# ReleasableAccidentes

BARDID: IN-2017-0005
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2017-04-02 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 12:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: White River
NearestCityorTown: Paragon
County: Morgan
WaterConditions: Unknown
StrongCurrent: -1
Wind: No wind
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with fixed object
AccidentEvent2: Capsizing
AccidentEvent3: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Hazardous waters
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On april 2, 2017 at approximately 2:20 p.m., while on duty in monroe county, dispatch put out a call in the area of old state road 67 and the paragon boat ramp on the white river. A boat had overturned and 3 persons were in the white river.

I contacted dispatch, and a morgan county deputy who advised me the three subjects were out of the water and in custody of (emt's) emergency medical technicians. All three subjects were transported to iu health morgan hospital.  I was advised there was no need to be in a hurry since all three individuals were out of the water and in the care of emt's.  Due to our location being 1.5 hours away and being the only officers on duty in the district, we completed our current tasks before responding.

Around 7:00 pm that evening icos and myself launched the airboat at the paragon boat ramp. We traveled about 15 minutes upstream where we located the overturned boat. We retrieved the boat and towed it back to the paragon boat ramp. I contacted the boat owner who returned to the ramp that evening to retrieve his boat.

On april 7, 2017, i conducted an interview with the operator of the boat. He explained the other two passengers in the boat were his daughters. Operator explained he launched his jon boat at state road 67 & wilbur ave on the white river. 

Operator explained the boat was under the power of a trolling motor and they used oars to maneuver the boat when needed. Operator explained they were float fishing and enjoying the day on the river when he noticed the current getting swift as they rounded a bend in the river. Operator noticed a large log in the middle of the river, and began to row his boat away from the log. The log impacted the side of the boat causing the boat to ride up on the log causing the boat to take on water.

The water was swift enough to fill the boat quickly which caused the boat to overturn. All three subjects ended up in the water causing them to float downstream. Operator told his daughters to swim toward the bank where they came in contact with a tree hanging into the river. The daughters climbed out of the water and came to meet him upstream about 25-30 yards. 
The daughters connected 2 belts together to help their father operator up the slick bank. Operator and his two daughters then walked through a corn field where they were able to contact an individual for help. Operator advised all three were wearing their (pfd's) personal floatation devices at the time of the accident. They were all treated and released from iu health morgan for mild hypothermia.


BARDID: IN-2017-0006
State: IN
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2017-05-06 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 17:30:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: White RIver
NearestCityorTown: Spencer
County: Owen
WaterConditions: Unknown
StrongCurrent: -1
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Capsizing
AccidentEvent2: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Hazardous waters
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On may 6, 2017 at approximately 1750 hours, i responded to a water rescue at camp ramona, in owen county, indiana.  I was advised by ico dispatch that four kayakers had capsized their boats in the flood waters of the white river.  Owen county water rescue team was in route to the scene and were requesting assistance.  

           i arrived on scene on or about 1810 hours.  By the time that i had arrived on scene, the water rescue team was already launching their boat and preparing to make the rescue.  They successfully retrieved all four victims from the water brought them over to ems units where i was able to interview them while they were being treated.  

All four victims had not sustained any injuries and refused transport to the hospital.  When asked what happened, operator1 stated that they had launched their kayaks from the road into the flood water.  He stated that they were kayaking out to his cabin that was only accessible by boat because of the flooding.  Operator1 said that the water was calm until they went around the bend.  He stated that they got out to far from the shoreline and they current was much stronger.  

He stated that operator3 was the first to flip over and was able to hold on to a tree to keep from floating down stream.  The other three subsequently flipped over and lost their kayaks trying to assist operator3.  Operator3 and operator1 were able to hold on to the tree until they were rescued.  Operator4 and operator2 were able to make it to shore and wait there until they were rescued.  Operator3 and operator4 were both wearing life vests. Operator1 and operator2 stated that they had life vests in the boat, but were not wearing them.  Operator1 stated that he was able to yell for help while hanging on to the tree and a neighbor called 911.  They kayaks were not recovered and no boat information was obtained.


BARDID: IN-2017-0007
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2017-05-12 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 20:25:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Cedar Lake
NearestCityorTown: Cedar Lake
County: LaKE
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Fair
AccidentEvent1: Collision with fixed object
AccidentEvent2: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentCause1: Machinery failure
MachineryFailure: Throttle
DayofWeek: Friday
RedactedNarrative:
Operator agreed to take the potential buyer for a test drive and he claimed that while the potential buyer was operating the vessel, a mechanical failure with the throttle linkage resulted in vessel 1 piercing the seawall. The potential buyer increased the throttle to the motor believing that the vessel was in reverse, when in fact due to the throttle linkage malfunction, the vessel was still in forward gear. This caused vessel 1 to rapidly accelerate into the seawall. 

Operator took over the controls and was able to get vessel 1 into reverse, vessel 1 then struck vessel 2, damaging vessel 2's swim ladder. Operator said he then left the scene and didn't report the incident because he was scared. Operator was issued a written warning for failure to report a property damage boat accident within 24 hours as required.


BARDID: IN-2017-0008
State: IN
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2017-05-15 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 08:30:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Patoka Reservoir
NearestCityorTown: Birdseye
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Flooding/swamping
AccidentEvent2: Sinking
AccidentCause1: Operator inexperience
AccidentCause2: Operator inattention
DayofWeek: Monday
RedactedNarrative:
ON 5/15/17, I, INDIANA CONSERVATION OFFICER RESPONDED TO THE SOUTH LICK FORK BOAT RAMP IN REFERENCE TO A SUNKEN BOAT. WHEN I ARRIVED THE BOAT WAS UPSIDE DOWN AND HAD BEEN PULLED TO THE SHORE. THE BOAT IS A 1984 BULLET BEARING KENTUCKY REGISTRATION KY 4074 LL. I SPOKE TO THE OWNER OF THE BOAT. HE SAID HE LAUNCHED THE BOAT AND UPON RETURNING TO THE DOCK FROM PARKING HIS TRUCK HE REALIZED HE HAD LEFT THE PLUG OUT AND THE BOAT WAS TAKING ON WATER. HE WAS UNABLE TO GET THE PLUG IN SO HE WENT TO GET HIS TRUCK SO HE COULD TRAILER THE BOAT AND WHEN HE RETURNED THE BOAT HAD SANK. I PHOTOGRAPHED THE BOAT AND MARK'S GARAGE REMOVED THE BOAT FROM THE WATER.


BARDID: IN-2017-0009
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2017-05-21 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 16:20:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Morse Reservoir
NearestCityorTown: Noblesville
County: Hamilton
WaterConditions: Rough
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentEvent2: Person struck by vessel
AccidentEvent3: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Navigation rules violation
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
VESSEL 2 STRUCK VESSEL 1 FROM THE REAR PORT, CROSSING VESSEL 1 AND EXITING AT THE STARBOARD BOW, STRIKING THE 2 OCCUPANTS ON VESSEL 1.  THE OPERATOR OF VESSEL 1 SUFFERED 3 BROKEN VERTEBRAE, AND THE PASSENGER OF VESSEL 1 SUFFERED 2 BROKEN RIBS.  THE OPERATOR AND PASSENGER OF VESSEL 2 WERE ALSO EJECTED INTO THE WATER, BUT RECEIVED NO INJURIES.


