupant's chin. I asked Occupant if he could fill out a witness statement for me but he stated that he was in too much pain to write.  I asked Occupant to take me through the course of events starting from the night before all the way through the time of the accident. Occupant stated that at around 7:00 P.M. on 07/03/19 he was with a group of friends in Galesville at a 4th of July Party. I asked Occupant how much alcohol he had consumed. He had a difficult time recalling how much he had consumed and the time in which he had stopped consuming it. Occupant stated that he went to his vehicle sometime between 2:00 and 3:00 A.M. and fell asleep. Occupant stated that around 6:00 A.M. he was woken up by Operator and they drove his vehicle to Highs where he picked up a Red Bull and then proceeded to Backyard Boats Marina in Shady Side. Occupant stated that he and Operator departed Backyard Boats at approximately 6:30 A.M. aboard his father's vessel. The vessel was identified as a 16' Carolina Skiff bearing MD registration 466 BF. Occupant stated that they departed Parish Creek and headed out towards the mouth of the West River. Once they arrived at the mouth of the West River, Operator asked Occupant if he could operate the vessel. Occupant then switched positions and sat in the middle of the Carolina Skiff, in front of Operator, who was now at the stern, in the operator's position. 

It should be noted that the vessel was a tiller driven outboard, operated at the stern of the vessel, rather than a traditional steering system, with a steering wheel. Occupant stated that Operator was operating the Carolina Skiff at "cruising speed" when the vessel made a hard turn to port (left) and Occupant was ejected off the starboard (right) side of the vessel. Occupant stated that when he surfaced, he was approximately 5' from the Carolina Skiff, which was spinning in a series of left-handed circles. Occupant stated that he swam towards the spinning vessel in an attempt to stop it when the vessel struck him approximately 1-2 times, leaving him with the aforementioned injuries. Occupant stated he and Operator were then pulled from the water by a couple of good Samaritans. Occupant indicated that he possesses a Captain's License and has over 100 hours of vessel operating experience. Occupant advised that visibility was good and water conditions were calm.

    I then met with Operator and observed a gash just above his left ankle with blo…


BARDID: MD-2019-0043
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-07-05 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 13:07:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: 4001 East Baker Ave
NearestCityorTown: Abingdon
County: Harford
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Fire/explosion (fuel)
AccidentCause1: Ignition of spilled fuel or vapor
DayofWeek: Friday
RedactedNarrative:
On July 5, 2019 at approximately 1305 hours this officer, Ofc. of the Maryland Natural Resources Police was on patrol when I received a call from dispatch for a boat fire that happened in the area of Bush River. I was also notified that local Fire and EMS was already on scene, and the fire was out and the occupants were receiving treatment.  

 Once on scene in the area of Bush River Yacht Club in Abingdon, MD. I made contact with the vessel owner and operator at the time.  Operator advised me, that he and his two passengers were aboard his vessel (MD 6122 BM) about to head out for a boat ride in the Bush River out of his slip. After having the vessel running for few minutes, they untied the dock lines and started pulling forward out of the slip when the vessel suddenly stalled. After attempting to restart the vessel, an explosion from the engine compartment blew off the hatch and a fire was present. While putting out the remaining flames in the engine compartment he ordered his passengers to put on a PFD and swim back to the dock which was only a short distance. Operator also stated the blower motors were on at the time.

One of the passengers was taken to Harford Memorial for complaints to her right ankle and some minor small burns and scratches on her left thigh. After speaking with her, she believes her right foot was on the hatch when it blew off causing her to receive a possible injury to that leg. The second passenger was taken to John Hopkins Bay View for second degree burns on his Legs, and hand.

At this time both occupants are receiving medical treatment and the vessel is back in the slip at Bush River Yacht Club.

All events occurred in Harford County, MD.


BARDID: MD-2019-0044
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-06-29 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 14:15:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Ocean City Inlet
NearestCityorTown: Ocean City
County: Worcester
WaterConditions: Choppy
StrongCurrent: -1
HazardousWaters: -1
CongestedWaters: -1
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Grounding
AccidentEvent2: Flooding/swamping
AccidentCause1: Hazardous waters
AccidentCause2: Machinery failure
MachineryFailure: Engine
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On Saturday, June 29, 2019, at approximately 1415 hours, I (Cpl. of the Maryland Natural Resources Police) along with Cpl. was on vessel patrol in the Isle of Wight Bay, Ocean City, Worcester County, Maryland.  We were dispatched to the area of the Ocean City Inlet for reports of a recreational vessel that was disabled and on the rocks.  Upon our arrival in the area, we located the vessel, a 1997 Bayliner 26-foot Cabin Cruiser bearing Maryland registration 4720CB being towed in the inlet by the F/V Fish Bound.  

    We came alongside and I spoke with the operator who advised that he had lost power, was pushed onto the rocks, and was now taking on water.  We took the vessel under tow from F/V Fish Bound as USCG personnel arrived on the scene.  USCG personnel began de-watering operations while we towed the vessel toward the harbor.  Operator advised that he would like to go to Sunset Marina and be hauled out.  I contacted Sunset Marina to request an emergency haul-out for Operator, and USCG took over the tow since they were already alongside.  We escorted the vessel to the lift, where I was able to speak with Operator and obtain his and the vessel's information.  

    Operator estimated the damage to his vessel to be at least $4000.00.  All of the above events occurred in Worcester County, Maryland.


BARDID: MD-2019-0046
State: MD
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2019-07-03 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 02:35:00
CoordinatesConfidence: NC
NameOfBodyOfWater: South River/221 Edgewater Driv
NearestCityorTown: Edgewater
County: Anne Arundel
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: No wind
Visibility: Fair
AccidentEvent1: Collision with fixed object
AccidentEvent2: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Alcohol
AccidentCause2: Drug
DayofWeek: Wednesday
RedactedNarrative:
On July 3, 2019, at approximately 3:00 A.M., Ofcs of the Maryland Natural Resources Police, were dispatched by DNR Communications to a report of a vessel accident on the South River in Edgewater, MD by the Route 2 bridge in Anne Arundel County. It was reported that a personal watercraft had been operating in the area and struck the nearby day marker. It was reported that there were two passengers aboard the PWC and neither were wearing personal floatation devices.  

 At approximately 3:30 A.M., Ofc. and I arrived at the scene. Anne Arundel County Fire Department rescue boats 19 and 36 were on scene as well as other responding units. We were advised that the PWC had struck the lit # 17-day marker at GPS coordinates N38 57.114 / W076 33.436 on the South River and caused significant damage to the PWC. The PWC was later identified as a 2019 GTI model Seadoo silver and tan in color bearing Maryland registration “0749 DC”. The damage to the Seadoo would later be estimated at around $15,000. The Anne Arundel Co Fire Department confirmed that the passengers did not have PFDs on at the time of the crash. Despite search efforts, the victims had not yet been located.  

Preliminary information indicated that Operator was on board the Seadoo with Victim. Both individuals had left the residence at approximately 1:30 A.M. A witness near the area advised that the crash happened approximately 15 minutes after Operator and Victim began their voyage. One witness said the crash sounded like “an air-conditioning unit had fallen off a tractor-trailer and rolled down the highway.”   The day marker had blood splatter on the post. There was also severe damage to the affixed metal ladder. There was a dent in it which resembled the shape of a vessel’s bow. The estimated cost to replace the damaged metal ladder is estimated at around $500. Upon our search of the area, a plastic cowling piece from the Seadoo was recovered at GPS coordinates N38 57.065 / W076 33.907. The remains of the severely damaged Seadoo was discovered at GPS coordinates N38 57.064 / W076 33.921. The front starboard side of the Seadoo had been torn apart. The PWC had exposed fiberglass, gas tank, and further internal machinery. The handlebars had been severed completely and the hood compartment was still attached by tubing from the vessel. There was blood splatter along the forward half of the Seadoo and two dead Ospreys inside. 

We then towed the Seadoo to the nearby pier at 127 Edgewater Drive, Edgewater, MD 21037 securing for later inspection by NRP investigators.   Once all evidence had been secured, the surface search for the missing victims was conducted at 4:15 A.M. A circle search was conducted by the NRP starting from the point of impact at the lit # 17-day marker. At approximately 5:10 A.M., Fireboat 36 recovered Operator (deceased), who was submerged near the day marker at GPS Coordinates N38 57.306 / W076 33.745. At approximately 5:20 A.M., Victim was recovered floating in the water (deceased) by the United States Coast Guard at GPS Coordinates N38 57.090 / W076 33.919. Both victims were secured and transported to Liberty Marina for inspections by NRP criminal investigators and the Anne Arundel County Medical Examiner. Units from the NRP stood by with the Seadoo until it was transported to Matapeake for safekeeping. 
Both individuals had extensive trauma including bruising and lacerations particularly to the legs that would be consistent with a PWC collision with a fixed object.  FI did not find any trauma to either individual that was suspicious or would indicate foul play. Victim and Operator were photographed (attached to report) and at that time were transported to OCME in Baltimore by FI in order for a full autopsy to be performed on July  4, 2019 and a request for the fu


BARDID: MD-2019-0047
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-06-28 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 15:11:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Deep Creek Lake
NearestCityorTown: Oakland
County: Garrett
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Skier mishap
AccidentCause1: Other
OtherAccidentCause: Passenger/skier behavior
DayofWeek: Friday
RedactedNarrative:
On 06/28/2019 at approximately 1500 hours I Maryland Natural Resources Officer responded to a water skiing accident. I arrived at dock the victim was sitting on a bench on shore. Garrett County EMS had arrived on scene at the same time. Victim was complaining that she possibly pulled a hamstring while trying to water ski. 

Victim stated she was attempting to ski around 1400 hours and when about three quarters of the way out of the water she felt something in her left leg pop and pain. She immediately let go of the rope. Victim wanted to get out of the water at their dock about 40 yards away with a bigger ladder then the boat. She held on to the rope and had the driver idle slowly as she held on to the ski rope 75 feet behind the boat. She was able to get out of the water and sat on their dock for a period of time. Victim moved to the bench on shore and while on the bench started to feel faint. At this time is when family members contacted EMS. Victim laid down and started to feel better but knew she had pulled a muscle in her left leg. Victim was wearing a type 3 adult PFD in good condition at the time of the incident.

I asked the driver of the boat what had happened. Operator stated Victim wanted to water ski. They were about 40 yards from their dock. Victim got in the water and was ready, Operator put the boat in forward gear and began to accelerate. He stated they made it about 10 feet when Victim let go of the rope and an approximate speed of 5 mph. Operator stated Victim hurt her leg and thinks she pulled a muscle. She asked Operator to idle her over to their dock to get out of the water. She got out of the water and sat on the dock then moved up to a bench on shore. Operator stated it was about an hour from the time of the incident to when Victim felt she needed EMS. Operator took a boater safety education class 11/2011. 

The observer stated Victim  was in the water ready to try skiing, when the boat started to move they got about 10 feet till she let go of the rope. He stated they then went to their dock where Victim sat on their dock then went up to the bench. When she started to feel worse is when they called 911. 

The vessel involved DC 0348 C a 1997 Searay 210 appeared to be in proper operation condition and all safety equipment was on board in serviceable condition. No charges for this incident. 

Request case closure
All of the above occurred in Garrett County Maryland.


BARDID: MD-2019-0048
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-06-29 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 15:29:00
CoordinatesConfidence: NC
NameOfBodyOfWater: Severn River/Spa Creek below B
NearestCityorTown: Annapolis
County: Anne Arundel
WaterConditions: Choppy
StrongCurrent: -1
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: -1
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Capsizing
AccidentEvent2: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Operator inexperience
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On June 29 2019, at approximately 3:26 pm, I received a call from DNR Communications in reference to an overturned kayak at the mouth of Spa Creek, located off of the Severn River in Annapolis, Anne Arundel County, MD. It was reported that one person from the overturned kayak was missing in the water. I subsequently made emergency response from Sandy Point State Park aboard a marked NRP patrol vessel. At approximately 4:00pm, I arrived at the entrance of Spa Creek.  United States Coast Guard personnel already on scene reported that a 40 year old female had gone underwater when her kayak flipped and had not resurfaced.  United States Coast Guard personnel also stated she was not wearing a personal floatation device.  Other Maryland Natural Resources Police personnel arrived and began to interview witnesses on shore.  I began a surface search, along with units from the United States Coast Guard, Maryland Natural Resources Police, Maryland State Police Aviation, Anne Arundel County Fire Department, and Annapolis Fire Department.  The surface search was suspended at approximately 4:30pm due to severe weather.  At approximately 6:00pm, the surface search resumed, but I was instructed to clear the scene in order to answer a separate call for assistance from the United States Coast Guard.  On July 2 2019, I entered details regarding the two kayaks that were recovered and retained by Maryland Natural Resources Police for safekeeping into RMS until such time the owner can take possession of them.  I would later learn that the deceased victim was recovered by Anne Arundel County/Annapolis City Fire Department rescue divers. This investigation is ongoing.  

When I returned to the dock, they were two subjects in the ambulance. The first subject advised that his girlfriend and he were kayaking back to Truxton Park. Victim’s boyfriend suggested that they had gotten separated along the way and due to the conditions of the water and boat traffic, he had turned back to close the distance between them. At some point during this time, Victim dumped out of her kayak. 

Victim’s boyfriend advised that Victim was talking to him and he told her to grab the life jacket off the kayak. Victim’s boyfriend tried to lift the kayak onto to his kayak in an attempt to empty the water. Victim’s boyfriend advised that he thought Victim was assisting him with righting the kayak. It was at this time that Victim’s boyfriend realized that Victim had disappeared. Victim’s boyfriend stated that they were approximately 200 yds off of Annapolis Maryland Capital Yacht Club.  At approximately 1617hrs, I requested a crisis team respond to the area for Victim’s boyfriend. The other person with Victim’s boyfriend in the ambulance was subject1. Subject1 was on her boat in the area when she and her boyfriend noticed two kayaks with no one in them. As they approached the kayaks, Subject1 advised that she heard someone screaming to "help him, help him." Subject1 immediately jumped into the water and helped Victim’s boyfriend. 


BARDID: MD-2019-0049
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-07-04 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 17:30:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Sassafras River
NearestCityorTown: Kennedyville
County: Kent
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Person struck by propeller
AccidentCause1: Improper lookout
AccidentCause2: Operator inattention
DayofWeek: Thursday
RedactedNarrative:
On July 4, 2019 at approximately 1809 hrs Officer of the Maryland Natural Resources Police responded to Shore Medical Center in Chestertown for a report of a boat accident with injury that was called in by emergency room staff.  Upon arrival by OFF and OFF at the hospital, both officers met with the operator/owner of the vessel.  Operator advised that he was pulling a tube on the Sassafras River outside of Kentmore Park on a 2005 BOSTON WHALER.

Operator said that his stepdaughter fell off of the tube and was swimming back to the starboard side of the vessel. Once she reached the starboard side of the vessel, she crossed the rear of the vessel in order to reach the swim ladder on the port side.  As Victim crossed the stern, she was struck three times on the right leg by the propeller.  Victim was struck in the mid upper thigh with a deep laceration and on the lower right leg towards the ankle and the foot.  Operator declined to give a written statement and was forthcoming with all information. 

OFF then spoke to Victim.  She stated that she swam up to the starboard side of the vessel and attempted to come across the stern to the swim ladder on the port side when she was struck on the right leg by the propeller. Victim stated that she did not really remember anything else after that point. 

Victim was then transported by private automobile to Shore Medical Center in Chestertown where she was admitted to the emergency room for her injuries. 

No photos were taken of the injuries due to the fact that all lacerations had been stitched and bandaged prior to OFF arrival. 

The Kent County SAO will be consulted in regards to possible charges for the operator.

All events occurred in Kent County, Maryland.

OFF requests this case remain open pending consultation with the State's Attorneys' Office.