BARDID: IN-2017-0010
State: IN
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2017-05-14 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 15:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: East fork White River
NearestCityorTown: Seymour
County: Jackson
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Flooding/swamping
AccidentEvent2: Sinking
AccidentCause1: Machinery failure
AccidentCause2: Dam/lock
MachineryFailure: Engine
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
Details of investigation: on 5-14-17, at approx. 3:00pm, myself and jackson county deputy responded to a boating accident in the east fork of the white river near the rockford public access site.  Deputy arrived on scene just before i did.  

	upon my arrival, i made contact with deputy and four subjects standing behind the water company building on the east river bank.  four subjects were visibly wet, but otherwise not injured.  

	subject1 stated that they launched their recently purchased vessel at the ramp and shortly lost all power to the motor.  The watercraft involved bearing indiana registration in 8804 dg, is a 1973 pleasure craft, with a 70hp outboard motor attached. The occupants of the vessel did make an attempt to get the vessel to shore however, the current was too strong and they went over the dam and capsized the 15 foot runabout boat, sinking it to the bottom of the river.  From the boat launch ramp, to the low head dam is a very short distance; approx. 200 meters.

 none of the occupants of the vessel were wearing a life jacket at the time of the incident.  While speaking with the subjects involved, they stated that they did have life jackets on board.  I was unable to confirm this as the watercraft is totally submerged in the river.  

At the time of the incident, the water level at rockford was approx. 8 feet and falling.  Water conditions above the dam were calm or normal for the water level at the time.  Water conditions below the dam at the time of the incident were rough with a swift current.  

Subject1 advised that they had purchased the vessel approx. Six months ago for a price of $300.00.  I advised subject1 that we would see if we could retrieve the vessel at a later date.


BARDID: IN-2017-0011
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2017-05-13 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 16:45:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Pigeon River
NearestCityorTown: LaGrange
County: LaGrange
WaterConditions: Unknown
StrongCurrent: -1
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with floating object
AccidentEvent2: Falls overboard
AccidentCause1: Hazardous waters
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On 5/13/2017 at approximately 5:31 p.m. i, indiana conservation officer received a call from lagrange county communications stating there was a missing female on the pigeon river near the bridge on 1200 east in lagrange county. 

While driving to the location i called a witness to see what had happened. She stated operator, subject1, operator's wife, and herself put two kayaks and one canoe in the pigeon river at the bridge on 1200 east and were going to kayak and canoe to crooked creek campground. This campground is located on 1100 east, but to get to it by river, you have to continue on just past the bridge. 

Shortly after the start of their trip, they came upon a fallen tree across the river. Subject3 and subject1 were in the canoe, which was the first boat to reach the fallen tree. She said that the current was so strong, it pushed the canoe sideways against it. They fought to get the canoe straight again. After a few moment, they were able to get around the fallen tree. Operator was the last kayak to reach the tree. Once she reached the tree, the current pushed the bow of the kayak under it. Subject1 and subject3 saw this and tried turning their canoe around to help, but the current was too strong, and they were unable to do so. Just before they lost sight of her, operator told them she was almost free from the tree and the others could continue on and she would catch up with them. 

	once they had reached the bridge on 1100 east, there was still no sight of operator. This worried them, so they pulled the canoe and one kayak out of the water and waited a few moments. Next she said that they got in their vehicle and drove to where they had started their trip and yelled her name to see if they could get a response. When they got no response, they decided to drive down a dead end lane that went along the river where they had canoed. Subject1 then put the other kayak in the river and attempted to kayak up-stream to where they had last saw operator. The current was so strong, he was unable to do so successfully. 

	upon arrival, i asked subject3 if anyone had been standing on the bridge to ensure operator didn't kayak past it and go to the campground. She said that she had been on the bridge waiting ever since they pulled their boats out of the river. Upon receiving this information, i relayed it to officer. He then contacted steuben county communications and asked for more assistance. 

	once angola fire department arrived with their air boat, they launched it at the bridge on 1200 east. They then started working their way towards the bridge on 1100 east. They went about ¾ of a mile down river before they spotted operator standing in waist deep water holding onto her kayak. They immediately got her in the airboat and started back to the access site on 1200 east. Upon their arrival to the access site, emergency response officials were there to help her out of the boat and get her in the ambulance. She had signs of being hypothermic. She was then transported to parkview north in fort wayne where she was treated and released.


BARDID: IN-2017-0012
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2017-05-29 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 19:40:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake Shafer
NearestCityorTown: Monticello
County: White
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Skier mishap
AccidentCause1: Alcohol
AccidentCause2: Navigation rules violation
DayofWeek: Monday
RedactedNarrative:
Vessel 1 was being operated by operator.  He was pulling victim on a tube in the north end of lake shafer.  Operator was trying to throw victim off the tube and made a turn with the boat that caused the tube and victim to be flung into the dock.  Victim struck the dock with the bottom of his right foot.  The impact caused his tibia to break below his knee and at the ankle.  The bone then caused a compound fracture to his leg.  A tourniquet was applied to the leg to control the bleeding.  Victim was airlifted to methodist hospital.  The doctors had to amputate his lower leg due to the lack of blood and damage to the leg.

     when i arrived on scene, i talked with subjects.  I could detect a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from operator, but nothing from the other two.  They all stated that subject1 had been operating, but after further investigation on the following day it was found that operator had been operating the boat.


BARDID: IN-2017-0014
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2017-06-04 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 15:07:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Brookville Reservoir
NearestCityorTown: Brookville
County: Franklin
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Unknown
AccidentEvent1: Person struck by propeller
AccidentCause1: Improper lookout
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On june 4, 2017, at approximately 3:07 pm, i, indiana conservation officer, was on uniform patrol with ico when we were contacted by franklin county sheriff's dispatch to advise us of a boating accident that occurred in the templeton creek idle zone.  Dispatch further advised that there were injuries, and ems and franklin county fire were already on scene at garr hill boat ramp.  

When we arrived, on the docks at garr hill boat ramp, there was a white 25'6" baja with michigan registration mc9734rv.  An adult female later was lying on her stomach on the engine cover while ems attended to her foot where she had sustained injuries from the propeller striking her.  

The operator of the boat explained that the boat belonged to a family member, and he was borrowing it.  Operator further explained that he was tied off to other boats, they needed to move, and he decided to move all of the boats together without untying them.  Operator advised that he told everyone what his intentions were, and he thought that everyone had gotten out of the water and on a boat.  When he thought everything was safe, operator turned on the baja and placed the throttles in reverse.  Operator immediately ran into victim who had not removed herself from the water.  Victim was cut severely through the backside of her foot.  

Victim was transported to university of cincinnati hospital by helicopter from garr hill boat ramp.  Victim received surgery on her foot and is expected to make a full recovery.


BARDID: IN-2017-0015
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2017-05-29 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 17:04:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Hidden Valley Lake
NearestCityorTown: Lawrenceburg
County: Dearborn
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Moderate
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentCause1: Operator inexperience
DayofWeek: Monday
RedactedNarrative:
Original narrative from dearborn co. Deputy 

"on 5/29/2017 while on patrol in hidden valley lake, dearborn county, in i was dispatched to the hidden valley lake in reference to a 911 call that went to hamilton county and then was disconnected.  Dispatch was unable to reconnect and they heard something about a crash before they were disconnected.  Upon arrival i was met by lake patrol.  Subject stated that a pontoon boat hit another boat that was tied up to the docks a couple of times.  Subject stated that the owner of the pontoon boat pulled his boat out of the water and took it home and he would be back to give me his information.

Operator1 returned to the marina with all his information.  Operator1 stated that he pulled into the docks to drop some people off.  Operator1 stated that he was new at boating and that his pontoon boat got away from him when hit the other boat.  Operator1 stated that he panicked and threw the boat into reverse and forward again a couple times and struck the other boat more than once.

I contacted the owner of a 2016 scarab jet boat.  I met him at his boat and explained the situation.  I gathered all of his information at this time."


BARDID: IN-2017-0016
State: IN
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2017-06-10 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 15:09:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Geist Reservoir
NearestCityorTown: Indianapolis
County: Marion
WaterConditions: Rough
Wind: Moderate
Visibility: Unknown
AccidentEvent1: Grounding
AccidentCause1: Improper lookout
AccidentCause2: Navigation rules violation
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On 6/10/17 at 1509 hours while on a traffic stop on geist reservoir i was notified of a boat taking on water.  I could see the distressed boat from my location and recognized that it was in very shallow water.  I completed the traffic stop and joined fishers pd in attempting to assist the distressed boaters.  Neither of our patrol boats could reach the distressed boat which had to be removed by the dock company's barge. 

 The operator claimed that he was traveling approximately 4mph and attempted to drive between the shoreline and an island.  The operator stated that he did not recognize the area as shallow due to insufficient markings.  Two danger buoys were in place and it appeared that the operator was on course to drive in between them.  I photographed the distressed boat and its proximity to the buoys from my patrol boat.  Damage to the boat was photographed several hours later after it had been placed on its trailer.


BARDID: IN-2017-0018
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2017-06-18 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 15:45:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Monroe Reservoir
NearestCityorTown: Bloomington
County: Monroe
WaterConditions: Rough
Wind: Strong
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Fall in vessel
AccidentEvent2: Falls overboard
AccidentCause1: Other
OtherAccidentCause: passenger/skier behavior
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
Details of incident/investigation
On june 18, 2017, around 6:00pm, i, ico, received a call from central dispatch of a female subject who had been injured on a boat at monroe reservoir.

I met the boat, ems, and the victim at the lake monroe boat rentals.  I spoke with the female subject who was injured.  She said that were anchored in one of the double decker pontoon boats, from lake monroe boat rentals, near the dam on monroe reservoir.  She said her and another juvenile were playing on the slide.  She said that she thought the younger juvenile was about to fall so she reached down to grab her and lost her balance.  She said she fell from the upper deck and hit her left leg on the railing on the lower deck, and then fell into the water.  She said she was helped into the boat by other people on the boat.

She had a severe laceration on her lower left leg, and ems said that she was going to require stitches.  She and her parents signed an sor and her parents transported her to the hospital for stitches.


BARDID: IN-2017-0019
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2017-06-03 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 17:22:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: White River
NearestCityorTown: Martinsville
County: Morgan
WaterConditions: Unknown
StrongCurrent: -1
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Capsizing
AccidentEvent2: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Operator inattention
AccidentCause2: Dam/lock
AccidentCause3: Hazardous waters
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
Details of incident/investigation
On june 3, 2017, around 5:30 pm, i, ico, was notified by the morgan county sheriff's department of a canoe that had went over the low head dam on the white river near martinsville.  The sheriff's department said that both subjects were out of the water, but one was received injuries to his head and arm, and was being transported to community south hospital.  I asked morgan county sheriff's department deputy to obtain all parties involved information, and the boat information, and i would follow up with the report.

On june 6, 2017 i spoke with one of the subject's involved in the accident.  Operator said his wife and he rented a canoe from waverly canoe company on june 3, 2017, and departed on the west fork of the white river from the waverly area, around 11 am.  He said they were floating down to the take out at henderson ford.  Operator said the canoe company provided them with a map, and told them they should reach their destination, no later than 6 pm.  Operator said they mentioned nothing about a low head dam being downstream.  Operator said they departed with 4 other groups, but became separated from those groups throughout the trip.  Operator said both he and his wife, had consumed a few beers, and smoked marijuana during the canoe trip.  Operator said as they got further downstream they came up on the ipl power plant.  Operator said he began to think they went too far, and tried to call the canoe company, but did not get an answer.  

Operator said as they approached the old railroad trestle he saw the sign that said "danger, dam", but did not know exactly what it meant.  Operator said his wife then became a little worried, and grabbed one of the pfd's in the canoe to hold onto.  Operator said wife was sitting in the front of the canoe, and he was in the rear.  Operator said they didn't see the dam until they were right on it, and going over it.  Operator said he remembered seeing the nose of the canoe diving over the dam and into the water, and he was flung out of the canoe and further downstream.  Operator said when he came up from the water he could see the canoe upside down and parallel to the face of the dam.  Operator said he yelled for wife, but could not see or hear her.  

Operator said he swam to the shore on the side of the river the power plant is on.  Operator said the canoe then went perpendicular to the face of the dam and floated away from the hydraulic current.  Operator said he then saw his wife who came out from underneath the canoe.  Operator said he swam out to her and helped her to shore.  Operator said after they got to shore he did not remember a whole lot that occurred afterwards.  Operator said he was transported to community south hospital by brown township ambulance and treated for a concussion.  Operator said that he was not wearing a pfd.  Operator said additional items lost in the accident were their cell phones and a cooler.  


BARDID: IN-2017-0021
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2017-06-04 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 19:43:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake James
NearestCityorTown: Fremont
County: Steuben
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentCause1: Navigation rules violation
AccidentCause2: Force of wake/wave
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On june 4, 2017 at approximately 7:43 pm i, indiana conservation officer was contacted by steuben county sheriff's department in regards to a boat accident that occurred on lake james. The sheriff's department stated that the accident had occurred in the narrows near the address of 515 lane 510 lake james. Upon my arrival i witnessed one boat and one personal watercraft in the water which i was informed were the two watercrafts involved in the incident. 

    i made contact with the operator of the personal watercraft involved. The registration for this watercraft is in 5401 bt.  Operator1 stated he was following a boat going north through the narrows, when all of the sudden that boat slowed down. When the boat in front of him slowed it created a wake. Unable to maneuver the personal watercraft in order to avoid a collision operator1 became airborne from the wake created by the boat. Operator1 then landed on one of the outboard motors and continued to travel in the air until he came to rest back in the water. Operator1 was never thrown from the personal watercraft. At the time of the accident there were no visible signs of damage to the personal watercraft. Operator1 agreed to take a portable breath test and the results indicated there was no alcohol involved. 

    i then made contact with the owner/operator of the other watercraft involved. The registration for this watercraft is dl 4836 ah. Operator2 stated he was traveling approximately 25 mph north through the narrows when a boat cut in front of him. To avoid a collision with this boat operator2 slowed his boat down causing the watercraft to come off plane. Then operator2 heard a loud "bang" and looked back to see one of his outboard motors had been struck by a personal watercraft. There was visible damage to an outboard motor at the time of the accident. Operator2 showed no signs of impairment at the time of the accident. 

    i spoke with operator1 again. During our conversation operator1 admitted to following too close to operator2's watercraft. He was unable to avoid the collision. I also spoke with all of the witnesses listed. All of which had the same sequence of events as operator1 and operator2. 

    at the time of the incident there were no bodily injuries. Alcohol or drugs are not believed to be involved.