BARDID: MD-2019-0050
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-06-29 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 18:36:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Isle of Wight Bay
NearestCityorTown: Ocean City
County: Worcester
WaterConditions: Choppy
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Moderate
Visibility: Fair
AccidentEvent1: Person departed vessel
AccidentEvent2: Collision with fixed object
AccidentCause1: Excessive speed
AccidentCause2: Improper lookout
AccidentCause3: Navigation rules violation
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On 06/29/2019, I (Officer) responded to Odysea Watersports located at 49th Street in Ocean City, MD for a report of a personal watercraft (PWC) accident. I arrived on scene around 1845 hours. Employees at Odysea Watersports advised that the rental PWC was involved in a collision at the location 45th street bayside in the Isle of Wight Bay where the PWC from their rental group collided with a dock belonging to the Taphouse Bar & Grill. 

Upon arrival members from the rental PWC group were walking around and talking to employees of Odysea Watersports.  The driver of PWC #6, complained of minor right lower leg pain but was walking around and had applied his own bandage to his leg. He did request medical care and after being cleaned up by Ocean City Fire Department EMS, refused any transportation and additional care.  The Passenger of PWC #6 “Identified by name and DOB,” Stated that she did not sustain any injuries and did not need any medical care.  Ski #6, MD 9196 LB, was being dewatered with visible damage to the front end and steering area of the ski. Pictures of the PWC, rental information, and statements were collected on scene.

The operator of ski # 6 stated that he was riding along when he got too close to the dock.  He was not able to stop so he pushed himself and Occupant off the ski before colliding with the dock.

Occupant, The passenger of ski #6 stated they were driving the Jet Ski at a normal speed when they noticed that they were getting too close to the dock and could not stop the Jet Ski from running into the dock. When they hit the dock they fell off into the water. Bystanders came to help them out of the water and Operator and Occupant walked back to Odysea Watersports.

At approximately 1945 I proceeded to 4507 Coastal Highway, Ocean City Maryland the Taphouse Bar and Grill where I was met by one of the managers at the Taphouse. He was able to take me to the dock and show me the damages done and send me pictures that were taken at the time of the accident. He also stated that a server witnessed the accident as it occurred and that a patron staying at the hotel A Loft, located next to the Taphouse had also witnessed the accident and both were willing to provide statements.

Subject1, a server at The Taphouse, stated that he was taking an order when he saw through the window a jet ski going very fast and crash into the dock. He said that the speed and direction of the Jet Ski never changed as it crashed into the dock head on. Subject1 went out and helped the people out of the water and stated both riders left the scene.

Subject2, a patron staying at the A Loft hotel located next to The Taphouse, stated that he was on the 5th floor on the balcony when he watched a jet ski go past about 30 feet from shore, U-Turn around, gas up and run head on to the dock located off The Taphouse. As they hit the dock the riders rolled to the right and the Jet Ski wet under the dock. The driver didn’t let off the throttle until the Jet Ski was about to hit the dock. Subject2 also stated that both riders were not looking forward but looking at the direction of shore when they were about to hit the dock.

Odysea Watersports reported the total damages to be $5083.01 with the estimates from Bayside Jet drive and Riva Yamaha.

I determined that Operator was at fault and caused the accident. He received a citation for failure to obey navigation rules of the road number 8 on the day of accident. Upon investigation he will also be receiving citations for operating a PWC more than 6 knots within 100' of a pier and given a citation for negligent operation of a vessel.

All events occurred in Worcester County, MD.


BARDID: MD-2019-0051
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-06-20 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 13:15:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Deep Creek Lake, Swanton
NearestCityorTown: McHenry
County: Garrett
WaterConditions: Choppy
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Moderate
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Skier mishap
AccidentCause1: Force of wake/wave
DayofWeek: Thursday
RedactedNarrative:
On June 20, 2019 at 1353 hours I received a report from the Maryland State Police, McHenry Barrack, of a boat accident involving a tuber on Deep Creek Lake.  The reporting party was at the Deep Creek Lake Marina in McHenry Cove.  It was reported that there was a minor injuring sustained by one individual that was now at the Urgent Care Facility in McHenry, MD.
 
     I responded to Deep Creek Lake Marina to contact the party involved.  I was met at the dock by the rental staff.  She advised me that the party had dropped off the injured member, Victim, at the Urgent Care Facility in McHenry.  Victim's injury was sustained while being towed on a tube with his son.  The tube hit a wake and Victim and his son "hit heads".  Victim bit through his lower lip.  The rental staff stated that the rest of the party went out to finish their four (4) hour rental period with the vessel.  I obtained the vessel information from the rental company.  The vessel was a 2019 Tahoe Cascade Quad Lounger pontoon boat.  It was blue in color and displayed  Maryland registration 1780 LB.  It was 25 feet in length.  The rental staff advised me that the group was scheduled to return at 1600 hours.  

    I left the facility and continued to patrol Deep Creek Lake.  At 1530 hours I returned to the area of Deep Creek Lake Marina.  I observed the vessel described above enter the docks at Deep Creek Lake Marina.  I also docked and made contact with the operator.  Operator advised that he was operating the rental boat at the time of the accident.  Victim and his son were on the tube.  The incident occurred just north of the Glendale Bridge on the main body of Deep Creek Lake.  Operator described the wake activity at the time to be moderate.  Operator advised that the wake that caused the injury was produced by another vessel that passed them at a safe distance.  Operator stated that he was not operating the pontoon at a fast speed as son was only five (5) years of age.  Victim was sitting on the tube with his son between his legs and his arms around his son.  Both were wearing life jackets.  As the tube rolled over the wake Victim's chin came down on top of his son's head.  The force of hitting his head caused him to bit through his lower lip.  Operator advised that Victim's wife was the observer onboard at the time of the accident.  There were a total of 13 persons on board the vessel, including the two skiers/tubers.  Neither fell off of the tube during the incident.

    Son was present during the interviews and appeared uninjured and in good spirits. 

    The pontoon, MD 1780 LB is a rental vessel at Deep Creek Lake Marina.  No damage was sustained to the tube or vessel. 

    No violations were detected.   Clear at 1605 hours.  

    I identified six (6) of the passengers on board the vessel at the time of the incident.  Those identified included the operator of the vessel, the observer, and the two (2) individuals on the tube.  I made several phone calls to Victim and Operator requesting the identification of the remaining passengers for the report.  As of July 17, 2019 my request for that information has gone unanswered.  Several of those not identified were juveniles, one being only several months of age.  All children on board were wearing personal flotation devices (PFD).


BARDID: MD-2019-0052
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-07-03 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 19:58:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: 605 2nd Street, Chesapeake Cit
NearestCityorTown: Chesapeake City
County: Cecil
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: -1
Wind: No wind
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with fixed object
AccidentEvent2: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentCause1: Operator inexperience
AccidentCause2: Navigation rules violation
DayofWeek: Wednesday
RedactedNarrative:
On 7/3/19 at 1958 hours, I, Cpl. were dispatched to the Chesapeake Inn Restaurant on the Chesapeake City basin for a boat accident.  Once on scene, I met with the owner of the striking vessel, 2019  25' Pearson Scarab, DL 8169 AL, and its occupants.  

     Operator1, stated he was trying to dock the vessel at one of the Chesapeake Inn's slips that are on a floating pier.  Operator1 stated that he accidently hit the throttle to hard and boat jumped up and went up on floating dock.  He then panicked and threw boat in reverse, causing it to strike the vessel in the slip next to him, a 23' Yamaha, NJ 8802 HE.  

Operator1's vessel continued moving until his brother took control and got the vessel stopped. No injuries were reported.  A 11 yr old girl was almost struck on the dock but fell out of the way and was unharmed. Operator1's vessel damaged the floating pier, Electrical pedestal, and some wood holding electrical boxes on the pier.  

     Yamaha boat had 2 holes put into it right near the waterline and noticeable scuff marks but vessel was still operable. Operator1's vessel only had scratches on its hull that could be observed. 
 
    Operator1 stated that today was his first time driving the Scarab.  The brother is the primary driver of the boat.  The brother wasn't feeling good, possible heat exhaustion, so he let operator operate.  The Scarab is owned by their mother.  Operator1 stated that he wasn't used to the throttles, and didn't realize they were that sensitive.

     Chesapeake Inn owner had recorded the entire incident on video from his security cameras.  He showed us the footage which showed Operator1 causing the accident, and then brother taking over and stopping boat.  Owner already had someone look at the damaged dock and electrical stuff and estimated $2500.00 in damage.  

     Operator1 stated he had not consumed any alcohol that day and none was detected on him. A total of six people were on Operator1's boat. All passengers were interviewed and uninjured.  All stated that Operator1 had only drank water that day.  Brother stated he had a couple beers at a work picnic around lunch time earlier.  Field Sobriety was conducted on him and results were negative.

     On 7/5/19, I spoke with v2 owner on the phone and he stated that he had one estimate of damage done to his vessel by J&J Marine, and they quoted him at $10000.00 to fix the holes in his hull.

     Insurance information was exchanged to all parties involved in accident.  Due to operator inexperience, I issued Operator1 citations for:  Negligent Operation and Rules of the Road violation.  I issued brother citations for: boat registration not present, and Negligent Operation.  These citations were all paid out at District court on 7/8/19.  All events occurred in Cecil County Maryland.


BARDID: MD-2019-0053
State: MD
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2019-07-06 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 23:26:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: 800 Chester Rd, Middle River
NearestCityorTown: Middle River
County: Baltimore
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentCause1: Excessive speed
AccidentCause2: Operator inexperience
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
=On Saturday July 6, 2019 at approximately 2326hrs, I, Corporal of the Maryland Natural Resources Police responded to a boat accident at Long Beach Marina located on Frog Mortar Creek in Middle River, Baltimore County, Maryland. My dispatcher told me that the accident involved one vessel resting on top of another at the marina. I arrived at the accident scene at approximately 2338hrs.

On scene I observed a white cabin Seaswirl motorboat bearing registration MD 3314 BS resting on top of and across the port side bow of a white/blue Crownline cabin motorboat bearing registration MD 0529 BX and docked in slip B-14. This occurred at Long Beach Marina in the water between piers B and C. The Seaswirl also struck a Smoker Craft pontoon motor boat bearing registration ND 449 JO that was located in pier slip B-12 and it was wedged in between the Crownline and the pontoon boat. (See attached photo)

I was advised by Bowleys Quarters Fire Department personnel that there were two (2) occupants in the Seaswirl when the accident occurred. Occupant was uninjured and Operator suffered an injury to her left hand. There was blood visible within the seating area and rear (aft) deck of the Seaswirl from Operator's injury (see attached photos). Operator was already in a Baltimore County Fire Department medic unit when I arrived on scene. I was told that Operator was being transported to Franklin Square Medical Center for treatment. Off. drove to the hospital to meet Operator and obtain her statement. The Crownline and Smoker Craft were unoccupied at the time of the accident.

The marina was crowded with people around the accident scene so I asked if anyone was a witness to the accident. I obtained witness statements from five people who told me they witnessed the accident (see attached statements). There were corroborating statements that the Seaswirl at some point went up on "plane", accelerated suddenly, and collided with the docked Crownline and Smoker Craft vessels. 

I was told by Baltimore County Police Officer that she administered Standardized Field Sobriety Tests to Occupant and she did not find that he was intoxicated. Also, Baltimore County Police Officer administered a preliminary breath test to Occupant with a result of .06 BAC, below the legal limit of .08 BAC.

I then met with Occupant to get his account of the events surrounding the accident. I could not smell alcoholic beverage on his breath or person and he did not appear to be impaired. Occupant told me that he and Operator were visiting friends at Long Beach Marina to watch the fireworks. After the fireworks they motored out of the marina and then realized that they had forgotten a dock line on a piling in slip C-14. They then returned to the marina and Occupant backed the boat into slip C-14. Occupant retrieved the dock line and then he told Operator to put their vessel's throttle in forward gear. This resulted in their vessel accelerating quickly and crashing into the vessels on B pier. 

On July 6, while I was still investigating at the accident scene, the Long Beach Marina director of operations showed me surveillance camera footage of the accident in his office. Per surveillance camera footage, the Seaswirl vessel arrived in slip C-14 at 9:07 PM on July 6. At 10:50 PM the Seaswirl vessel leaves the slip and exits the marina piers and enters the main body of water of Frog Mortar Creek. At 11:09 PM the Seaswirl vessel returns to slip C-14 and backs into the slip in a slow and controlled manner. The vessel's speed was slow and I estimated it to be less than 6 knots up to this point. The vessel's red, green, and all around white light were illuminated. Then at approximately 11:10 PM the Seaswirl vessel moves forward out of slip C-14, slow at first, and then accelerates suddenly and turns sharply to the left. The Seaswirl vessel then crashes into the Smoker Craft's stern and then ramps up onto the top of the port side bow of the Crownline, where it ultimately comes to rest. Due to darkness and camera angle, the surveillance camera footage does not show positioning of Occupant and Operator within their vessel prior to and after the accident occurred.

Chesapeake Marine was contracted by Occupant to remove his vessel from the scene that evening and it was put on its trailer and secured in the parking lot of Long Beach Marina.

On July 7th I returned to Long Beach Marina to take more photos of the damage sustained to the three vessels involved in the accident. The Crownline had a broken handrail on the port side and the top of the cabin was crushed in (See attached photos). The Smoker Craft sustained damage to its outboard motor. The motor's plastic covering was crushed and a piece of the motor's metal lower unit was broken off. The Smoker Craft's starboard pontoon was bent in at its bow, where the force of the impact pushed it into the floating pier. The Seaswirl sustained damage, chipped fiberglass, on the keel of the bow and the hull chines.

On July 7th, Corporal and I met with Occupant and Operator at their residence. I obtained a voluntary statement from Occupant (see attached). My investigation concluded that the statement from Occupant regarding his vessel's movement prior to and during the accident match what I witnessed on the surveillance camera footage. In explained what caused the accident, Occupant stated, "I grabbed the (dock) line while Operator engaged the throttle. Apparently the throttle was engaged too aggressively causing the boat to surge forward. While the boat was moving forward we were unable to grab the wheel or throttle." Operator showed me the extent of her injury (see attached photo). Her left hand suffered small cuts on the ring finger and on the top of her hand that required sutures (see attached photo). Operator could not recall what her hand struck within the vessel that caused the cuts. 

My investigation of this boat accident is complete.

All events occurred in Baltimore County, Maryland.


BARDID: MD-2019-0054
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-07-02 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 11:29:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Camp Tockwogh/Still Pond
NearestCityorTown: Worton
County: Kent
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Skier mishap
AccidentCause1: Other
OtherAccidentCause: Wakeboarder inexperience
DayofWeek: Tuesday
RedactedNarrative:
On July 2, 2019 at approximately 12:00pm, I, Off. of the Maryland Natural Resources Police, assigned to Kent County received a request from Off. for assistance in the investigation of a boat accident personal injury (PI). Off. advised that the victim had been transported to Shore Medical Center in Chestertown, Maryland and that the call originated from staff at Camp Tockwogh (24370 Still Pond Neck Rd Worton, MD 21678) around 11:30am. Information in the CAD showed that the victim sustained injuries to both hands.

I responded first to Shore Medical Center to speak with the victim of the accident. I arrived at the hospital emergency room at approximately 12:15pm and was directed by hospital staff to the victim's room. The victim identified herself. Victim explained that the accident occurred while she was learning to wakeboard. Victim stated she was in the water and gave the signal for the boat operator to accelerate the vessel. At that point, her wakeboard got caught underwater and her hands got caught in the tow line handle, pulling her underwater momentarily. Victim sustained minor cuts, bruising, and significant swelling to her hands, mainly her left hand. Victim stated she was wearing a PFD and helmet at the time of the accident. Photos of Victim's injuries were taken and are attached to this report. X-rays of Victim's hands and left arm were taken at the hospital but the results are unknown.

Ofc. and I then met with Assistant Director-Waterfront, at Camp Tockwogh to obtain vessel and operator information. We were introduced to the operator of the vessel (MD 6712 CF) at the time of the accident. Operator had a Boater Safety Education Certificate and she stated she had over 300 hours of boating experience, which was confirmed by Trainor. Operator explained that the accident occurred at approximately 10:00 or 10:30 am in Still Pond Creek heading west. It was only Victim's second attempt ever at wakeboarding. Operator stated she received the signal from Victim to accelerate the vessel, but Victim was unable to get the wakeboard on top of the water. The board got caught under the water and Victim was drug momentarily. Operator said she stopped the vessel immediately and circled back to pick up Victim. Operator took Victim back to Camp Tockwogh where camp medical staff treated her hands with a soft splint and wrap and gave her ibuprofen. Camp staff then drove Victim to the Shore Medical Center for additional care at approximately 11:00 am.