BARDID: IN-2017-0023
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2017-06-22 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 14:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake
NearestCityorTown: Culver
County: Marshall
WaterConditions: Rough
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Skier mishap
AccidentCause1: Other
OtherAccidentCause: passenger/skier behavior
DayofWeek: Thursday
RedactedNarrative:
Victim was learning how to ski and was trying to from two skies to one. While she was in the process of placing her foot on the one ski her foot hit the water causing her to fall. Victim was in extreme pain so subject grabbed a pfd and jumped into the water to render aid to victim. Victim was complaining of pain around her knee and she was unable to board the boat completely. Victim was transport to shore where she was taking to an ambulance. Later victim was air lifted due to having a femur fracture.


BARDID: IN-2017-0024
State: IN
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2017-06-24 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 10:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: White River
NearestCityorTown: Anderson
County: Madison
WaterConditions: Unknown
StrongCurrent: -1
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Falls overboard
AccidentCause1: Hazardous waters
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
Operator1 and operator2  were floating the white river in kayaks.  At that time the water was up 13.83 feet.  At that location on the white river, flood stage is considered anything over 10 feet.  

Operator1 drifted into some limbs and capsized his kayak, losing it downstream.  As of the writing of this report, it has not been recovered.  

Operator2 tried to paddle over to help operator1, and in the process fell from her kayak.  Operator2 got her foot hung up in floating debris and was later rescued.  

Operator1 was able to grab onto operator2's kayak as it floated downstream and hung on until he was able to self rescue further downstream.  

Operator2 was treated for a sprained foot.  Operator1 was uninjured.  Operator2 was wearing her pfd.  Operator1 only had a type iv throwable pfd on board.  He was issued a warning for not possessing a wearable pfd.  Both were cited for imprudent operation of a watercraft.


BARDID: IN-2017-0026
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2017-07-01 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 13:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake Shafer
NearestCityorTown: Monticello
County: White
WaterConditions: Rough
Wind: Moderate
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentCause1: Improper lookout
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On 7-1-17, at approximately 1500 hrs. I received a dispatch from white county dispatch that there was an incident with the shafer queen and another boat.  Officer and i responded to indiana beach.  We docked our boat on the west side of the amusement park and walked in that way.  

We made contact with director of operations.  She stated that the shafer queen was on a tour and there was a boat anchored in the lake and that the shafer queen somehow caught the anchor rope of the other vessel and pulled it into the shafer queen.  She told me that she was told this by the driver.  She also stated that the incident happened around 1300 hrs.

vessel #2 owner  wrote that he and his wife were anchored in the middle of the lake towards the dam.  He stated that they noticed the shafer queen was turning close to them and wondered if it was going to hit them.  He then stated that it hit the front left side of their boat causing his boat to go towards the paddle wheels.  He untied the anchor from front cleat and pushed away.

After reading that i talked with operator1.  He stated that he must have caught the anchor rope of the boat and that the anchor rope was too long.  He also stated that they had to give way to the shafer queen as they are the less maneuverable boat.  I informed him a boat that is anchor is not maneuverable at all and that he needed to avoid the collision.  I told operator1 that i would get with him later after he finished his written statement.

We arrived by boat and docked at the ramp.  The boat was on their lift.  Officer took photographs of the boat and i asked to see the anchor line.  The anchor line was measured by laying it out on the dock alongside the boat.  It measured approximately 60 feet in length.  There was damage to the anchor line approximately 15 feet from the end that was tied to the boat.  On the rope, there was red paint transfer that would appear to be from the red paint on boat.  It appears that the rope was smashed between the two boats.  We left after gathering their information and told them to call when they got an estimate for the damage.

The following week i talked to subject and she stated that she received an estimate for the damage to their boat and she forwarded me the estimate.  I also spoke to operations director and she told me that operator1 quit the day of the crash.  They asked him to take a drug test per their company policy and he told them that he quit. The director stated that she is waiting for the company to send the insurance information to her and she would forward it to me.  I then went to operator1's residence and dropped off an operator's report form for the accident.  I informed him that it needs to be filled out and sent back in within 24 hours.  He stated ok.


BARDID: IN-2017-0027
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2017-07-01 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 13:45:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake Freman
NearestCityorTown: Monticello
County: White
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Skier mishap
AccidentCause1: Force of wake/wave
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
	as we arrived on scene, i observed a male laying on a tube. Several bystanders and family members were trying to keep victim on the tube and keep his head and neck padded with towels. When i made contact with victim, he was complaining of neck and back pain. I confirmed victim' breathing and heartrate was normal and then secured his neck with a c collar.

	i then spoke with victim to keep him alert and to check his mental state. I asked victim if he knew what had happened. Victim stated he was riding on the tube, they approached a large wake that was produced by another boat. As the tube hit the large wake, it threw him air born from the tube. Victim then stated that he came down hard and hit the water at a bad angle. It was at that point he had neck and back pain and his hands and feet started tingling.

	operator stated he was operating the boat at the time of the incident. Operator went on to state that they were just out enjoying the day and tubing. As he was pulling victim, the tube hit a big wave and threw him off the tube. When he went to pick up victim out of the water, he was complaining of his neck and back hurting and that's when they called for assistance. 

	officer and i did not observe anything that would lead us to believe that alcohol or drugs were involved. Operator did not show any signs of impairment as we spoke with him.

	a few days after the incident occurred, i followed up with operator on how victim was doing. Operator stated that victim was doing well, he was still a little sore but did not have any significant injuries. Operator said the doctor told them that victim sustained whiplash and might have pulled some muscles in the incident.


BARDID: IN-2017-0029
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2017-07-02 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 00:45:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Monroe Reservoir
NearestCityorTown: Bloomington
County: Monroe
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: No wind
Visibility: Unknown
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentCause1: Alcohol
AccidentCause2: Excessive speed
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On july 2, 2017 at or about 0100 hours i, indiana conservation officer (ico) cpl was contacted by ico central dispatch and advised of a boat accident on lake monroe.  Dispatch advised there was a property damage accident at cutright state recreational area and one boat had left the area.  

I responded and arrived at or about 0105 hours.  I spoke with the boat owner and operator.  He advised he was in front of lake monroe marina when the accident occurred.  He advised a red or maroon bass boat was traveling east before it collided with his boat.  The suspect boat collided with the rear port (left) side pontoon and the port side of the motor.  The damage incurred was a small abrasion to the port side pontoon and damage to the cowling of the johnson 90 hp motor.  V1 owner advised the motor ran but the steering was damaged from the accident.  

V1 owner advised the suspect vehicle stopped and asked if everyone was okay.  V1 owner advised there was only one occupant and it appeared the suspect was intoxicated.  When v1 owner advised he was calling the police the suspect vehicle motored away quickly and left the area.  The vehicle was described as a red or maroon bass boat with bright lights on the front of the boat.  There were no other descriptors given.  

No one was injured during this accident.  I spoke with subject who was fishing nearby when the accident occurred.  He confirmed v1 owners' account of what occurred.  He advised the boat returned to the gravel ramp area and left the area prior to our arrival.  He advised the vehicle left south on state road 446.  

Ico initiated a traffic stop on a possible suspect vehicle.  It was not the suspect vehicle but the operator advised he knew who the boat operator and owner were.  He would not however provide that information to ico.  The only information he provided is that it was a bass tracker boat.  

I swear and affirm that the foregoing facts are true and accurate under penalty of law.


BARDID: IN-2017-0030
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2017-07-03 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 11:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake Shafer
NearestCityorTown: Monticello
County: White
WaterConditions: Rough
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Skier mishap
AccidentEvent2: Person struck by propeller
AccidentCause1: Improper lookout
DayofWeek: Monday
RedactedNarrative:
On july 3, at approximately 1130, i responded to 2288 sullivan court near monticello for a female subject who was injured by a boat.  When i arrived on scene, the female victim, was being treated by paramedics with the monticello fire department.  She was laying on her stomach across the back of the boat.  It appeared that she had suffered a large laceration to her lower back.  I spoke to the victims husband, briefly as he was very shook up and worried about his wife.  I was able to gain his name, dob and the name and dob of the victim from him.  I then spoke to the operator of the boat. 

 Operator was hard of hearing and did not have his hearing aids in so it was difficult to talk to him at this particular time.  He stated that he had taken his hearing aids out and they were still in the boat.  I advised him that once the medics were done in the boat, he could get his hearing aids and we would continue our conversation.  I then assisted with transporting the victim from the boat to the cot so she could be transported to the hospital by ambulance.  The paramedics advised me that they had already requested a helicopter to meet them at the hospital and that the victim would most likely be flown to an indianapolis hospital for treatment of her injuries.

     i then went back to the boat where operator had been able to put his hearing aids in.  I asked him to explain to me what had happened that morning.  Operator stated that he was boating with his family, his daughter, the victim, her husband and their two daughters, operator's grand daughters.  He stated that they had anchored the boat so that everyone could get into the water and swim.  At this time, everyone was in the water except for operator and one granddaughter, they were still in the boat.  He advised that the anchor was not holding well and the boat was drifting towards the shoreline.  Operator advised that he was just going to slowly back the boat away from shore.  He advised that he told the rest of the family members to get onto a ski tube that he had attached to the boat.  Operator advised that he looked back and saw everyone was on the tube so he started to back the boat away from the shoreline.  

He advised that he felt a large thud while backing the boat up and thought that maybe he had wrapped the rope for the tube into his prop.  He advised that he turned around and realized that he had struck his daughter in the back with the prop of the boat.  They were able to get victim back up into the boat, along with the rest of the family.  They tried contacting 911 for assistance but their cell phone kept dropping the call.  He advised that is when they drove up to the address on to get help.  I asked operator if he had been consuming any alcohol and he stated that he had not.  He consented to a pbt which showed a bac reading of 0.00. 

     operator advised that he had launched his boat from lake shafer boat rental and marina.  I told him that i would meet him at that location and assist him with getting his boat loaded back onto the trailer.  The owner of the marina helped us get the boat loaded.  I advised operator that his daughter was probably no longer at iu white memorial hospital but that i would have him follow me there to confirm exactly where his daughter had been flown for treatment.  We arrived at the hospital and we were advised that victim had been flown to iu methodist hospital in indianapolis.

     on july 9th, i was able to speak with both victim and husband via phone.  They were still at the hospital in indianapolis when i spoke to them.  They were able to confirm the events that operator had also explained to me on the day of the incident.  Victim did state that she was on the tube prior to operator backing the boat up.  She was not sure if it was a wave or what exactly caused her to fall off of the tube as operator was backing up.  She then stated that she was struck in the back by the prop and pulled underwater for a few seconds.  She was then assisted into the boat and was taken to the address on sullivan court.  Victim stated that she has had 3 surgeries to close the laceration to her back.


BARDID: IN-2017-0031
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2017-07-04 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 12:53:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Monroe Reservoir
NearestCityorTown: Bloomington
County: Monroe
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Falls overboard
AccidentEvent2: Person struck by propeller
AccidentCause1: Operator inexperience
DayofWeek: Tuesday
RedactedNarrative:
Details of incident/investigation
On july 4, 2017, icos responded to a boat accident around 12:56 pm, on monroe reservoir.  We were told by central dispatch a female had been struck by the propeller of the boat, and they were waiting for us and ems at the lake monroe boat rental docks.

Officer and i arrived on scene around 1:04 pm.  We located the involved parties in a rental boat tied up to the docks.  The female victim was sitting in the boat with two other males.  One of the males had a towel wrapped around victim's right leg near her knee.  Officer and i looked at the injury.  The injury was a laceration just above and to the inside of victim's right knee.  The lacerations was approximately 3 inches in length and 1.5 inches wide.  The laceration was down into the fatty tissues, but no bone was observed.  I handed officer a sterile gauze and wrap.  Officer placed the sterile gauze on top of the wound and wrapped it with the wrap.  Ems arrived on scene at 1:12 pm.  Officer and i carried victim to the edge of the dock to be placed on the backboard for ems.  Victim was transported to iu health in bloomington and received 12 stiches for her injury.  

I spoke with one of the male subjects in the boat.  Subject1 said that victim was being pulled on the tube by the operator of the boat, and they had stopped so she could get back in the boat.  Subject1 said victim was climbing up the ladder on the back of the boat, and she fell and hit her leg on the propeller of the boat motor.  I asked subject1 if the boat was in neutral and he said he did not know.  

I then spoke with the operator of the boat. Operator said he had been operating the boat and pulling victim on the tube.  He said he stopped the boat so victim could get back in the boat.  I asked operator if he put the boat in neutral and he said he did.  I asked him how long it was in neutral before victim started to climb in the boat and he said for about 30 seconds.  Operator said that he had operated a boat a couple of times prior, but had little experience, and had not been through a boater education class.  Operator did say he had 2 beers prior to the accident, but did not appear to be intoxicated, nor could i smell alcoholic beverage coming from his breath.  

The boat involved in the accident was a 2000 crownline runabout owned by the lake monroe boat rentals.  

On july 5, 2017, i spoke with victim on the phone.  I asked victim what happened.  She said she had been tubing and stopped to get back in the boat.  She said she was climbing the ladder on the back of the boat and slipped and fell back into the water, and that is when the propeller hit her leg.  I asked her if the propeller was still spinning.  She said it was because she could feel it spinning and it pulling her towards the motor.