Operator stated that there were five (5) additional children on the vessel at the time of the accident. All individuals, including herself and Victim, were wearing PFD's. Operator stated the weather was not reviewed before going out on the water that day but it was clear and calm with little to no wind and temperatures around 90 degrees. There was no traffic on the water at the time of the accident. 

Clear without further incident.

Case closed; no further action required.

All events occurred in Kent County.


BARDID: MD-2019-0055
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-07-04 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 14:13:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Deep Creek Lake
NearestCityorTown: Oakland
County: Garrett
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Skier mishap
AccidentCause1: Other
OtherAccidentCause: Passenger/skier behavior
DayofWeek: Thursday
RedactedNarrative:
On 7/4/2019 I Maryland Natural Resources Officer responded to Garrett Memorial Hospital 251 N 4th Street, Oakland MD 21550 for a water skiing injury. I arrived at the hospital and made contact with Victim. 

Victim was having rib pain under his right arm. Victim said he was water skiing around 1000 hours earlier in the day, when he was making a slalom turn on the ski he fell. Victim said the right side of his body hit the water pretty hard. He then continued to ski for about a half hour after he fell. Victim said his side and upper ribs began to tighten up and hurt as the day went on. Victim and Subject1 drove them selves to Garrett Memorial Hospital to be checked out. Victim was released from the hospital, injury was bruising of the upper ribs. Victim had experience skiing, was wearing a type 3 PFD and was skiing at 25 MPH with calm conditions.   

I responded to speak with the driver. Operator said they were skiing around 10AM this morning, Victim fell on the first pass and skied a couple more times after falling. Operator was the owner of the boat towing the skier. He had seven years boating experience.  Operator stated it was later in the day when Victim side began to hurt. I inspected the vessel used, all equipment was on board. Subject1 was the observer on board at the time of incident. 

Request case closure
All of the above occurred in Garrett County Maryland.


BARDID: MD-2019-0056
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-07-13 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 15:03:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Deep Creek Lake
NearestCityorTown: Swanton
County: Garrett
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Skier mishap
AccidentCause1: Force of wake/wave
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On 07-13-19 at approximately 1518hrs I was contacted by DNR communication center and advised of boating accident victim receiving treatment for injuries at Garrett Regional Medical Center. I arrived at Garrett Regional Medical Center and contacted the victim who advised he was tubing behind vessel MD-7843-CG on Deep Creek Lake near the Glendale Bridge. The tube he was riding struck a wake created by a vessel. This caused Victim to collide with the right elbow of subject`. The collision caused a cut just above the left eye of Victim between his eye and eye brow. Victim received stitches for his laceration and was released from the hospital. 

   On 07-13-19 at approximately 1620hrs I contacted the operator of MD-7843-CG, and is also the owner of the vessel.  Operator stated that the incident occurred on Deep Creek Lake in the area just south of the Glendale Bridge.  Operator stated that they were traveling Northwest when the tube struck a wake.  This caused victim to collide with the elbow of subejct1. 

Operator then provided me with the vessels information, was also able to produce required safety equipment, and  show that the vessel was able to shift into forward and reverse. No citations were issued and all events occurred in Garrett County Maryland. I cleared the incident on 07-13-19 at 1836hrs.


BARDID: MD-2019-0057
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-07-11 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 11:31:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Eastern Bay-Kent Narrows-South
NearestCityorTown: Chester
County: Queen Annes
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: -1
HazardousWaters: -1
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with fixed object
AccidentCause1: Improper lookout
AccidentCause2: Operator inattention
DayofWeek: Thursday
RedactedNarrative:
On 07/11/19 at approximately 1145 hours I, Cpl, responded to a call for a sailboat that struck the Kent Narrows drawbridge. I arrived in the area shortly after 1200 hours and I located the vessel in question secured to the fuel dock at Piney Narrows Marina in Chester, MD. The vessel was later found to be documented under the name "Sea Ya" with a home port of Mays Landing, NJ. The boat was a 37 foot Beneteau auxiliary sailboat with a single diesel engine. The mast had separated at the base and was lying on top of the vessel along with all the related rigging equipment. I took several photos (see attached) of the vessel from different angles. 

     I met with the operator. There were five people on board the vessel including his wife and two daughters. Another male subject was also on board. According to Operator, the vessel was heading north approaching the Kent Narrows drawbridge around 1130 hours and as the center span was opening the top of the mast and part of the rigging struck the bridge. The mast broke at the base and fell across the boat without injuring any of the crew. Operator told me he was the operator and after the accident occurred he guided the vessel to the fuel dock at the marina. The bridge tender reported the accident to DNR police dispatch. A state highway administration worker arrived on location to inspect the bridge for damage and he did not find any. The victim of the accident is the State of Maryland.

     The vessel was rented from Haven Charters located in Rock Hall, MD. Operator told me he had rented the vessel the previous day and navigated to St. Michaels harbor in Talbot County. He was on the return trip to Rock Hall when the accident occurred. Operators told me he thought the bridge was fully open when he tried to traverse through and simply misjudged the distance as well as the strong current. The current was running north at the time of the incident. I asked Operator if he had consumed any alcoholic beverages any time prior and he responded "no". I did not get any clues as to possible alcohol or drug usage. Operator told me he had contacted the Charter company and they were planning to send personnel to the site to remove the mast and rigging from the boat so that it could be towed back to Rock Hall. The other four subjects were transported back to Haven Charters via an "UBER" ride. I gave Operator my contact information in case he had any questions about the incident at a later date.

     All events occurred in Queen Anne's County, MD.


BARDID: MD-2019-0058
State: MD
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2019-06-28 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 23:02:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: 100 Bourbon St Havre De Grace
NearestCityorTown: Havre De Grace
County: Harford
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: -1
Wind: No wind
Visibility: Unknown
AccidentEvent1: Fire/explosion (non-fuel)
AccidentCause1: Machinery failure
MachineryFailure: Electrical
DayofWeek: Friday
RedactedNarrative:
On Friday, June 31, 2019 at approximately 11:00pm Cpl. and I, Ofc. were on boat patrol in the area of Susquehanna River when we received a call for a vessel fire at Tidewater Marina.

Upon arrival I observed a 39’ Sea Ray Sundancer tied up in slip #223 with heavy smoke coming from the interior of the port stern area of the vessel. 

Fire personnel worked to extinguish the fire and no one was on board at the time of the fire.

The Office of the State Fire Marshall responded and took command of the scene.

All events occurred in Harford County.The owner of the vessel,  was contacted and stated that the vessel was a "total loss."

The 2005 39' Sea Ray Sundancer is valued from $130,000 to $210,000.

This case is closed. 

All events occurred in Harford County, Maryland.


BARDID: MD-2019-0059
State: MD
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2019-06-29 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 17:27:00
CoordinatesConfidence: NC
NameOfBodyOfWater: Rock Creek-Main Stem
NearestCityorTown: Pasadena
County: Anne Arundel
WaterConditions: Unknown
StrongCurrent: 0
Wind: Storm
Visibility: Unknown
AccidentEvent1: Collision with submerged object
AccidentEvent2: Capsizing
AccidentEvent3: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Weather
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On June 29, 2019, I, Sgt was responding by vessel to reported vessel in distress off of Bodkin Creek. While en route I was waved down by a subject in a white bow rider style vessel. I made contact with subject who advised that he had located numerous items floating in the area. A cooler, Type IV, and gas cans. I retrieved the items and confirmed the location that he had recovered them. I called all the information out and began a search of the area for a capsized vessel as all the items were consistent with that. 

Upon the Coast Guards and Cpl arrival, we all continued a surface search. More items were recovered; a shoe, paddle, and toolbox. Inside of the toolbox was a camo wallet containing the identification of subject1. The proximity of all these items suggested that they all originated from the same location. I had DNR Communications search that subject for any registered vessels under his name. They located a 17 ft, Carolina Skiff, he owned and it had a phone number associated with it. They attempted a call with no answer. I then asked them to send County PD out to the residence to make contact. They responded and but made no contact. We continued the search, calling out MSP aviation as the storms cleared the area. I made contact with Investigator, who was in the area for an unrelated call to come to assist. He was able to track down several other contact phone numbers for relatives of Subject1. He also had the USCG attempt to ping or locate the Subject1’s phone. Will all efforts exhausted and no additional information I called off NRP’s search operation at sunset, and set to resume at 0600 hrs in the morning. All items recovered were transported to Broadneck Office and entered into RMS. Investigator will be adding a supplement to this report, detailing the subject he contacted and information that he obtained. 

On July 1st, 2019 I, Officers First Class of Maryland Natural Resources Police were conducting a surface search for two subjects reported missing from a boating accident in the area of Rock Creek and Stoney Creek that occurred on 06/29/2019. While underway on patrol vessel NRP141, I received a call from a citizen who was crabbing in the area and stated he had located a subject floating in the water in the area of Fort Smallwood Park. Upon locating the citizen caller who was actually in the area of Rivera Beach I noticed a subject floating in the water in a dead man float position face down. The coordinates where the subject was located are as follows;
Decimal Degrees (WGS84)
Latitude	Longitude
39.171217	-76.500133
Degrees, Minutes & Seconds
Latitude	Longitude
N39 10 16	W76 30 00
GPS
Latitude	Longitude
N 39 10.273	W 76 30.008
The subject appeared to be a black male. While the subject was still in the water I noticed what appeared to be propeller strike marks on his leg as well as around one of his ankles where the foot had been separated and was barely attached. The subject was loaded onto the patrol vessel and transported to Stoney Creek Marina. The Duty Officer as well as SOD(Special Operation Division) were notified of the recovery. Upon arrival of SOD the subject was removed from the Patrol Boat and Placed on land for further investigation by SOD. The investigation will be completed by Ofc of SOD.

Additional notes:
The operator of the vessel cannot be determined.  It is believed that victim2 was the operator, but there is not enough evidence at this time to be certain.  There is circumstantial evidence to suggest victim2 was the operator, due to the kill switch being found in his hand upon recovery. 

It is unknown if the injuries sustained by victim1 were propeller strikes.  The opinion of the ME states that it is suggestive of injuries from a boat propeller. The ME's opinion, "The injuries noted to his right leg appear as post mortem (occurring after death) and are suggestive of injuries sustained from a boat propeller."


BARDID: MD-2019-0060
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-07-06 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 18:07:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Deep Creek Lake
NearestCityorTown: Oakland
County: Garrett
WaterConditions: Choppy
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Fair
AccidentEvent1: Flooding/swamping
AccidentEvent2: Fall in vessel
AccidentCause1: Improper loading
AccidentCause2: Operator inexperience
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On 7/6/2019 at approximately 1800 hours I Maryland Natural Resources Officer and SGT responded to Deep Creek Marina for a property damage boat accident. We arrived at approximately 1815 hours.  I made contact with the operator of MD 2815 LB a 2013 Bennington pontoon boat rented from Deep Creek Marina. I also made contact with rental manager at Deep Creek Marina. 

There was damage to the port side front seats and railing panel side of the pontoon boat. The seat and panel side were unattached from the floor and bent outward. I have attached photos of damage. 

Operator stated his group (16) rented the pontoon around 0900 hours, the front was going in the water and sinking. Operator returned to the rental company and was advised the weight needed to be shifted to the rear to balance the boat. He was also told pontoon boats can't sink, but if too much weight is forward they can bow dive. Operator departed again, he stated the front of the boat submerged 2 more times. Around 1510 hours just after leaving Brenda's Pizzeria the front of the pontoon submerged again this time causing the port side front seat to become detached from the floor and bending the railing and side panel outward. Operator said they were going about 10 MPH at the time the bow went under. He also said the pontoon listed to the left side. When the boat was listing Subject1 seated in the port side rear corner fell striking her arm leaving a bruise. Subject2 also fell at the time of the incident from the front starboard seat leaving a scratch on his left arm. 

A member on board took a video of the boat while the front was going under, I have observed in the video the operator continuing to maintain engine speed throughout the duration of the video contributing to the bow to dive further under water. This vessel was stopped by SGT a few hours later (1715 hours) from when the alleged damage occurred. The vessel stop was for negligent operation stern riding one warning issued. At the time of the vessel stop 16 members on board.

I tested the vessel with SGT, the vessel handled apparently normal. The vessel was placed on a trailer and pulled from the water, SGT checked the pontoons for water in them, all of the pontoons appeared normal.

No charges were issued.
Request case closure 
All of the above occurred in Garrett County Maryland.


BARDID: MD-2019-0062
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-07-16 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 17:20:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Sinepuxent Bay/Marsh Creek
NearestCityorTown: Ocean City
County: Worcester
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: -1
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: -1
Wind: Moderate
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentEvent2: Person struck by vessel
AccidentEvent3: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Excessive speed
AccidentCause2: Improper lookout
AccidentCause3: Operator inattention
DayofWeek: Tuesday
RedactedNarrative:
On 07/16/2019 at approximately 1720 hours officers of the Maryland Natural Resources Police was dispatched to the Sinepuxent Bay and Marsh Creek for a vessel accident involving a rented pontoon and a rented personal watercraft. DNR communications center stated the USCG Station Ocean City was the reporting party and they already had a vessel responding to the area. 

Upon arrival, I observed a marked USCG vessel leaving the area at a high rate of speed. I observed a pontoon vessel with multiple subjects on board and heavy damage to the port side rear of the vessel. I observed several PWC’s a short distance away from the pontoon. I made contact with the pontoon vessel and immediately began triaging the subjects on board for injuries. The subject on board stated they didn’t need EMS and the USCG had already transported the subjects that were injured to their station in Ocean City. I advised DNR communications to contact Ocean City EMS and obtain transport information for the victims. DNR communications stated 3 patients and one guardian were being transported to Atlantic General Hospital in Berlin, Maryland and two subjects refused medical treatment. I contact Off. of the Maryland Natural Resources Police to respond to “AGH” and obtain victim information and written statements for me while I investigated the accident on the water. The operator of the pontoon told me they rented it from “Under the Bridge Watersports” and I advised them to sail it back into the rental dock. I told the operator I would follow them in to make sure they arrived safely.

I made contact with the subjects on the PWC’s and the guide of the rental PWC advised the operator and the passenger was transported by the USCG to their station. I advised the PWC livery guide to tow the damaged PWC and follow me into “Under the Bridge Watersports.”

Upon arrival at “Under the Bridge Watersports” I made contact with the operator of the pontoon vessel. Operator2 stated they had rented the vessel and had a total of 12 persons onboard. I provided Operator2 with pen and paper and had him collect everyone’s personal and information that was on board. There were 8 juveniles on the vessel and I had Operator2 contact their guardians and advise them of the situation. Operator2 stated they were all family and that he and his brother was transported by EMS to AGH were supervising the juveniles at the time. Operator2 stated the rest of the children were fine and didn’t need EMS at that time. While Operator2 gathered the information from the juveniles, I made contact with the guide of the PWC’s.

The guide identified himself and that he worked for Inlet Sea-Doo. Guide stated he already contacted the owner and had them gather the vessel, operator, and occupant information. Guide asked if he could take the PWC that he was operating back to their pier and walk back down to my location. I obtained his contact information and let him take the PWC that he was operating back to Inlet Sea-Doo.

While I was gathering information at “Under the Bridge Watersports” OFC. responded to the USCG station and spoke with the operator and occupant of the PWC. OFC. gathered personal and contact information from those subjects and obtained written statements from them. 

I returned to Operator2 and he provided me with his written statement and all the information I requested about the subjects on his vessel. Operator2 stated he had stopped the pontoon to fix the bimini top near Marsh Creek in the Sinepuxent Bay. Operator2 stated he observed other subjects on PWC’s pass by them heading South. Operator2 advised he looked up again and saw a PWC with two subjects on it heading straight for them. Operator2 stated the PWC never changed it’s course and struck the left side and went over the top of the pontoon. Operator2 said it knocked his brother into the water and metal parts from the pontoon struck several people on the vessel. Operator2 stated they called 911 and the USCG showed up and transported the two people on the PWC and 4 people from his vessel. 