BARDID: IN-2017-0032
State: IN
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2017-07-08 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 20:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake Wawasee
NearestCityorTown: Syracuse
County: Kosciusko
WaterConditions: Unknown
Wind: Unknown
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Flooding/swamping
AccidentCause1: Operator inattention
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
Details of investigation/incident:
On july 8, 2017, i was contacted by ico dispatch advising me that a boat had sunk on lake wawasee in kosciusko county.  Upon my arrival the boat, in3244dv, had sank to the bottom of the lake, setting vertical with its bow sticking approximately 4 feet out of the water.  
	i was told by lake patrol officer that the boat operator had realized the plug was removed from the boat and it began to take on water, ultimately sinking.  The operator and one additional occupant boarded a lake patrol officer's boat and were taken to shore.  Officer informed me that alcohol was not a contributing factor.   I then marked the boat with appropriate lighting to avoid traffic hazards.
	on july 10, 2017, i was contacted by the boat owner who advised that the boat had been removed from the lake.


BARDID: IN-2017-0033
State: IN
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2017-07-08 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 08:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: William's Creek
NearestCityorTown: Indianapolis
County: Marion
WaterConditions: Unknown
StrongCurrent: -1
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Falls overboard
AccidentEvent2: Flooding/swamping
AccidentEvent3: Sinking
AccidentCause1: Hazardous waters
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
I, indiana conservation officer, while on routine patrol, was dispatched to a boat accident in marion county at 7400 n. Westfield blvd. Where the white river bypass goes over a low head dam into william's creek in indianapolis at approximately 8:20 am on saturday july 8, 2017.  The witness to the accident called in to report that the boat was caught on the dam above williams creek and that the victim was able to swim out of the water and was on shore.  

I called witness at the number i was given.  Witness advised he was driving the victim who was also the boat operator and owner to st. Vincent hospital in indianapolis for cuts which would require stitches and to be examined in the emergency room for any other injuries.  I thanked him for calling in the initial information and advised him i would go to the location to take photographs and then meet them at the hospital.  I then contacted marion county emergency communications dispatch (meca) to advise of the incident and if they received additional calls about the still visible boat from the adjacent road from passers by that there were no victims in the water.

	i arrived on scene later that morning and took electronic photographs of operator's pontoon boat which was still hung onto the top of the dam while the rest of the boat was in the boil below the dam.  I assured several onlookers that the boat owner, operator was safe and that he was at the hospital obtaining stitches but would be fine per a subsequent phone call update on his status by witness.  I also asked those present to spread the word through the close knit community that operator was alright and to stay away from the accident scene because it was not safe.

	i arrived at st vincent hospital shortly after noon and waited for operator to be discharged.  Operator's injuries were cuts sustained on his right hand pinky and ring fingers which required multiple stitches and stitches to a laceration to his head which occurred when operator was being recirculated in the boil of the dam.

	according to operator, he was attempting to remove his boat from his dock where large debris floats down the river to minimize damage potential to his boat.  Operator advised that he went out about 8:00 am, started his boat motor and then was removing his mooring ropes.  Operator stated that he removed the rear rope with the boat facing upstream without issue.  However, while attempting to remove the forward rope from his dock, operator was jostled when the current took hold of the boat and was immediately thrown into the water.  Operator was swept downstream past his boat.  Operator tried to swim back to the boat but was unable to make it due to the strong current.

	operator was quickly swept over the dam and was recirculated at what he estimated was five or six times.  Operator was sent downstream when the hydraulic was broken by either his boat or by large tree debris and was able to make it to shore about seventy five yards downstream just prior to the westfield blvd bridge.  Operator was not wearing a life jacket but did have at least fifteen on board the boat.  From initial observations from the bridge on westfield blvd, the boat will be a total loss as it has went over the dam with the rising water in the river and is being recirculated in the boil upside down at the time of this report. The boat and motor with accessories is insured through state farm agent for $ 20,000.00.  No violations or citations were noted or issued.  Any recovery efforts to remove the boat will have to be initiated after the river has receded from flood stage to its normal pool.


BARDID: IN-2017-0034
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2017-07-09 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 12:15:00
CoordinatesConfidence: C
NameOfBodyOfWater: White River West Fork
NearestCityorTown: Indianapolis
County: Marion
WaterConditions: Unknown
StrongCurrent: -1
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Hazardous waters
AccidentCause2: Dam/lock
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
I, indiana conservation officer, while on routine boat patrol at geist reservoir on sunday july 9, 2017 in marion county, was notified by marion county emergency communications  (meca) that there was a boat accident on white river at 7300 n. Westfield blvd in indianapolis.  Two adult male kayakers went over the low head dam upstream of the confluence of white river and williams creek.  

After being notified, i took the geist patrol boat back to the dock headed to the accident scene.  I notified ico dispatch of the situation and advised that indianapolis fire department fast water rescue personnel were already on scene.  I disregarded agency resources due to the fact that there were already numerous rescue personnel on scene.  As i arrived on scene approximately twenty minutes later at the westfield blvd bridge just downstream of the accident, rescue personnel had rescued both men from the low head dam area after they had been discharged from the boil below the dam by large debris which broke the hydraulic effect temporarily at the base of the dam.  

Victim one, identified later at methodist hospital, was discharged from the hydraulic first and was conscious after being washed downstream to a strainer and grabbing on to a throw bag rope.  Victim1 was subsequently picked up by ifd zodiac rescue boat.  Victim two, later identified by victim one at the hospital \, was also released from the hydraulic about ten minutes later after victim one but was unconscious.  Both men were recovered from the river by ifd zodiac rescue boat.  Both were transported to methodist hospital in indianapolis.  Victim1 was admitted in critical condition but awake and breathing on his own,  victim2 was in much more dire shape.  He was in cardiac arrest when pulled from the water.  Although rescuers were able to get his heart beating again, he was on a ventilator and was non- responsive to stimuli when i arrived at methodist hospital.  

	i was able to talk to victim1 after i arrived at the hospital.  Prior to my arrival, methodist hospital er victim assistance and chaplain personnel had contacted victim1's wife who was on her way to the hospital.  I asked victim1 how many kayakers were in his party.  He confirmed that only he and victim2 were together and that there was no one else involved.  Victim1 advised that they had met at his home and that victim1's wife had dropped them off at the 116th st white river bridge public access site to launch their kayaks.  