While I was finishing speaking with Operator2, Sgt. of the Maryland Natural Resources Police contact me and advised me of an aircraft crash at 21st Street and the ocean in Ocean City and told me to respond. I gave Operator2 my contact information and told him to contact me if he had any questions. I advised the desk worker for “Under the Bridge Watersports” to tell Guide when he returned to contact me later that evening and I would get his statement from him then. OFC. responded back to my location and picked me up, then we responded together to the aircraft crash. I contacted Off. and had him gather all the information from the subjects that were transported by EMS and leave it for me at the OC boat house. OFC. provided me with contact information and written statements from the subjects on the PWC.

At approximately 2100 hours I contacted Cpl. of the Natural Resources Police and requested him to respond to Inlet Sea-Doo and take photographs of the damaged PWC, get a damage estimate from the owners, and obtain Guide’s written statement. A short while after I made contact with the owner of “Under the Bridge Watersports” who stated he estimated the vessel was a total loss and to replace it would cost approximately $8,000. I took photographs of the damaged pontoon and placed them into the incident report.  

On 07/18/2019 at approximately 0830, I retrieved all the information from Cpl. and placed it into the incident report. Cpl. stated the owner of Inlet Sea-Doo estimated the damages to the PWC were $900. After reviewing details from my investigation and the written statements from all parties involved, I will be charging operator1 with the following charges;

CFR 33:

Rule 5- Look-Out

Rule 6- Safe Speed

Rule 8- Action to Avoid Collision

NR Reg:

08.18.02.05L- Operate PWC in excess of 6 knots within 100’ of another vessel

 


BARDID: MD-2019-0063
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-07-13 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 13:30:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Ches Bay & Tribs-Bay Bridge/Wo
NearestCityorTown: Annapolis
County: Anne Arundel
WaterConditions: Choppy
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: -1
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Fall in vessel
AccidentCause1: Force of wake/wave
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On July 13, 2019, at approximately 1330 hours, I , Officer, was on patrol in Sandy Point State Park when I received notification from Department Natural Resources Communication Center of a person that injured their back on a vessel while underway in the Chesapeake Bay . The vessel was enroute to the boat ramps at Sandy Point State Park. I responded to the boat ramps and observed a blue and white center console entered Mezick Pond with victim laying on the front half of the vessel. EMS was on scene and was safely removed her from the vessel. She was transferred to ambulance and she was transported to Anne Arundel Medical Center. 

I spoke with the vessel operator in reference to what happened. He advised that they were heading south of the Bay Bridge and came across a wake from a vessel. The impact of the wake is what he believe injured victim’s back. 

        I arrived to Anne Arundel Medical Center at approximately 1445 hours to speak with victim to verify what happened and she confirmed story, and also stated that she had prior back issues.

All events occurred in Anne Arundel County MD.


BARDID: MD-2019-0064
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-06-29 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 11:30:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Deep Creek Lake
NearestCityorTown: McHenry
County: Garrett
WaterConditions: Choppy
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: -1
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Skier mishap
AccidentCause1: Force of wake/wave
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On June 29, 2019, at approximately 1130 hours, I Officer was dispatched to Garrett Regional Medical Center in Oakland, Garrett County, Maryland for a report of a 12 year old that was injured while wake boarding at Deep Creek Lake in Garrett County, Maryland. Upon my arrival at Garrett Regional Medical Center I made contact with hospital staff. The nurse on duty advised me that the 12 year old patient was treated for a superficial scalp laceration and was discharged. 

One June 29,2019,  I attempted to contact Victim's parents numerous times at the number that was provided to me with no answer. I also attempted to make contact them several times in the days following the accident with no answer and no voicemail to leave a message. I will attempt to contact them again and follow up to obtain information regarding this accident.

All events occurred in Garrett County Maryland.


BARDID: MD-2019-0065
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-07-03 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 19:27:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Turkey Neck Cover/Deep Creek L
NearestCityorTown: Oakland
County: Garrett
WaterConditions: Choppy
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: -1
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Skier mishap
AccidentCause1: Force of wake/wave
DayofWeek: Wednesday
RedactedNarrative:
On July 03, 2019 at 1754 hours, I received information from DNR Communications to respond to a boat accident victim that was being treated at Garrett Regional Medical Center in Oakland, MD.  The victim was injured as a result of a water skiing accident on Deep Creek Lake, Maryland.  I responded to Garrett Regional Medical Center and arrived at 1810 hours. 

     I identified the victim, 13 years of age.  She was being treated by a doctor for a laceration to her face on her right check.  She was receiving four stitches.  Her mother and father where present.  I spoke to the father.  Operator advised that he was the operator of the vessel at the time of the accident, her mother was not on board the vessel.  Operator explained that they were in the area of Turkey Neck Cove on Deep Creek Lake, near the Blakeslee Community.  Victim was water skiing.  Victim was up on plane but soon fell forward.  She hit a wake causing her to fall.  Her water skis came off of her feet.  One of the skis hit her in the face, causing a small laceration.  Two other family members were present on board and operating as observers.  Operator advised that the vessel was at their rental house dock.  It was a 2016 Sea Ray Ski Boat.  The vessel is a rental from Deep Creek Marina, McHenry, MD.  I responded to that location to inspect the vessel and interview the other two passengers. 

Subject stated that Victim had been water skiing before but was not that experienced.  I inspected the vessel, identified as MD 3745 LB.  It was a 2016 Sea Ray vessel, white and black in color.  The group was able to produce a registration card for my inspection.  The vessel was given a safety inspection.  All required items were present.  

     Victim was released from Garrett Regional Medical Center immediately after I spoke to them.  No violations were detected.  I cleared the investigation at 1928 hours.  All events occurred in Garrett County, Maryland.


BARDID: MD-2019-0066
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-07-04 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 16:20:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Potomac River/Cobb Island/Nort
County: Charles
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: -1
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentEvent2: Person struck by vessel
AccidentCause1: Force of wake/wave
AccidentCause2: Other
OtherAccidentCause: Passenger/skier behavior
DayofWeek: Thursday
RedactedNarrative:
On July 4, 2019 at approximately 5:10 pm, Cpl. and I (Officer) of Maryland Natural Resources Police received notification of a boating accident that occurred resulting in personal injury on the North Stem of the lower Potomac River across from Mount Vernon at approximately 4:20 pm. 

 Ofc. was in the area of the accident and provided us with victim and vessel information. The victim was taken to the Marshall Hall Boat Ramp located in Bryans Road, MD where she was then transported to the University Of Maryland Charles Regional Medical Center by Accokeek EMS Ambulance 824.

 Cpl. and I responded to the hospital where we met with Victim and her husband. A written statement was taken from husband due to Victim’ left hand injury. Victim’s husband was present at the time of the incident. They stated they were aboard a Black 25ft. Cobalt R5 bearing Colorado Boat Registration 3995 GH. The vessel was tied bow to bow and stern to stern to an anchored 2011, 41 ft. Sea Ray Sundancer displaying vessel name and hailing port of "HAT TRICK II" out of Alexandria, Virginia (United States Coast Guard documented  vessel # 1239770).

They stated that a very large dinner cruise type vessel went by creating a very large wake that snapped the bow line (bow to bow line) between the 25ft. Cobalt and the 41 ft. Sea Ray causing the Cobalt to bump the Sea Ray causing damage to the Cobalt's starboard side at mid-ship and stern. The Cobalt still attach by a stern line then swung around to the rear of the Sea Ray making contact causing damage to the port side stern and dive platform of the Cobalt. Victim attempted reach out to prevent the two vessels from colliding. During the process of trying to prevent the collision, Victim’ "pinky finger" on her left had hand was pinched between the two vessels severing the tip of her "pinky finger".

The Cobalt R5 received damage to starboard side at mid-ship and stern and port side stern. The owner, estimated the damages at approximately $3,000.00. The Sea Ray Sundancer received damage to the dive latter. The owner estimated the damages to be "minimum". 

All events occurred on the Potomac River, Charles County Maryland.

This case is closed.


BARDID: MD-2019-0067
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-07-13 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 22:34:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Middle River-Main Stem
NearestCityorTown: Middle River
County: Baltimore
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Poor
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentEvent2: Fall in vessel
AccidentCause1: Excessive speed
AccidentCause2: Restricted vision
AccidentCause3: Navigation rules violation
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
Pre- Vessel Contact
At 2237 hours, I, Officer First Class with the Natural Resources Police, was on routine vessel patrol in Middle River near the number 10 channel marker on Marked NRP Vessel 892. I received a call from Natural Resources Police Dispatch for a vessel collision in the area of Sue Creek. I immediately responded and went enroute to the area of the vessel collision. While under way, I saw three vessels in the middle of Middle River in between Sue Creek and Galloway Creek. The three vessels were all touching and temporarily being held in place by hand and/or line. At this time, the Baltimore County Police Helicopter was on scene. There was no immediate damage to vessels, but all vessel occupants advised that they had been in an accident. Approximate GPS location of the boat accident was N 39.299439, W-76.392768.

Vessel Contact
I immediately asked each vessel if all parties were accounted for, or if anybody was in the water. All people were accounted for. I asked all participants involved in the accident to put on their personal flotation device. I asked all persons involved if there were any injuries. Two individuals on an inflatable dinghy (MD Registration 1293CF), advised me that they were injured. 

The female passenger stated that she had a large bump on the back of her head but her husband is bleeding from the face and may have a concussion. Subject1 said that he was having trouble remembering what happened and kept asking the same question repeatedly. During this conversation I did see blood and bruises on Subject2’s face. Subject2 was also holding a water bottle on his face to try and reduce swelling. Subject1 and Subject2 were both showing symptoms of shock. Subject2 and Subject1 were wearing life jackets checking while I asked of their injuries. I asked Subject1 and Subject2 if they were able to board my vessel so I could take them to shore. Subject1 stated that she was unable to move. I was able to assist Subject1 into my patrol vessel with the help of a witness. 

Subject2 immediately jumped up and hopped into my patrol vessel. At this time, I obtained driver’s licenses and/or vessel registration from each party and vessel on scene. During this time, I noticed that the dinghy occupied by Subject2 and Subject1 did not have red and green navigational lights as required but did have an all-around white navigational light as required. Subject3 then handed me a portable, battery powered red and green navigational light. Subject3 stated that he had found the red and green navigational lights floating in the water adjacent to the dinghy. Subject1 was able to Identify the portable light and stated that the lights were attached to the front of the vessel and lit while underway. At the time the lights were handed to me, both the green and the red lights were on and shining brightly as required by USCG navigational rules. With the red and green lights, and the white all-around navigational light, the dinghy was properly lit per USCG navigational rules. At this time, I gave all parties involved orders to meet me at the Baltimore Yacht Club fuel pier in Sue Creek. The fuel pump was about 10 minutes away via vessel. 

Once EMS had left the scene, Cpl. and I proceeded to interview Subject3, the witness and operator of the witness vessel bearing Maryland registration MD 5128BG, and Operator1 and V1 owner of a white center console motorboat bearing Maryland registration MD 9789AS.  All three individuals consented to make written statements. All written statements will be added to the attachment section of this report. After all written statements were completed; I asked V1 owner what he remembered happening prior to, during, and just after the accident. 

V1 owner stated that he and Operator1 had been anchored near Pleasure Island, across from Hart Miller Island earlier in the day. He stated that they were just hanging out for the day and that they did not consume any alcoholic beverages throughout the day and did not possess any alcoholic beverages on his vessel.  V1 owner stated that he had let Operator1 operate his vessel. He said Operator1 had a boater safety certificate through Maryland and had a lot of experience on boats. While Operator1 operated the vessel from the center console of the boat, V1 owner remained at the helm immediately to the left of Operator1.  A check of V1 owner showed that he did possess a boater safety certificate through the Natural Resources Police.

V1 owner stated that while heading into Middle River in a northwesterly direction at about 20kts, he saw a vessel about 15-20 yards away with no navigational lights displayed. He said, “Our starboard hit their port.” He later said, “We were heading into Middle River and the dinghy came from Galloway and headed towards sue.” Throughout the interview, V1 owner was upset and repeatedly said that he thought more people were in the water, there were no navigational lights on the dinghy that his vessel struck, and he couldn’t see the dinghy until he hit it. V1 owner said that as soon as he saw the dinghy coming from Galloway, he immediately tried to shift the vessel into neutral and grab the steering wheel from Operator1. V1 owner was unsure what part of his vessel had hit the dinghy. At the conclusion of the interview, I performed a check of V1 owner’s eyes for nystagmus. V1 owner showed no signs of impairment during the HGN check, and no signs of impairment in speech, or movement. 

Operator1 did have difficulty moving and appeared in pain. He stated that he was sore and in pain from his job as a welder. I asked Operator1 if he needed to be seen by EMS. He refused to be seen by EMS.  


BARDID: MD-2019-0069
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-07-21 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 16:29:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Deep Creek Lake, Swanton
NearestCityorTown: Oakland
County: Garrett
WaterConditions: Choppy
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: -1
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Skier mishap
AccidentCause1: Force of wake/wave
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On 7/21/2019 I Maryland Natural Resources Police Officer responded to Garrett Memorial Hospital at 1700 hours for a boating related tubing injury. 

Victim was in the hospital suffering from an injured right wrist. Victim stated she was tubing, when the tube hit a wave the tube rolled over. Victim said she thinks she hit her wrist on the tube as she was falling off. I made contact with Victim later the same afternoon 1900 hours, the injury being a sprain. 

I spoke with the driver, He stated they were tubing on the south end of Deep Creek Lake near the Turkey Neck Yacht Club at around 1445 hours, when he was turning around the tube hit a wave and rolled over. Estimated speed was 15 MPH. They returned to their dock and took Victim to Garrett Memorial Hospital. 

The boat appeared to be in normal operating condition, all safety equipment was on board, Victim was wearing a type 3 PFD at the time of incident.  

Request case closure     
All of the above occurred in Garrett County Maryland.


BARDID: MD-2019-0070
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-07-27 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 21:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Chester River-Rt 213 Bridge
NearestCityorTown: Chestertown
County: Kent
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Capsizing
AccidentEvent2: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentEvent3: Person struck by vessel
AccidentCause1: Force of wake/wave
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On Saturday, July 27, 2019 at 2100 hours, I Officer responded to the University of Maryland Shore Medical Center at Chestertown at 100 Brown Street, Chestertown, Maryland in reference to a reported boat accident with personal injury. Upon my arrival I made contact with the injured boater and the vessel owner. Victim advised that earlier that day at approximately 1400 hours he was operating a Sea Doo personal watercraft on the Chester River near the Buckingham Wharf, heading southwest at less than 10 miles per hour. 

Victim advised that an unknown vessel came from behind him at a high rate of speed, overtaking him very closely. Victim stated that he turned into the wake caused by the overtaking vessel, but capsized due to the size of the wake. Victim stated that after capsizing the wake caused the PWC to strike him abruptly in the forehead. I observed a small laceration on Victim's head approximately three inches in length, which he indicated came from the incident. Victim advised that he climbed back aboard the PWC, and proceeded back to Duck Landing, where the vessel had been launched. 

    Victim advised that at the time of the incident, he was the only person on board, he was wearing a PFD and a safety kill switch. Victim advised that he was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the incident. Victim advised that he could not provide a description of the vessel that overtook him, due to being so focused on the wake. Victim stated that he did not feel he was severely injured, so after receiving first aid from a friend for the laceration, went on about his day. Victim stated that he did not feel the need to be in the hospital, but was brought because she was concerned he may have a concussion. Victim advised that he had received preliminary treatment and was awaiting a diagnoses. 

Subject advised that she was the owner of the vessel, a Sea Doo GTX PWC. Subject stated that the vessel was registered in Delaware, and that she would provide me with the vessel details the following day. Subject confirmed that the vessel was not damaged by the incident. I photographed Victim's injury.

    On July 28, 2019 I contacted Victim who advised that he had been diagnosed with a concussion, and though he was feeling sore did not sustain any other injuries. I contacted Subject who advised she had returned home, but would forward me a copy of the vessel registration, which I later received.

    All did happen in Kent County, Maryland. I request the case be closed.


BARDID: MD-2019-0071
State: MD
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2019-07-05 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 12:12:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Chesapeake Bay
NearestCityorTown: Annapolis
County: Anne Arundel
WaterConditions: Choppy
StrongCurrent: -1
HazardousWaters: -1
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Moderate
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Flooding/swamping
AccidentEvent2: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Unknown
DayofWeek: Friday
RedactedNarrative:
On July 5, 2019, at approximately 12:12pm, I arrived on scene by patrol vessel in the Chesapeake Bay near Sandy Point State Park (coordinates N 39 degrees 00.973' W 076 degree 23.384') to a report of a white, center console vessel, later identified as a16ft Sportcraft 1600 BR, registration MD 1022 BY, taking on water.  By the time I arrived at the scene, the vessel was submerged, with only about a foot of the bow visible above the waterline.  Both persons on board the vessel were rescued by a Good Samaritan.  I was met at scene by other Maryland Natural Resources Police assets, as well as assets from United States Coast Guard and the Anne Arundel County Fire Department.

                The owner/operator of the sunken vessel stated that he and his 8 year-old daughter were traveling from their residence south towards the Chesapeake Bay Bridge when he noticed the vessel’s outboard engine was laboring.  Operator stated that as he was switching the fuel hose from the vessel internal tank to an external tank when he observed water entering at the vessel’s rear.  Operator stated he called his wife and commercial towing service however, within 5 to 10 minutes the vessel has completely filled with water.  daughter was wearing a personal flotation device at the time of the accident.  Operator stated he was not wearing a personal flotation device at the time of his vessel sinking, but prior to entering the water, and was unable to put it on.

                The owner/operator of a Good Samaritan vessel stated he and his passengers were traveling through the area when they noticed a debris field.  Subject1 followed the debris field until he observed Operator and his daughter in the water.  Subject1 and company retrieved Operator and daughter from the water and remained on scene.  Property recovered and returned to Operator on scene included a bench style seat and a box of personal flotation devices.

                After taking statements from Operator and Subject1, I transported Operator and his daughter to residence on board my vessel.  Operator declined treatment by EMS.  Operator was in the process of finalizing commercial services for recovery of the vessel when I cleared the transport.

                 The vessel was moved by commercial towing services to Sandy Point State Park and later recovered by Operator.

                All events occurred in Anne Arundel County.


BARDID: MD-2019-0072
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-07-05 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 11:37:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Elk River-Main Stem
NearestCityorTown: Elkton
County: Cecil
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Person struck by vessel
AccidentCause1: Excessive speed
AccidentCause2: Operator inattention
AccidentCause3: Operator inexperience
DayofWeek: Friday
RedactedNarrative:
On July 5, 2019, at about 1130 hours, I, Officer, of the Maryland Natural Resources Police, received a call for service in reference to a boat accident which occurred on June 30, 2019, between the hours of 1530-1600. I made contact with the complainant via cell phone. Operator1 advised that on June 30, 2019, between 1530-1600 hours, he was on his brothers pontoon boat in the area of the Elk River speed zone and Triton Marina on the Upper Elk River with friends recreating. He advised that the pontoon boat drifted too close to shore and ran aground. 

Operator1 stated that he exited the vessel and attempted to push it back into deeper water but was having trouble. He advised that two individuals on separate Seadoo jet skis noticed he had ran aground and offered to help get him back in to deeper water. Operator1 obliged and attempted to secure tow lines to the pontoon boat and jet ski. Operator1 stated that while he was in the water alongside the port hull of the pontoon boat, the individual on the jet ski bumped the throttle too hard and pinned Operator1 against the hull of the pontoon boat. 

Operator1 advised after the incident, both individuals operating the jet skis left the scene. He advised that neither he or his friends were able to get registration numbers from the PWC's and were unable to identify the operators. Both jet skis were yellow, gold and gray Seadoo Sparks with older white males operating them. Operator1 could not provide a direction of travel for them. Operator1 advised that he was okay after the incident but subsequently went to the hospital later that day on his own to be evaluated by a medical doctor. Operator1 advised that he had muscle damage to his rotator cuff and skin abrasions on the left of his back and front right of his chest. He stated the doctors advised him to keep the areas iced for a period of time.
 
    On July 26, 2019, I spoke to Operator1 in regards to this incident. He stated that he had spoken to staff at Triton Marina after the incident, who advised that the individuals on the jet skis allegedly frequent Triton Marina. I will be making contact with staff at Triton Marina to follow up and attempt to identify the individuals from this incident at a later date.

This case is open.
All events occurred in Cecil County, MD.


BARDID: MD-2019-0073
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-07-15 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 10:06:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: 2107 Herring Way
NearestCityorTown: Ocean City
County: Worcester
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: No wind
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Fire/explosion (non-fuel)
AccidentCause1: Machinery failure
MachineryFailure: Electrical
DayofWeek: Monday
RedactedNarrative:
On July 15, 2019 at approximately 1000hrs., writer was dispatched to Bahia Marina located at 2107 Herring Way in Ocean City Maryland regarding a vessel on fire. Upon arrival, the Ocean City Fire Co., was on scene and the fire had been extinguished. The Ocean City Fire Marshal's office was also on scene and had started their investigation to determine the cause of the fire.

At the time of the fire, the vessel was moored in it's assigned slip and was unoccupied. It had been docked and unoccupied there since the day before, (July 14, 2019). There was an electrical power shore line from the dock and connected to the electrical panel in the vessel. There was smoke damage through out the passenger and engine compartment area. Fire damage appeared to be confined to the engine compartment area. 

Preliminary investigation revealed that the fire started in the area of the vessel's onboard generator. Fire investigators were able to determine the fire was electrical in nature and ultimately was ruled as accidental. Copy of the Ocean City Fire Marshall report is attached.

Nothing further.


BARDID: MD-2019-0074
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-07-21 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 15:56:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Glen Cove Rd, Swanton
NearestCityorTown: Oakland
County: Garrett
WaterConditions: Choppy
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: -1
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Skier mishap
AccidentCause1: Force of wake/wave
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On 7/21/2019 at approximately 1600 hours I Maryland Natural Resources Police Officer responded to Garrett Memorial Hospital for a watercraft related accident. 

The victim had a dislocated right shoulder, with no other injuries. I asked her what had happened. She stated when she was tubing earlier in the day around 2:30 PM She hit a small wave on the tube. She said her shoulder felt a little different after that but continued to tube. Victim said a little later she fell off the tube and while trying to hang on to the tube her right shoulder began to hurt. After the group got in off the water she was taken to Garrett Memorial Hospital by her parents. Victim was wearing a type 3 PFD at the time of the incident.

The operator of the vessel stated they were out on the south end of the lake when they had started to go tubing. He stated they were going around 15-20 MPH when victim fell off the tube. She fell off when the tube hit a wave. He stated he had several years of experience operating a vessel. The vessel appeared to be in good operating condition with all required equipment on board at the time of the incident.  

Request case closure
All of the above occurred in Garrett County Maryland.


BARDID: MD-2019-0075
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-07-24 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 20:11:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Ocean City
NearestCityorTown: Ocean City
County: Worcester
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Grounding
AccidentCause1: Excessive speed
DayofWeek: Wednesday
RedactedNarrative:
On July 24th at approximately 2011 hours the DNR communications center contacted OFC Ro\ about a PWC accident in the Isle of Wight Bay Ocean City back bays. The DNR communications center notified OFC that it was Property Damage only to the rental PWC, no personal injuries to anyone involved in the accident. 

Ofc arrived at Odyssea Watersports at 45th street Ocean City and met with the Manager who was upset about what had occurred that day with the incident and Ofc informed him that he would interview the operator and any witnesses. Ofc met with the operator of the PWC. Ofc asked Operator if she would like to fill out a witness statement which she agreed. Ofc also asked a PWC rental guide, if he would like to fill out a witness statement to which he also agreed. 

After reading the statement and Ofc determined that the operator was operating the PWC over 6 knots clearly within 100 feet of shoreline resulting in her lack of ability to turn the PWC in time before driving it onto the rock jetty near the rt. 90 bridge. Thus she was operating the PWC in violation of MR 08 18.02.05K operating a PWC over 6 knots within 100 feet of shoreline and received one citation from Ofc. Operator was educated about the importance of operating a PWC at a safe speed and to come down to 6 knots or less whenever within 100 feet of shore, bridge, structure, swimmers and other boats.

ALL EVENTS OCCURRED IN WORCESTER COUNTY MD.


BARDID: MD-2019-0076
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-07-29 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 19:56:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Isle of Wight/Rt 50 Bridge/Har
NearestCityorTown: Ocean City
County: Worcester
WaterConditions: Choppy
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: -1
Wind: Moderate
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Operator inexperience
AccidentCause2: Sharp turn
DayofWeek: Monday
RedactedNarrative:
On July 29, 2019 at approximately 2030 hours I, Officer responded to Atlantic General Hospital located at 9733 Healthway Drive in reference to making contact with a subject who was injured on a Jet Ski.  Upon arrival I made contact with Victim who stated the following.

Victim stated that on July 29, 2019 between the hours of 1130 and 1230 she and her niece (passenger)  were participating in a guided Jet Ski tour.  Victim stated that tour was being operated by Back Bay Adventures.  Victim stated that she was operating the Jet Ski in a northbound direction on the Isle of Wight Bay in the area of 32 Street.  Victim stated that as she and Subject were cruising they observed Dolphins to their west and began to have a conversation how unique this sight was.  Victim stated that she continued in a northern direction towards the Route 90 Bridge at a speed of approximately 40 MPH.  Victim stated that while traveling north the Dolphins entered her travel path which caused Victim to take evasive action.  

Victim stated that due to the evasive action both she and Subject were ejected from the Jet Ski.  Victim stated she was wearing the engine cut off switch, so the Jet Ski's engine ceased and it came to a stop.  Victim stated the guide came to her assistance and helped both riders back on the Jet ski.  It should be noted that both Subject and Victim were wearing proper sized life jackets.  Victim stated that initially she felt minor pain in her side, however it was not enough pain to prevent her from completing the tour.  Victim stated that the Jet ski was not damaged in this incident.  

Victim stated that after completing the tour she returned to the dock of Back Bay Adventures and continued on with her day.  Victim stated she did not inform any of the staff of Back Bay Adventures that she had incurred any injury while on the tour.  However Victim stated that as the day progressed the pain began to increase to the point that she needed to seek medical attention.  Victim stated that she responded to Atlantic General Hospital and sought medical care. 

After learning how victim was injured on the Jet ski tour,  Atlantic General Hospital made contact with the Maryland Natural Resource Police to report the incident.  Victim stated that Subject was not injured in this incident.  It should be noted that Victim and Subject are related, and were on vacation in Ocean City with their family.  

While at Atlantic General Hospital I was able to make contact with Doctor, who diagnosed Victim with two broken ribs on her left side.  Doctor stated these injuries were non life threatening.

    On July 30, 2019 at 1720 hours I responded to Back Bay Adventures located at 400, 32 Street, Ocean City to attempt to locate the Jet Ski Victim was operating.  Upon arrival  made contact with the owner of Back Bay Adventures.  It should be noted that Back Bay Adventures operates five Jet Skis all the same year, color, make and model.  None of the Jets skis have any unique characteristics that set each other apart from the other.  However to the best recollection of all parties involved, the Jet Ski identified as the one operated by Victim was a 2018 Yamaha VR10, Maryland registration 3800LB.  All the Jet Skis are insured under the same insurance company, which is Markel American Insurance Group.  

Neither this Jet Ski or the others had any damage done to them.  Owner stated that when he spoke with the guide, the guide confirmed that victim fell off a jet ski but made no complaint of injury.  Owner stated that the company is very diligent when it comes to documenting injuries or damage to the participants or the jet skis during a tour.  In this incident nothing occurred that was alarming enough for the guide to complete an incident report.  Owner showed me the instructions in regard to the potential hazards that are given to the participants prior to the tour.  They are very detailed.  Owner is going to have the guide contact me, so he can provide a statement.  When this occurs I will complete a supplement to this incident.  I also uploaded the waiver that victim signed, along with her written statement.

    In conclusion, this accident was a result of rider inexperience. Victim has less then ten hours of riding experience.  This lack of experience is what is likely to have caused Victim to over steer the vessel at speed to avoid striking the dolphins.  I do not feel that there was any negligence on Victim's part or on the part of Back Bay Adventures or the guide.  No citations or charges will be issued in this matter.
All above events occurred in Worcester County, Maryland.


BARDID: MD-2019-0078
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-07-27 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 13:58:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Elk River-Welch Point
NearestCityorTown: Chesapeake City
County: Cecil
WaterConditions: Choppy
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: -1
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Excessive speed
AccidentCause2: Force of wake/wave
AccidentCause3: Improper lookout
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On 7/27/19, I OFC was on boat patrol in the Middle Bohemia River Speed Zone when a local fire boat informed me of a possible boat accident involving a PWC in the area of Welch Pt on the Elk River.

Upon arrival at the scene, which was located just West/Southwest of the C&D canal Western entrance, the victim was being attended to by fire and ambulance personnel on his father’s vessel. Victim had sustained a fracture to his left foot. He was transported to a local marina ( Harbor North Marina) where EMS/ambulance  personnel transported him to Union hospital.

I spoke with his brother who was riding together with his brother on another PWC. He  stated that they were coming West out of the C&D canal just outside the shipping channel. He was ahead of his brother because he was cruising at a faster speed. He estimated his own speed at approximately 50 mph. He said that his brother was traveling at a speed of approximately 35 mph. He said that when he looked back to see his where his brother was at, all he saw was the PWC stopped with no one on it and his brother in the water. He went back to help his brother. 

I also spoke with the operator at a later date and time.  He stated that he and his brother were cruising West/Southwest  at approximately 35 mph. He said there was a  large vessel in front of them and a smaller vessel behind them. He was traveling in the area where the two wakes came together. (causing a confused sea). He said he hit the wakes and the nose of the PWC went into the wave causing him to be thrown off the PWC. He said that as he was thrown off the PWC his left foot was caught in the front foot well fracturing his foot.

As a result of operator  not reducing his speed for the sea conditions and traffic conditions, He is being issued a citation for a 'rules of the road violation - Rule 6 (safe speed).
All events occurred in Cecil County,MD.


BARDID: MD-2019-0079
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-07-27 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 17:13:00
CoordinatesConfidence: NC
NameOfBodyOfWater: Chesapeake Bay & Tribs/Bay Bri
NearestCityorTown: Middle River
County: Baltimore
WaterConditions: Choppy
StrongCurrent: -1
HazardousWaters: -1
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Moderate
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Person departed vessel
AccidentCause1: Other
OtherAccidentCause: Passenger/skier behavior
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On Saturday July 27, 2019 at approximately 5:13 PM, officers of the Maryland Natural Resources Police responded by patrol boat to a report of a person in distress on a boat near Hart-Miller Island. Baltimore County Police Marine Unit and Bowleys Quarters Volunteer Fire Department boats also responded. The Baltimore County Police boat was first on scene followed by the Fire Department boats then my boat. There was an unconscious male onboard Maryland registered vessel MD 2476 BZ named "Easy Come Easy Go", a 41'6" Sea Ray cabin motorboat. I witnessed Fire Department personnel performing CPR on the victim.
We made contact with a good Samaritan boat and he informed us that he was a passenger on the Sea Ray and he jumped in the water in attempt to rescue the victim. I asked him to tell me the facts surrounding the incident. He told me that the boat picked up the victim from Bowleys Quarters Marina, in Galloway Creek, and then traveled to off the north-east side of Hart-Miller Island where the boat came to a stop. Subject told me that the victim jumped from the boat, in what he guessed was "in an attempt to cool off". Subject said the victim struggled in the strong current and then Subject jumped in the water while holding an orange life jacket in attempt to rescue the victim. Other persons on board the boat also jumped in the water to pull Victim back onboard. Subject was picked up by the Good Samaritan vessel due to the current of the water. We transported Subject back to the Sea Ray after interviewing him.