The plan was to kayak to rocky ripple and victim1's wife would pick them up.  Victim1 had specifically decided to not go farther downstream to the larger broad ripple dam because he feared portaging may not be safe due to the high water.  Rather, he had decided to do the portage at the bypass above williams creek thinking it was the safest alternative.  However, victim1 advised when he entered the channel for the bypass area he became confused because the water level was so high he didn't see the portage area which was underwater.  In fact, the water was so high, he thought the dam was farther downstream because there was no longer a significant drop off.  The water below the low head dam had risen to be almost level with the water pouring over the dam.  Victim1 and victim2 were literally going over the dam before they realized that they had reached it.

	the hospital staff advised me that they were not able to positively identify the other victim who unconscious.  A hospital worker was finally able to pull up some information which led to the correct spelling of victim2's name on an obscure social media site.  Upon their respective arrivals, i met both families in the emergency rooms waiting area..  I took victim1’s wife back to the er treatment area to meet with victim1. Later in the afternoon, when victim2’s wife arrived, i met victim2’s wife and her children.  A private waiting area was secured for the family and i accompanied victim2’s wife during her consultation with the er trauma chief doctor as well as the hospital chaplain and victim assistance coordinator.  After being briefed on her husband's condition, victim2’s wife was escorted to the 4th floor icu to spend time with her husband.  Victim2 passed away later that evening. 

	i met up with ico about 5:30 pm to assess the situation of the kayaks which were still in the water.  One victim1's red kayak was in an eddy downstream of the dam area in a log jam under the westfield blvd bridge.  Ico and i recovered the kayak by hand from shore.  Most of victim1's possessions in the kayak were recovered, but a dry box container which was ripped off a connection cord in the accident was missing with victim1's wallet and a ruger lc9s mm handgun.  Victim2's kayak was last seen on a log jam but washed free downstream prior to my return to the accident scene.

	victim1 was kept for several days in two separate hospitals for kidney treatment, which is common in water based trauma accidents.  He was released on friday july 14, 2017.  

	i returned victim1's kayak to him at his home residence on sunday july 16, 2017.  I also furnished an indiana operator's report for a boat accident in an electronic version for him to complete via email.

	i received an electronic copy of victim2's preliminary findings from the autopsy preformed on monday july 10, 2017 and have included it, as well as the ifd run report on personnel and apparatus present at the rescue scene from july 9, 2017.   Victim2's death has been ruled "complications from drowning" pending final toxicology results.


BARDID: IN-2017-0035
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2017-07-12 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 12:09:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake Shafer
NearestCityorTown: Monticello
County: White
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Moderate
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentEvent2: Person struck by vessel
AccidentEvent3: Fall in vessel
AccidentCause1: Navigation rules violation
DayofWeek: Wednesday
RedactedNarrative:
On 7-12-17, at approximately 1209 hrs., i heard white county dispatch page out the monticello fire department for a boat accident with injuries.  He was in a rental boat and the most severely injured female in his boat and he was bringing her to lake shafer boat rentals.  He did not see the accident he just transported the injured to the marina.

When i arrived on scene, i saw the ems personnel moving a female from the boat onto the cot to transport her to the hospital.  There was another female sitting on the dock holding her right wrist.  After i was on scene a short time, a female showed up later identified as subject1.  As the monticello fire department brought the female to the ambulance and i was talking with the caller, the individuals that were not hurt severely and the adults with the group left.  There was one pwc that was left at the marina.  I ran the registration and asked white county dispatch to have a deputy in route to the address to make sure that no one else needed medical assistance.  As i continued to talk to caller he stated that he did not see what happened, but heard the collision and then saw the girls screaming for help. He was able to get the injured females into his boat and brought them to the marina.  

Another person stated that it appeared the pwcs were trying to spray each other as they made their way down the lake.  He stated that he also heard the collision, but did not see it.

After talking with those two subjects, he gentleman showed up and stated that it was his family that was involved in the crash.  

When i arrived, i observed approximately 20 individuals milling around and two white county deputies talking with a subject.  I noticed there were four pwcs in the water and that a few of the people were getting them tied up and on lifts.  There was one pwc that had obvious damage to the starboard bow of the pwc.  The other pwc involved was placed on the lift and raised out of the water but there was no damage that could be found on that machine.

The first female that i talked to was operator1.  Operator1 had a bandaid on her nose for a small laceration from the crash.  I asked her if she needed an ambulance and she stated no.  She was not too clear on the sequence of events, but stated that they were driving the pwcs to make waves and then were jumping the waves.  Operator1 stated that she thought both her and her sister, operator2, went to jump the same wave and that is when the collision occurred.  She stated that the incident happened past indiana beach, towards the dam.

I also talked to the passenger on the machine that struck operator2's machine.  She stated that they were making the waves as the lake was calm and they were jumping the waves.  She is not clear on how the two pwcs hit each other.

I then spoke to the owner of vessels 2 and 3.  He stated that he sat the girls down prior to going out and told them that they could not splash each other with the machines.  He stated that the damaged machine is his and the one that hit that machine belonged to someone else.  He told me that his insurance for the machine is through auto owners insurance company.  

After speaking to him, i was told that both v1 occupant and operator1 were going to be brought to iu white to be checked out.  I then left the house and went to the hospital.  When i arrived, v2 occupant was just being xrayed and she would be down soon.  I was brought to a waiting room where others were waiting. 

Operator3 thinks that operator2 was sitting still in the water when operator1 went to jump the waves and ran into the machine.  I talked to the owner of the vessel that struck operator2's machine.  She told me that her machine is insured through progressive insurance company.  I also spoke to subject1, the mother of three of the females involved in the collision.  She stated to me that operator2 has over 200 hours of experience in operating a pwc and that operator1 has between 100 and 200 hours of pwc operation and that neither one has had formal training.
I then spoke to v2 occupant after she came back from xray.  She stated that she was sore in her right shoulder, lower back, nose, and right wrist.  V2 occupant is unsure if she lost consciousness.  She was not clear on the exact details of the crash, but also stated that they were making waves for each other to jump.  At that time, i got the contact information for subject1 and told her i would call her in a few days to see how her daughters are.

On 7-15-17, I talked to operator2's father.  He informed me that operator2 had surgery the day prior to my call on her jaw to repair the fractures.  He stated that she has surgery on monday to repair both broken bones in her right wrist.  Operator2 fractured 4 or 5 ribs, her right clavicle, and laceration to her liver, and both of her lungs collapsed as a result of the collision.  I was told that the other three females that went to the hospital just had bumps and bruises.


BARDID: IN-2017-0036
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2017-07-14 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 18:20:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Geist Reservoir
NearestCityorTown: Fishers
County: Hamilton
WaterConditions: Rough
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Skier mishap
AccidentEvent2: Person struck by propeller
AccidentCause1: Operator inexperience
DayofWeek: Friday
RedactedNarrative:
Victim states that he fell off of the tube and operator, with very little experience, made a hard right turn, locking the steering wheel to the far right, and made a sharp circle toward the tube in the water. When operator was able to observe victim in the water, he made an evasive left turn running directly over victim. Victim had the forethought to attempt to push off of the hull of the vessel with his feet to avoid impact with the propeller. Victim cleared the propeller with all of his body except both feet. Victim was wearing a type iii impact type wearable pfd. 

Victim was treated by the occupants on the vessel for excessive bleeding and transported in the water to shore, where he was assisted by fishers police officers and medics. Victim was transported to methodist hospital in indianapolis. Victim was treated for severe lacerations, broken bones and cut tendons to both feet. I followed up with victim' mother and she states he had surgery to repair both feet and is expected to have a long road of therapy, but should fully recover.


BARDID: IN-2017-0038
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2017-07-15 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 14:27:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Big Turkey Lake
NearestCityorTown: Stroh
County: Steuben
WaterConditions: Rough
Wind: Moderate
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentEvent2: Fall in vessel
AccidentCause1: Improper lookout
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On 7/15/17 at approximately 2:20pm i was on duty in steuben county on big turkey lake.   I observed two matching pwc's towing/being towed towards the public access.   As they crossed into lagrange county i was waved over and was informed that they had been involved in an accident.  

 i spoke with victim, who was in severe pain and was unable to walk.  He was favoring his left leg, was unable to stand, and during the course of boarding my vessel he appeared in great pain.    I assisted him into my patrol boat and seated him in the bow.  After asking if he wanted medical help i contacted lagrange county dispatch and requested ems assistance at the public access.  I took two photos of the boats involved.  