When the vessel approached Hart Miller Island, the occupants on board wanted to “cool off” and several occupants entered the water to swim. The victim jumped from the swim platform and immediately began to struggle in the water. Several passengers were able to rescue him from the water and he was placed on the swim platform of the vessel. Witness accounts state that the victim was “blue” and not breathing. CPR was administered until EMS personnel arrived on scene.

Baltimore County PD (Marine Units) and EMS arrived on location and the victim was transported to Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center where he was pronounced deceased by Dr. . I contacted the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) and spoke with Forensic Investigator. FI made arrangements for the decedent to be transported to the OCME for autopsy.


BARDID: MD-2019-0080
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-07-28 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 12:21:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Deep Creek Lake/ 20282 Garrett
NearestCityorTown: Oakland
County: Garrett
WaterConditions: Choppy
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: -1
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Skier mishap
AccidentCause1: Force of wake/wave
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On July 28, 2019, at approximately 1228 hours, I Officer responded to the Lake Side Creamery dock which is on the main body of Deep Creek Lake, Garrett County, Maryland for a boating related tubing injury. Upon my arrival I made contact with subject who explained to me that he was tubing on the main body of Deep Creek Lake and fell off of the tube. Subject stated that his feet hit the wake of the water and  he was feeling some severe back and tailbone pain. Subject was transported from Lake Side Creamery to the Deep Creek Lake State Park boat ramp with the boat his family was renting. Once at the boat ramp Subject was transported by ambulance to Garrett Memorial Hospital.

The boat appeared to be in normal operating condition, all safety equipment was on board, Subject was wearing a type 3 PFD at the time of incident.


BARDID: MD-2019-0081
State: MD
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2019-07-28 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 14:29:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: White Crystal Beach
NearestCityorTown: Cecilton
County: Cecil
WaterConditions: Choppy
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: -1
Wind: Moderate
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentCause1: Excessive speed
AccidentCause2: Improper lookout
AccidentCause3: Navigation rules violation
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On 7/28/19 at approximately 1430 hours I, Officer, was dispatched to White Crystal Beach on the Elk River for a report of a boat accident involving two Personal Water Craft's(PWC)/vessels.   Upon arrival I observed a damaged PWC on the beach next to the boat ramp at the semi-public Crystal Beach, next door to White Crystal Beach.  Sgt was on scene obtaining information from the individuals involved.  There was a large group of individuals on the beach and it was difficult to determine which parties were involved.  I anchored my patrol vessel and identified the operator of the striking vessel.  I stayed on my vessel, since I had internet connection and asked the operators to come to my vessel.  After obtaining the operators information I asked what happened.   

Operator2 explained he was operating his Personal Water Craft(PWC)/vessel, with Delaware registration DL 529 AH on the Elk River, just off White Crystal Beach.  Another Personal Water Craft(PWC)/vessel was on his starboard(right) side.  Both vessels were operating at a high rate of speed,  over 30 mph according to the witness.  The two vessels were approximately 15-20 ft apart heading north, when Operator2 turned his vessel sharply to port(left).  

The two vessels were in a crossing situation with Operator1 to the left and Operator2 on the right.  Operator2 was the stand on vessel because he was to starboard(right) of Operator1.  Operator1 was within 100 ft of Operator2’s  vessel operating over 6 knots and was not able to avoid colliding with the other vessel.  Operator2 jumped off his vessel just prior to impact and thus avoided injury.  Operator2's vessel was severely damaged and could not be operated.  Looking at the damage to Operator2's vessel it is apparent that both vessels were operating at a high rate of speed, certainly over 6 knots per hour.  Another PWC came out from Chrystal Beach and picked up Operator2 and then Operator1's vessel left the scene and all parties headed to the beach.  A good samaritan towed Operator2's vessel to the beach.

 It appears lack of attention, high rate of speed, close proximity, operator inexperience and navigation rule violations all played a part in this accident.  Both operators were at fault because they were too close to each other and travelling at a high rate of speed.  

Surprisingly there were no injuries and all individuals declined medical treatment.  

All events occurred in Cecil County, Maryland.


BARDID: MD-2019-0082
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-07-28 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 15:47:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Stoney Creek/Stoney Creek Brid
NearestCityorTown: Riviera Beach
County: Anne Arundel
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with fixed object
AccidentEvent2: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentCause1: Improper lookout
AccidentCause2: Machinery failure
MachineryFailure: Shift
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On 07/28/2019 at approx. 3:49 pm I, Cpl. was contacted by DNR Communications about a boat accident at Stoney Creek Marina. The complainant advised that he was not on his boat and that his boat was docked at the time of the accident. I spoke with the manager at Stoney Creek Marina. He advised that he had video of the accident. On the video, I observed a white, 25’5”, 1999, Wellcraft, Martinique 2400, displaying Virginia registration #2253 CD leaving the fuel dock. The vessel was slowly drifting south. The vessel hit a piling across from the fuel dock. The vessel then hit the pulpit of a white and blue, 38’, Tiara, USCG documented vessel named “God Will II”. The initial strike damaged the pulpit on both boats. The offending boat struck the Tiara two more times along the port side. The owner did not attempt to fend off the boat, put out his fenders, or take any physical actions to avoid collision with the Tiara.

After observing the video, I made contact with the owner of the striking vessel. His boat was tied to a piling in front of the Tiara. Operator1 advised that he was ok and did not require medical treatment. I then conducted a safety equipment check of Operator1’s vessel. There were no violations. Then I asked Operator1 for the vessel’s registration. The Virginia registration showed “subject1” as the owner. Operator1 advised that he bought the vessel from Subject1 back in March of 2019. He planned on keeping the vessel in MD and didnt register it in his name because the registration did not expire until 2021. I told Operator1 to register the boat in his name before taking it out on the water again. Operator1 advised that he took a boater safety course online. DNR Communications was unable to locate a record of a boater safety certificate.

I then interviewed Operator1 about the accident. He said that as he was leaving the fuel dock, the shift cable snapped and caused him to lose control of his vessel. Operator1 also stated that this was his third time on the boat and he was unaware of any previous mechanical issues. Operator1 agreed to write a voluntary statement (see attached).    

At approx. 4:49 pm, TowboatUS towed Operator1's vessel to Nabbs Creek Marina (864 Nabbs Creek Rd, Glen Burnie, MD 21060 ). At approx. 5:00 pm, I arrived at Nabbs Creek marina and took pictures of the damage to Operator1’s boat (see attached). There was damage to the pulpit, railing on the bow, and two approximately 4-inch gouges in the fiberglass near the windshield on the port side.  I issued Operator1 4 citations for the following:

NR 8-712.2(a1) Failure to Obtain Certificate of Boating Safety Education. ($25 prepayable Max $25)

08.18.01.04(A) Failure to Obey Rules of the Road Rule 5 - Failure to Maintain Proper Lookout ($ 85 prepayable Max $500)

08.18.01.04(A) Failure to Obey Rules of the Road Rule 8 – Failure to Avoid Collision ($ 85 prepayable Max $500)

NR 8-713 Operation of an Unnumbered Vessel ($ 85 prepayable Max $500)

The following warnings were issued:
08.04.03.01(B2) - Use of Vessel That Does Not Display Number on Vessel

08.04.03.10(A) Failure to Display Validation Stickers on Vessel

08.18.01.05(B) - Negligent Operation of a Vessel

08.04.03.07(C) - Failure to Remove Number When No Longer Used in State Where Cert Issued

08.04.03.07(C) - Failure to Remove Validation Sticker When No Longer Used in State Where Cert Issued


I observed scratches to the pulpit, bow, and along the port side of v1.

 All events occurred in Anne Arundel County, MD.


BARDID: MD-2019-0083
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-08-08 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 14:30:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Isle of Wight Bay
NearestCityorTown: Ocean City
County: Worcester
WaterConditions: Rough
StrongCurrent: -1
HazardousWaters: -1
CongestedWaters: -1
Wind: Moderate
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Fall in vessel
AccidentCause1: Hazardous waters
AccidentCause2: Force of wake/wave
DayofWeek: Thursday
RedactedNarrative:
On August 8, 2019, at approximately 5:00 pm I, Sgt, was contacted by DNR Communications to respond to AGH (Atlantic General Hospital) for a female subject that was injured while on a vessel. I responded and met with the female victim’s husband and the owner/ operator of the boat she was on.

The victim was currently sleeping due to the pain medication and muscle relaxers the medical staff had given her. Husband explained the series of events that led up to her injury. He explained that they were traveling south in the Isle of Wight Bay, approaching 2nd street in the main channel. He was operating a 23 ft World Cat and his wife was sitting up on one of the bow seats. As they slowed down due to traffic a large, 65ft plus, sport fishing style boat was traveling north and accelerating out of the draw bridge area. Due to its size and heavy current, it was drawling a large wake. He was unable to provide me the vessel name, but he stated that the wake was not excessive in relation to the other vessels of similar size transiting the area at the time.

As they went over the wake, Victim, who was seated did not brace herself or sit up off of the seat. The force of the vessel coming back down on the other side of the wake caused her back to tight up and spasm. He explained that she had fallen over the winter on the ice was having issues with her back since then. He operated the vessel over to a private pier at 8th Street and Edgewater Ave and called 911 for EMS. Ocean City Fire Department transported her to AGH.

Their daughter was also on the vessel at the time of the accident and confirmed the story.  She was seated directly across from victim at the time of the accident.

Due to the preexisting injury and the fact that none of the other occupants were injured, I found the operator to NOT be at fault for any wrongdoing. No charges will be issued in this case.


BARDID: MD-2019-0084
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-08-09 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 13:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Deep Creek Lake/Traders Landin
NearestCityorTown: Swanton
County: Garrett
WaterConditions: Choppy
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Moderate
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with fixed object
AccidentCause1: Excessive speed
AccidentCause2: Weather
AccidentCause3: Operator inattention
DayofWeek: Friday
RedactedNarrative:
On 08/09/2019, I, Cpl. of the Maryland Natural Resources Police, was notified by DNR Communications of a boat accident on Deep Creek Lake. DNR advised the accident was property damage only and the damaged vessel was in tow back to the rental agency "Lake Life" also known as "Deep Creek Marina" in McHenry, MD. I responded to Lake Life boat rentals via patrol vessel and met the rental manager at the facility.

     The vessel was a 2018 22' Harris Sunliner 220 pontoon boat. Per the rental agency's contract, only the documented lessee's are allowed to operate the vessel, as they have received operating instructions with that particular vessel and a temporary boater safety certification. The operator of the vessel at the time of the accident was not a registered lessee or operator and advised he had not received boater safety certification or operating instructions. Neither registered lessees were on board the vessel at the time of the accident to assist Operator. 

     The accident occurred around 1300 hours at private docks on Deep Creek lake's main body, known as the "Trader's Landing" docks. The vessel was docked on the end of the private strip of docks, with it's port side secured by two lines to the dock cleats. There was a moderate northerly wind pressing the port side of the vessel into the dock as it lay tied alongside. When the occupants returned to the vessel, Operator resumed the operator position and an occupant released the dock lines. Operator advised he was concerned about striking the dock as he pulled away using forward throttle. Operator gave a strong forward thrust of the throttle and caught the bare metal edge of the dock corner on the port aft side of the vessel. 

The resulting strike gauged the metal structure of the under-decking, scraping down the side of the rubber pontoon guard, until the dock corner caught the portside pontoon cap, ripping apart the weld and creating several inches of gap between the metal edges of the pontoon. The pontoon immediately began filling with water through the exposed broken weld gap. By the time the vessel was docked at Operator's private dock at Waterfront Greens, the vessel was listing to the port-side. The occupants all stood on the starboard side of the vessel and called Lake Life rentals for immediate assistance before the vessel sank. An employee of Lake Life was able to quickly get on board the damaged vessel and operate at a fast speed back to the rental dock, preventing additional water from filling up the pontoon and sinking the vessel; the vessel was then immediately pulled from the water and placed on shore. (See attached pictures).

     The Lake Life rental agency/Deep Creek Marina, was able to contact the Harris manufacturer company and get a price for the replacement of the port side pontoon, replacement of the rubber pontoon guard and required twelve hours of labor. Barring any unknown structural damage due to the gauges on the under-decking, the cost to repair and replace the vessel damage was $13,600.

     If the operator had received the vessel operating instructions and participated in the boater safety certification as the two lessee's did, he would have been able to avoid this collision. Even with moderate winds, a simple technique to avoid striking the leeward side of your vessel against an object would have been to reverse course and turn the vessel to starboard to pull away from the dock, therefore avoiding any possible strike, particularly with the vessel being longer than the actual dock (vessel 22' and dock was 20'). Operator advised that he had some boating experience but had never completed a boater safety course.

     Operator was charged with negligent operation of a vessel.

All events occurred in Garrett County, MD.


BARDID: MD-2019-0085
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-08-10 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 12:38:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: West Ocean City Commercial Har
NearestCityorTown: Ocean City
County: Worcester
WaterConditions: Choppy
StrongCurrent: -1
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Fall in vessel
AccidentCause1: Force of wake/wave
AccidentCause2: Operator inexperience
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On, August 10, 2019 around 1240hrs, I OFC. of the Maryland Natural Resources Police received a dispatch for a personal watercraft (PWC) accident with injuries. The PWC was operating in the Ocean City inlet area just south of the jetty. While operating the PWC he attempted to jump a swell, at which time he came down and sustained injuries to his left arm. Victim was transported into the commercial harbor in West Ocean City, by a family friends vessel Maryland registration MD0135BK. 

   The Ocean City EMS was dispatched to the boat ramps, while receiving treatment, Victim complained of pain in his lower right leg. Victim was transported to Atlantic General Hospital for evaluation. Victim's father took possession of the PWC and was able to operate it back to the boat ramp located on 65th street.

All events occurred in Worcester County, Maryland


BARDID: MD-2019-0086
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-08-02 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 11:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Deep Creek Lake
NearestCityorTown: Swanton
County: Garrett
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Skier mishap
AccidentCause1: Other
OtherAccidentCause: Passenger/skier behavior
DayofWeek: Friday
RedactedNarrative:
On 08-02-19 at 1225hrs I was contacted by DNR Communications and advised of a boat accident victim at Garrett Regional Medical Center. I was also contacted by Sgt. regarding the incident. I arrived at Garrett Regional Medical Center at 1310hrs and contacted the victim and his wife. Victim stated that he was water skiing in the Green Glade Cove area of Deep Creek Lake at 1100hrs.  Victim stated that he fell while skiing sustaining a concussion, and sore neck. Victim indicated that he sustained these injuries when he was attempting to turn with the vessel and fell striking the water face first. Victim was treated for his injuries and released from Garrett Regional Medical Center. 

     I contacted the operator of the vessel, and the witness to the accident. Operator indicated that he was operating the vessel at a speed of approximately 30mph at the time Victim fell. Subject1 stated that she was the designated observer and witnessed Victim fall and strike the water face first. Both Operator, and Subject1 indicated that Victim was retrieved from the water and the vessel (MD-3678-LB) then returned to Dock also located in Green Glade Cove. I inspected the vessel and observed that required safety equipment was present, and that the vessel started and went into both forward and reverse properly.

     I next contacted Bill's Marine Service the owner of the vessel. Bill's Marine provided me with additional vessel information, and I advised them of the incident and that there appeared to be no damage to their vessel (MD-3678-LB). All events occurred in Garrett County Maryland, and I cleared the incident on 08-02-19 at 1530hrs.


BARDID: MD-2019-0087
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-07-31 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 20:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Ches Bay & Tribs-Bay Brg-Cove
NearestCityorTown: Annapolis
County: Anne Arundel
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Other
OtherAccidentEvent: person entangled in vsl equip
AccidentCause1: Operator inattention
DayofWeek: Wednesday
RedactedNarrative:
On July 31, 2019 at approximately 2122 hours officers of the Maryland Natural Resources Police responded to Tolly Point, Chesapeake Bay for a report of a disabled vessel. The vessel, a 32 foot Trojan cabin cruiser bearing Maryland certificate of number 8151 AG ran out of gas while towing another vessel, a 31 foot Trojan cabin cruiser bearing Maryland certificate of number 3993 LB. It was reported that the individuals aboard, had no means of making it to shore.

Prior to our arrival on scene, the United States Coast Guard arrived and transported the three occupants aboard the vessel and brought them to City Dock, Annapolis. One of the three individuals, the vessel operator reported that he injured his ankle while towing the other vessel. He said at one point, while towing the vessel, the tow line got wrapped around his ankle resulting in an injury.

He was transported by Anne Arundel County EMS Ambulance 36 to Anne Arundel Medical Center for a possible broken ankle. No damage to the vessel was reported.

The vessels were anchored in the shoal waters of Tolly Point (N 38 56.51, W 076 26.95) by the occupants. The vessel owner has been notified of both vessel's location.

All events occurred in Anne Arundel County, MD.


BARDID: MD-2019-0088
State: MD
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2019-08-01 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 12:55:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Inlet to Rt 50 Bridge
NearestCityorTown: Ocean City
County: Worcester
WaterConditions: Choppy
StrongCurrent: -1
HazardousWaters: -1
CongestedWaters: -1
Wind: Moderate
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Grounding
AccidentEvent2: Collision with fixed object
AccidentEvent3: Capsizing
AccidentCause1: Hull failure
AccidentCause2: Machinery failure
AccidentCause3: Hazardous waters
MachineryFailure: Engine
DayofWeek: Thursday
RedactedNarrative:
On August 1, 2019 I Corporal, and Sergeant responded to a call of a capsized vessel in the area of the Route 50 bridge and the Ocean City inlet. On scene I observed an overturned pontoon vessel that was secured by Officer 1st Class until Tow Boat US could get to it.  We remained on scene until I had complete conformation from Fire Rescue Units, and the United States Coast Guard that all subject were safe and out of the water. Once I knew everyone was safe I went to the United States Coast Guard Station Ocean City to begin getting statements from all the victims.

  Criminal investigator got a written statement from the operator of the vessel, the subject was identified. Operator advised that he was North of the Rt. 50 Bridge when the pontoon boat got caught on a sandbar. After getting off the sandbar the motor would not go down, causing the boat to get stuck in the current.  The current pulled the vessel South toward the bridge which ultimately lead to the vessel striking the Rt. 50 bridge and capsizing.  Operator advised that the group of fifteen was rescued by four different good samaritans vessels.  Operator also stated that while on the pontoon boat his group had to redistribute weight on two separate occasions because the water kept coming in over the boat in different spots.

  One subject did get transported to Atlantic General Hospital.  Later that evening another occupant went to Atlantic General Hospital. While at the hospital Victim2 advised Officer 1st Class that she was holding onto the side of the vessel, and injured her Index finger on her right hand. They were the only two people that went to the hospital, all other occupants on the vessel said they were fine and did not need any treatment.  Once the vessel was out of the water photos were taken of the vessel of anything that would be relevant to the investigation. 

  On August 2, 2019 Godfrey boat company was contacted, I am waiting to hear back from the manager in reference to the boat capacity for that make and model of the pontoon involved in the accident.  Charges are pending, and I request that this case remain open for further investigation.


BARDID: MD-2019-0090
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-08-03 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 12:15:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Potomac River/Black Oak Rd
NearestCityorTown: Rawlings
County: Allegany
WaterConditions: Unknown
StrongCurrent: -1
HazardousWaters: -1
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with fixed object
AccidentEvent2: Person departed vessel
AccidentEvent3: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentCause1: Hazardous waters
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On 08/03/19 at approximately 1300 hrs, I, Officer of the Maryland Natural Resource Police responded to Black Oak Boat Ramp in Rawlings for a report of a subject in the Potomac River as a result of a boat accident. I met with the Allegany County Fire Department and they advised one subject was in the water near Gerstell Farms on the West Virginia side. 

Once I arrived at Gerstell Farms, the male subject was being loaded into an ambulance.  The Fountain Volunteer Fire Department was able to bring the other three subjects to shore.  The three subjects were identified as the injured subject's mother and two daughters.

Operator2 advised that her father's kayak was stuck on a tree leading her to get stuck.  Her father got out of his kayak to help his daughter causing her kayak to collide with his kayak wedging his left leg in between.  Operator1 suffered a fracture in his left leg.   


BARDID: MD-2019-0091
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-08-10 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 21:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Chester River/Queenstown Creek
NearestCityorTown: Queenstown
County: Queen Annes
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Grounding
AccidentEvent2: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentEvent3: Person struck by vessel
AccidentCause1: Improper lookout
AccidentCause2: Other
OtherAccidentCause: Passenger/skier behavior
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On August 8th, 2019 I (Ofc. of The Maryland Natural Resources Police) was on boat patrol in the area of the Kent Narrows in Queens Anne's County, Maryland. At approximately 2150 hours, we received a call from DNR Communications Center for a PI vessel accident that had occurred in the area of Queenstown Creek off of the Chester River.

I arrived on scene at approximately 2219 hours and made contact with Operator onboard the sailing vessel Titanic which was described as a 43-foot Beneteau Sailboat bearing Maryland documentation number 1146110. Operator advised the injured subject was below deck with a possibly broken leg. At this time EMS arrived on scene and boarded the Titanic to evaluate Victim. While EMS was evaluating Victim, myself and Ofc. began talking to the witnesses and occupants of the vessel to figure out what happened. Operator advised that she was operating the "Titanic" and was towing Victim's vessel, which was described as a 24-foot Fourwinns bearing Maryland registration MD 8004 CE. 

The vessels were coming into Queenstown Creek and drifted out of the channel and ran aground. The Titanic came to a stop but the Fourwinns that was being towed did not stop and Victim attempted to stop the vessels from colliding by using his arms and legs to fend off the bow of the vessel. In the process, his left leg was crushed between the two vessels. After talking to the other occupants on the vessel, I responded to the Queenstown Hospital to speak to the victim, Victim. Upon arrival Victim had just been brought from getting x-rays and the doctor advised that his leg was not broken, it was just severely bruised and he had a minor laceration on the inside thigh of his left leg that required two stitches to close the wound. Victim was released from the hospital that night.

In talking with the other occupants on the vessel all the statements were the same and explained the same incident. Pictures and witness statements are attached to this report. The Vessels involved in this incident were not damaged.

All events occurred in Queen Anne's County Maryland. This case may be closed no further police action is needed.


BARDID: MD-2019-0092
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-08-10 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 16:14:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Susquehanna River
NearestCityorTown: Haver de Grace
County: Harford
WaterConditions: Choppy
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
Wind: Unknown
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Falls overboard
AccidentCause1: Other
AccidentCause2: Force of wake/wave
AccidentCause3: Weather
OtherAccidentCause: Passenger/skier behavior
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On August 10, 2019, at approximately 4:30 p.m., I, Off. of the Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP), was on patrol in NRP vehicle 272, when I responded to a call for assistance from Officer First Class for a possible boating accident that occurred on the Susquehanna River near Garrett Island in Harford County Maryland.  EMS had contacted NRP Dispatch to let us know of an injured subject with rope burns that occurred near or on the water. The injured subject had been taken by EMS to UM Harford Memorial Hospital at 501 S Union Ave, Havre De Grace, MD 21078.

 

At approximately 5:00 p.m., I conducted an interview with the injured passenger in the emergency room of UM Harford Memorial Hospital.  I asked VICTIM what happened and he stated he was the lookout on the back of a Jet Ski that his uncle, Operator operating, while his brother Subject1 was tubing.  VICTIM then stated SUBJECT1 had fallen off the tube and OPERATOR was circling around to retrieve him from the water.  

During this time VICTIM began coiling the tow rope around his right arm to bring the tube closer to the Jet Ski and prevent the tow rope from being caught in the impeller.  Next the combination of a water wave from the wake and the wind, caught the tube and pulled VICTIM from the Jet Ski causing multiple injuries to his right arm.  OPERATOR and VICTIM flagged down a nearby boat, who took VICTIM to the shore near the American Legion where they were met by EMS.  The rope caused multiple lacerations to VICTIM’s right arm and a deep laceration to the tendon between his thumb and index finger on his right hand.  After x-rays were taken and examined by the medical staff at the hospital, they confirmed that VICTIM also had two broken bones in his right hand and wrist; one near the thumb and the other near his pinky finger.  I asked VICTIM if OPERATOR was on his way to the hospital and if he was the owner of the Jet Ski.  VICTIM said he was on his way with his brother, SUBJECT1, and that he wasn’t sure who the Jet Ski belonged to. 

 

At approximately 6:00 p.m., Ofc arrived at the hospital following his investigation of possible witnesses within the area where the injury was said to have occurred on the Susquehanna River.  Not long after that, OPERATOR and SUBJECT1 arrived at the hospital and Ofc I conducted an interview with OPERATOR.  OPERATOR confirmed the order of events given by VICTIM and initially said the Jet Ski he was operating belonged to his friend and that the owner had taken the Jet Ski home.  I asked OPERATOR for his identification and if he knew the registration information for the Jet Ski.  OPERATOR provided us with his Commercial Driver’s License and his phone number and said that he would need to contact the owner for the Jet Ski registration.  OPERATOR asked if he could call us later that day with the information.  Ofc provided OPERATOR with a business card and requested that he reach out before the end of the day, so the incident report could be completed.

 

As Ofc and I left the emergency room, OPERATOR met us outside and said that he wanted to be honest with us and the Jet Ski (MD 9144 CD, 2011 Kawasaki) was actually his.  He stated he was worried about paying a fine, panicked, took the Jet Ski to his residence, and asked everyone to say they were borrowing the Jet Ski from a friend.  OPERATOR said he felt comfortable around Ofc and I, and he wanted to show us the respect that we deserved.  We told OPERATOR that we appreciated his honesty, albeit late in the process, and asked if we could go to his house to get the necessary Jet Ski registration information for the report.  OPERATOR confirmed the Jet Ski was in his driveway.

 

As Ofc and I went to OPERATOR’s residence and took pictures of the Jet Ski and the tow rope and tube.  Upon returning to the hospital we confirmed the accuracy of our pictures with OPERATOR.

 

All Events Occurred In Harford County, Maryland.


BARDID: MD-2019-0093
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-08-11 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 19:13:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Deep Creek Lake/Honi Honi/1974
NearestCityorTown: Oakland
County: Garrett
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: -1
Wind: No wind
Visibility: Fair
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentCause1: Operator inattention
AccidentCause2: Operator inexperience
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On August 11, 2019, at approximately 1915 hours, I, Corporal was dispatched to respond to a property damage boat accident that had occurred on Deep Creek Lake at the docks adjacent to the Honi Honi bar located at 19745 Garrett Highway in Oakland, Maryland.  I arrived on scene at approximately 1920 hours, and met with the operator of the suspect vessel.

     Operator1 stated that he had struck another boat when attempting to leave the dock, and had returned when he noticed that damage had occurred.  Operator1 pointed to the struck vessel, a 2018 Crownline bearing Maryland registration 1773 LB, which was found to bear fresh damage to the fiberglass on its port rear corner. 

 MD 1773 LB was docked bow into its slip, with its starboard side secured to the dock, and its port side toward an open slip.  Operator1 stated that he was attempting to leave the dock when he had to put his vessel, a 2018 Yamaha pontoon boat bearing Maryland registration 1774 LB, into and out of gear multiple times as he was trying to point it toward open water.  

Operator1 stated several times that he had very little experience in operating a vessel, and that the boat lurched forward and back when he was trying to turn around. Operator1 stated that after he struck the boat, he got out of the congested area of the dock, and immediately returned when he noticed the damage caused.  

Operator1 stated several times that he was completely to blame, and was willing to reimburse whom ever owned the boat for the damages.  Inspection of the struck boat revealed that the front of Operator1's port pontoon had impaled the port rear corner of the victims vessel, causing crushed fiberglass, and an open hole in the hull just above the water line.  Damage on Operator1s pontoon was consistent with the victim vessel bearing fresh fiberglass fragments, and minor fresh scratches and dents. Upon speaking to Operator1, I detected a faint odor of alcohol, and asked if he had consumed any alcohol that day.  Operator1 stated that he had consumed two alcoholic drinks with his dinner, and when asked, his wife corroborated that account.  Operator1 did not display signs of impairment in my speaking with him.  Operator1 stated that there were 5 additional persons aboard his vessel at the time of the collision, and provided their names and dates of birth.
 
     The operator of the struck vessel arrived at the scene moments later and provided me with his identification and rental agreement.  Subject stated that he had secured his rented boat that afternoon so that his family could eat dinner at the Uno's restaurant, and did not witness the collision.  Subject’s vessel was secured in a manner that would not have created a navigational hazard to other boats in the area.  

     A dock attendant at the location stated that two female subjects had witnessed the collision, and wished to speak with me.  Two people were seated on the shoreline where the dock meets shore.  Both women stated that Operator1 was the operator of the vessel at the time that it struck the docked boat, and that he had put the boat into forward and reverse several times while applying a greater than normal amount of throttle causing the boat to lurch forward and back quickly as he attempted to leave the dock.  

     Weather conditions at the time were flat calm waters with no wind.  As a result of my investigation, Operator1 was issued one citation for a violation of the Inland Rules of Navigation (Rule 8 - Fail to avoid collision).  Operator1 stated that he was guilty and that he was deserving of the citation.  Operator1 advised that he would notify the Aquatic Center of the incident upon his arrival back at their dock.  Operator1 was released from the scene, and left the area without incident.  

     Due to the damage at the vessels waterline, I escorted subject and his family back to the Bill's Marine rental docks, the place from which the vessel had been rented.  Contact was made with the manager of Bills who advised that the vessel would be fine tied to the dock overnight, and that his staff would check it the following morning.  

     On August 12, 2019, I made contact with Bills Marine Service to obtain additional information on the damaged boat.  Bills Marine staff stated that damage amounted to a total of 4615.24.  Bills Marine staff stated that they had already been in contact with Operator1 who advised that he would compensate them for any damage.  I then made contact with Aquatic Center staff who provided me with additional information from their vessel which had been involved.  Aquatic Center staff stated that damage was so minor that they did not provide a monetary amount.  

     Digital photographs were taken of the two boats involved, and appropriate paperwork for the rented boats and operators to be attached to this report.

     All these events occurred in Garrett County, Maryland.


BARDID: MD-2019-0094
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-08-09 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 16:30:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Deep Creek Lake/Turkey Neck Co
NearestCityorTown: Oakland
County: Garrett
WaterConditions: Choppy
StrongCurrent: -1
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: -1
Wind: Moderate
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Skier mishap
AccidentCause1: Operator inattention
AccidentCause2: Navigation rules violation
DayofWeek: Friday
RedactedNarrative:
On August 09, 2019 at approximately 1830 hours, I Officer responded to Garrett Regional Medical Center for a report of a tubing accident involving two juvenile subjects. Upon my arrival at Garret Regional I made contact with the operator and owner of the vessel bearing Maryland registration 3118 CR.  WHen the accident occurred he was in the area of Turkey Neck, Deep Creek Lake, Garrett County, Maryland. 

Operator stated it was just stupidity on his part and that it was his fault because he attempted to turn around to look at the girls on the tube and got too close to the dock while operating his vessel. He then stated that the tube hit a dock and his granddaughter and his granddaughter's friend where both thrown off of the tube. 

Tuber1 then landed on a boat that was docked and Tuber2 landed in the water. Operator stated they immediately headed back to Bill's Marina to dock his boat and take both girls to the hospital. I then spoke to both Tuber2 and Tuber1 regarding the accident and they both stated that they were too close to the dock, the tube struck the dock, and they did not remember much after that. Both Tuber2 and Tuber1 were treated at Garrett Regional Medical Center. Tuber1 had a minor contusion on her right hip and Tuber2 had a sprained left wrist and both were released.

Operator was issue one citation for Operating a vessel towing a skier within 100 feet of an obstruction.

All events occurred in Garrett County, Maryland.


BARDID: MD-2019-0095
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-08-09 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 19:18:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Chesapeake Bay, Worton
NearestCityorTown: Worton
County: Kent
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Moderate
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Skier mishap
AccidentCause1: Other
OtherAccidentCause: Passenger/skier behavior
DayofWeek: Friday
RedactedNarrative:
On Friday, August 9, 2019 at 1918 hours, I Officer responded to the University of Maryland Shore Medical Center at Chestertown at 100 Brown Street, Chestertown, Maryland in reference to a reported boat accident with personal injury. Upon my arrival I made contact with the injured subject, who was escorted by Echo Hill Outdoor School staff.

     Victim advised that earlier that day at approximately 1645 hours he was being towed behind a vessel on a tube, going less than 10 miles per hour. Victim stated that the vessel, a 2005 McKee Craft bearing Maryland registration 2638BW, was coming to a stop for him to get off of the tube. Victim advised that intentionally got off of the tube, and as he slid into the water, his right hand became caught in the tube handle. Victim advised that the weight of his body going into the water put pressure on his hand, causing pain. Victim was able to free his hand, but suspected his ring finger may have been injured, and requested medical treatment from camp staff, who transported him to the hospital. Victim advised that the operator of the vessel at the time was a camp counselor, but the injury was in no way caused by her action. Victim was calm as I spoke with him, and did not seemed overly distressed by pain. Victim was admitted into the hospital for treatment.

     I later contacted Echo Hill Outdoor School and obtained further information about the vessel and operator. I was also advised that Victim was diagnosed with a fractured finger, but was otherwise okay. I later responded to Echo Hill and met with  the operator of the vessel, who confirmed Victim's telling of events.

     All did happen in Kent County, Maryland. I request the case be closed.


BARDID: MD-2019-0096
State: MD
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2019-08-09 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 19:31:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Under Key Bridge/Fort Armistea
NearestCityorTown: Glen Burnie
County: Baltimore
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Moderate
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Fire/explosion (fuel)
AccidentEvent2: Flooding/swamping
AccidentEvent3: Sinking
AccidentCause1: Ignition of spilled fuel or vapor
AccidentCause2: Operator inexperience
DayofWeek: Friday
RedactedNarrative:
I Officer of the Maryland Natural Resources Police was on routine patrol in Back River when I received a call for a boat fire near the Key Bridge.

Coast Guard, Baltimore City Marine and Fire and EMS were on scene by the time Officer and I had arrived at 8:05. Coast Guard had rescued all 6 people that were on the boat.  Fire and Ems had the fire under control once we arrived. There were no injuries and all occupants were accounted for.

I, Officer made contact with the owner of the vessel. I proceeded to fill out a NRP-412 Watercraft Accident Report. While speaking with Subject, I asked her what happened and she began to explain to me, they took the boat out of the boat ramp in Fort Armistead Park and while her husband was operating the boat Subject heard a noise and her Husband put the boat in neutral to listen to the noise. They tried to return back to the dock when the boat caught fire. They and their four children made the decision to jump into the water.

Subject also informed me they just purchased the boat three days ago and did not have boaters insurance yet.

While speaking to Subject we noticed their vessel (MD reg, 4680 AR) caught fire again after Fire and EMS had already extinguished the flames. Ems continued to put out the boat fire until the boat eventually sank to the bottom of the Patapsco River.

All events occurred in Baltimore Country Maryland.

It is unknown if the occupants attempted to vent the vessel.


BARDID: MD-2019-0097
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-08-10 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 15:06:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Deep Creek Lake/Main Body
NearestCityorTown: McHenry
County: Garrett
WaterConditions: Choppy
StrongCurrent: -1
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: -1
Wind: Moderate
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Fall in vessel
AccidentCause1: Other
OtherAccidentCause: Passenger/skier behavior
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On August 10, 2019 at approximately 1530 hours, I Officer responded to Garrett Regional Medical Center, Garrett County, Maryland for a boat accident. Upon my arrival I made contact with the victim. Victim explained to me that he was standing on the rear of the vessel and he was attempting to feed the line for the tube out into the water so that it did not get tangled. Victim stated that while he was attempting to do so, the line got wrapped around his ankle, became very tight, and knocked him down. Victim then explained he was able to untangle the line from his ankle but had severe pain following the incident. Victim was then transported to Garret Regional Medical Center by his family for treatment. The staff at Garrett Regional Medical Center treated Victim for a slight break in his left ankle and he was released.

All events occurred in Garrett County, Maryland.


BARDID: MD-2019-0098
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-07-28 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 16:06:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: West & Rhode Rivers-Rhode Rive
NearestCityorTown: Edgewater
County: Anne Arundel
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: -1
Wind: Moderate
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Skier mishap
AccidentCause1: Force of wake/wave
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On July 28, 2019, at approximately 4:00 P.M., I, Officer of the Maryland Natural Resources Police, was dispatched to a call for a water rescue near Flat Island on the Rhode River in Edgewater, MD by DNR communications. An individual went airborne while tubing and requires medical assistance. The Anne Arundel County Fire Department was en route to the location.

    I arrived at the island at approximately 4:20 P.M. Anne Arundel County Fire units, were already on scene at this time, rendering first aid to the victim. Operator was operating his 1988 17’ Boston Whaler bearing Maryland registration “7878 CF”, while towing a tube that Victim was occupying. Victim was undergoing examination by the paramedics on scene. When Victim regained consciousness, he had little feeling in his fingers and toes and could barely move them. Anne Arundel County Fire advised that they would call in MSP Trooper 2 to airlift Victim to Baltimore Shock Trauma as Victim may have sustained a minor spinal injury.

    I created a safety zone for incoming Trooper 2 by clearing all other recreational boats from the island and outside of the landing zone. Once Trooper 2 had arrived on the scene, Victim was then airlifted out of the area and en route to Shock Trauma. I then met with Operator and transported him back to Smithsonian Environmental Research Center dock for further questioning.

    Operator said that at around 3:45 P.M. that afternoon, the group had been pulling Victim on a tube heading southeast on the Rhode River past Flat Island. Operator was operating, and he had three children on board acting as observers. All children were said to be around and under the age of 10 years old. He said that there had been a few other boats in the area tubing as well and generated some wakes on the river. Victim’s tube had hit one of the wakes in a way that launched him airborne, Victim then crashed down into another wake on the water. Operator said he was traveling at speeds between 25-28 knots at the time. Operator looked back for Victim and noticed he was floating face up and not moving. He rushed over to see if he was injured, to which he saw Victim unconscious. Operator retrieved Victim and carefully laid him down on a flat surface of his Boston Whaler face up. Victim regained consciousness. Operator checked Victim for breathing and feeling in his extremities. Victim had no strength in his arms and couldn’t move his legs. Operator took Victim back to Flat Island at a slow speed to secure Victim on a more stable surface. Victim refused medical assistance but Operator felt the need to call 9-1-1 due to the severity of his injuries.

    I asked Operator if he or Victim been drinking at the time. Operator said that the two had approximately 2-3 beers all day starting at 11:00 A.M. Operator did not show any signs of intoxication when I initially spoke to him. Operator and Victim were the only adults aboard the vessel at the time, as the other 3 passengers were children. Operator did not possess a boater safety card nor did he have the vessel registration on board his vessel. I subsequently issued two citations and a warning to Operator. The citations were for operating a vessel while towing Victim on a tube with observers less than 12 years old, and not possessing a boater safety certificate. The warning was for not having his vessel registration in possession.

    Officer of the Maryland Natural Resources Police was sent to Shock Trauma in Baltimore to check on Victim’s status and obtain a witness/victim statement. The final disposition of Victim’s injuries is not yet determined.

Most events occurred in Anne Arundel County, MD.

This case is closed. Further information may be submitted via supplemental report.


BARDID: MD-2019-0099
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-08-12 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 14:32:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Deep Creek Lake/320 Lake Fores
NearestCityorTown: McHenry
County: Garrett
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: No wind
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Person departed vessel
AccidentCause1: Other
OtherAccidentCause: Passenger/skier behavior
DayofWeek: Monday
RedactedNarrative:
On 08/12/19 at approximately 1430 hours, I, Officer of the Maryland Natural Resources Police responded to Garrett Regional Medical Center to gather information for a jet ski accident that took place on Deep Creek Lake. The accident took place 30 feet off a dock. The approximate location on the lake where the accident occurred is across from Stump Point and beyond Red Run cove. I interviewed the two witnesses that are the parents of the victim on the jet ski.

subject was in the water holding the jet ski for his son Victim to perform a back flip off the stern of the jet ski (PA1256DJ). Victim performed a full rotation back flip into the water, but at the last second Victim hit his head off  the stern platform of the jet ski. This caused lacerations to his head, along with neck and shoulder pain. The mother witnessed the accident while sitting on their dock. She also filmed the accident with her cellular phone. They took Victim to the urgent care center in McHenry,Maryland. Urgent Care then advised them to take Victim to Garrett Regional Medical Center for treatment. 

When I arrived, Victim was in room three at the ER with a neck brace on and was awake and talking. I gathered information from the two parents along with video evidence of the accident. No violations for this accident.

All events occurred in Garrett County, Maryland


BARDID: MD-2019-0100
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-08-06 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 16:08:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Assawoman Bay/ Sinepuxent Bay
NearestCityorTown: Ocean City
County: Worcester
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: -1
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentEvent2: Person struck by vessel
AccidentCause1: Excessive speed
AccidentCause2: Force of wake/wave
DayofWeek: Tuesday
RedactedNarrative:
On August 6th, 2019 at approximately 1615 hours, I,Officer of the Maryland Natural Resource Police, was on boat patrol with Ofc. 2 in the area of the Ocean City Inlet in Worcester County Maryland.

A call came over the radio of a two jet ski accident that had occurred during the 1:40 pm PWC tour from Under The Bridge Watersports. The tours are an hour long and the accident occurred at approximately 2:20 pm. Dispatch advised that one individual was at the Atlantic General Hospital with a foot injury. Officer 3 went to Atlantic General Hospital to obtain more information, while myself and Ofc. 2 went to Under the Bridge Watersports to get vessel information.

The company and (the guide) explained that Operator1 and his son V1 occupant were underway on PWC MD 8852 LB. 

The guide stated that Operator1' PWC came up to approach Operator2' PWC, but hadn't slowed down completely. Operator1 was not giving the vessel any throttle, but the speed with which he approached Operator2' PWC did not give him adequate time to turn away, resulting in the backwash from getting off plane lifting the nose of the PWC forward and up, hitting v2 occupant’s leg. All parties refused medical attention.

All witness statements have been uploaded to this report.
All events occurred in Worcester County, MD.


The water was calm and it was cloudy at the time. The two PWCs were not under power and were drifting next to each other when a wave forced one of the PWCs on top of the other.
Occupant was injured during the accident which resulted in a cut on his leg and a swollen ankle. There were no other injuries.
All events occurred in Worcester County, MD.


BARDID: MD-2019-0101
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-08-09 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 09:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Deep Creek Lake/Main Body
NearestCityorTown: McHenry
County: Garrett
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Skier mishap
AccidentCause1: Force of wake/wave
DayofWeek: Friday
RedactedNarrative:
On Friday, August 9th, 2019 at 1442 hours, I, Officer First Class of the Maryland Natural Resources Police was dispatched to Garrett Regional Medical Center for a report of a patient being seen there following a water sports accident on Deep Creek Lake.  I arrived at the Emergency Room at 1500 hours and contacted the victim. 

Victim advised that he had fallen off of a wake board while trying to jump the wake behind his grandfather's boat on Deep Creek Lake around 0900 hours that morning.  Victim stated that he thought he may have lost consciousness for a second when he entered the water, but he could not remember.  Victim was transported to the hospital by private vehicle later during the day due to his history of sports-related concussions.  Victim assured me that he had no other symptoms or injuries.  Victim passed all diagnostic tests at the hospital and was released without treatment.

No vessel or passenger information was available at the time and location of the interview.  Victim provided me with a name and phone number for his grandfather who had been operating the vessel.  I cleared the hospital at 1534 hours.

On Sunday, August 11th, 2019 at 1628 hours, I spoke via telephone with Victim's grandfather.  Operator advised that around 0900 hours on the aforementioned date, he was towing Victim on a wake board behind his 1999 18 foot Bayliner Capri displaying Maryland registration 7022 BV on the main body of Deep Creek Lake at approximately 28 miles per hour when Victim tried to cross the boat wake and fell off of the board, landing face-first in the water.  Operator advised that his daughter, was acting as the towing observer at the time of the incident.  Operator explained that he was not aware of any injuries at the time of Victim's fall, but he later heard from the family that Victim was seen at the hospital.  Operator confirmed at the time of our discussion that Victim was still doing well and had not displayed any concerning symptoms.

All events occurred in Garrett County, Maryland.


BARDID: MD-2019-0102
State: MD
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2019-08-16 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 21:59:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: 219 Bridge,Deep Creek Lake, M
NearestCityorTown: McHenry
County: Garrett
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: No wind
Visibility: Fair
AccidentEvent1: Collision with fixed object
AccidentEvent2: Fall in vessel
AccidentCause1: Excessive speed
AccidentCause2: Improper lookout
AccidentCause3: Operator inattention
DayofWeek: Friday
RedactedNarrative:
On 8/16/19 at approximately 2159 hours I received radio communications through Garrett Central dispatch of an ongoing boat accident at the 219 bridge and Lakeshore Drive area.I arrived on scene at  2201 to find a white Monterey motorboat tied up to the dock.  The vessel had sustained damage to the starboard side.  There were multiple passengers including an injured passenger on the dock.  Deep Creek Fire Company and Northern Rescue Squad arrived on scene and checked all eight occupants of the vessel.  One juvenile was transported with a parent to Garrett Regional Medical Center for treatment to a lacerated right knee and fractured left leg.  The other occupants of the vessel signed treatment refusals after being checked out at the scene.

The vessel was owned by a passenger on board.  The vessel was operated by the owner’s girlfriend.

Operator stated that Owner was drinking and she would not let him operate the boat but he was by her side angrily yelling instructions at how to drive the boat. Operator stated this made her nervous and she did not see the marker lights on the 219 bridge. Operator stated her attention was on the marker buoy that Owner thought was a boat. The vessel struck the bridge abutment while passing under the bridge headed north.  The vessel was traveling on plane at approximately 35 knots. Operator stated the vessel came to an immediate stop and everyone was thrown about.  Owner then drove the boat over to the nearest dock and tied up.  One of the occupants of the boat called 911 and ascertained the address of the dock.

The boat had severe damage with a crack running from the waterline to the gunnel.
The juvenile was treated and released at the hospital.
Operator was able to drive the boat home from the scene.
Officer  transported some of the passengers back to where they were staying and some family members were uninjured but rode with the victim in the squad.
Operator was subsequently charged with Negligent operation of a vessel and Failure to maintain a proper lookout.
 
Operator was being treated for a swollen left knee, swollen left arm and possible head trauma resulting from the accident on Friday evening. Operator also advised earlier in the day on Friday while the boat was tied at the dock, she was cleaning the boat when her right knee gave out and she fell down on the boat deck, striking her left knee and scraping her legs. Operator believes she further injured her legs, arms and head during the collision with the bridge piling on Friday evening. Operator advised she took Ibuprofen over the weekend and rested, but the swelling was not receding so she drove to the hospital to be treated.

All events occurred in Garrett County, Maryland.


BARDID: MD-2019-0103
State: MD
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-08-20 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 13:25:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Deep Creek Lake, 326 Hickory R
NearestCityorTown: Oakland
County: Garrett
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Person departed vessel
AccidentCause1: Other
OtherAccidentCause: Passenger/skier behavior
DayofWeek: Tuesday
RedactedNarrative:
On 08/19/19 at approximately 1:25pm, I, Officer of the Maryland Natural Resources Police responded to a boating accident that had taken place on 08/18/19. The location was on Deep Creek Lake. I interviewed  the injured person involved in the accident. Victim explained to me that his brother (Operator) was docking the vessel at the rental house when Victim stepped off the boat and broke his right arm.

As Operator maneuvered the boat to the dock and came to a complete stop, Victim then stepped off the stern of the pontoon to tie it off. When Victim stepped onto the dock with the rope in his hands he tripped over a support board attached to the dock. Victim then fell and broke his right arm trying to catch himself. Victim was transported to Garrett Regional Medical Center for his broken arm. Garrett Regional Medical Center contacted me the next day to report the accident. No violations for this incident. Photographs are attached. The vessel was a rental from the Aquatic center, and bore Maryland registration 3722LB.
 

All events occurred in Garrett County, Maryland.