Contacting other nearby subjects i spoke to subject, who told me he was the operator of the second pwc involved in the accident.  I asked him to step into my boat and he assisted me in the care and transport of victim.   During the transport to the public access, victim appeared to be mostly coherent but on the verge of losing consciousness.   I saw him with his head lolled backwards, eyes closed.        

Once at the big turkey lake public access i removed my medical equipment from my vehicle and began to tend to victim.   He was mostly conscious, and provided me with his name/dob and basic info including medical history.  He told me he had no allergies and was taking no medications.   He told me he didn't remember what day it was and was unable to correctly recall the current president (incorrectly stating obama).

Because his mental state appeared altered i treated victim with oxygen via non-rebreather.   I used two cold packs to attempt to reduce swelling and pain to his leg injury. Cold packs were secured to the left leg just below knee level on opposite sides with rolled gauze.   

Shortly after providing these two treatments stroh volunteer fire staff arrived and took over treatment while i collected statements and information for the accident.    
   
After ems arrived i was able to photograph the pwc's involved and get statements from operator2 and victim.   Victim again told me he did not remember the accident and the last thing he did remember was being on the pwc.   Operator2 told me he and victim were on the steuben county portion of big turkey lake (east of the old railroad grade).  Operator2 told me that victim cut in front of him (counterclockwise) and he struck the port (left) side of victim in a t-bone type accident.   Operator2 stated he may have been at half throttle and after the collision victim may have lost consciousness for a second or less.   

Examining the two pwc's involved in the accident i found pwc oh 3247 du to have a portion of damaged fiberglass amidship on the port side.    This mark was photographed and appeared to match the description of the accident as related by operator2.  The location of the damage was approximately where victim would have been seated and would be approximately where his left calf/leg would have been in normal pwc operation.   The statements/damage and victims injury all seemed to match.     
       


BARDID: IN-2017-0039
State: IN
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2017-07-15 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 19:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake Gage
NearestCityorTown: Angola
County: Steuben
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Fall in vessel
AccidentEvent2: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Alcohol
AccidentCause2: Excessive speed
AccidentCause3: Overloading
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
Prelude:
This is a report in reference to a boating crash that occurred on Lake Gage on 07/15/2017.   The operator and occupants of a powerboat were ejected from the boat.  This resulted in multiple personal injuries, as well as property damage to 2 docks and a collision with a patrol boat. The operator of the boat was charged with multiple alcohol related offenses.   

DISPATCH INFO/INITIAL CALL
On 7/15/17, the Steuben County Sheriff's Department received three emergency 911 calls for a boat crash on Lake Gage.  

 Audio recordings of the 911 calls state “they've been out here… they were going super-fast this whole time and being a little careless and reckless”....“all their heads are above water.”

A second caller confirmed the crash and stated “there are several people in the water.. a boat that is unmanned and twirling in circles going pretty dang fast but there is nobody in the boat.”  

A third caller stated he was “on Lake Gage and there has been a boat accident.” After this, there was a large amount of screaming and a variety of unintelligible words/phases between the subjects in the boat and the injured persons.  When asked how many were injured he said “we have at least two really severely injured.”  He went on to say “one compound fracture and another with a wrist.”  After he identified his name, he says “holy shit hurry please there's someone severely injured.”    After several seconds in which you can hear shouting, the dispatcher attempted to get the location where they were headed on shore.  

Witness3 says “we're having a hard time because the guy who can drive the boat is taking care of someone who's passing out from shock.”  Inquiries about the injuries led Witness3 to say “we have two bleeding severely, ones about to pass out.”  Dispatchers advised Witness3 to get pressure on the wound, leading to a response saying “we're trying to tourniquet it.”   There was more information about injuries relayed and Witness3 stated that there were “two severely bleeding, two compound fractures, one of a arm, one of a hand and she's bleeding severely from a gash on the shoulder.”   After several seconds of yelling dispatchers finally understood Witness3 to say he has 3 injured people on his boat and he doesn't know how many are in the other boat, and there are still more on another boat.  

There ended up being four severely injured persons on two separate boats.

UPON ARRIVAL OBSERVATIONS

I arrived at Lake Gage at approximately 8:17pm and observed a silver unmanned boat circling toward the center of the lake at high speed (estimated at 20-30 mph).   I met with Steuben County Cpl. and I was told the 20 year old female operator was in custody in his vehicle and had provided a Preliminary Breath Test (PBT) of .122.   

Within minutes, I learned the unmanned boat was circling close to shore and was an immediate threat to persons and property.  

ACTIONS UPON UNMANNED BOAT

I launched my Boston Whaler patrol boat across the lake at a location described to me as “The Marina.”  Steuben County Deputies accompanied me on the patrol boat.  Upon nearing the area, I observed the unoccupied boat (a 2007 Correct Craft Sport SV 211 L) circling at high speeds in a tight clockwise radius.   

My first attempt to board the unoccupied boat was unsuccessful, resulting in a minor collision and cracked cowling on the outboard motor of my Boston Whaler. After that unsuccessful attempt to board the unoccupied boat, Steuben County Deputy…


BARDID: IN-2017-0040
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2017-07-16 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 16:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Raccoon Lake
NearestCityorTown: Rockville
County: Parke
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Falls overboard
AccidentCause1: Other
OtherAccidentCause: passenger/skier behavior
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
Victim was climbing on the stern ladder to enter the water.  While climbing on the ladder his left foot slipped off the ladder rung and went between the ladder and transom. His left foot/ankle area became injured and his parents believed that he broke his ankle.  Bellmore vfd arrived and placed a splint on the injured foot/ankle area and transported him to danville hospital.


BARDID: IN-2017-0041
State: IN
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2017-07-21 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 19:30:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Atwood Lake
NearestCityorTown: Wolcottville
County: LaGrange
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Fair
AccidentEvent1: Flooding/swamping
AccidentEvent2: Capsizing
AccidentEvent3: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Improper loading
DayofWeek: Friday
RedactedNarrative:
On friday july 21st 2017 at approximately 8:06pm, ico dispatch informed me of a boat that had capsized on atwood lake in lagrange county.  We were told that all occupants of the boat were out of the water and were now back at their cottage.  I, along with office responded to the scene.  The results of our investigation are as follows.
At approximately 7:45 pm on july 21st, two male subjects were occupants of a small rowboat owned by operator that was being used on atwood lake in lange county.  A concerned neighbor saw the two men capsize the rowboat and enter the water at which time notification to ico dispatch was made.  
According to operator and occupant's account, they both stood up in the small boat and as their weight shifted, water came over the gunwale of the boat causing it to capsize sending them into the water.  Operator assured me that they were both fine and their life jackets had worked as designed because they both popped right to the surface of the water when they fell in.  I asked how they made it back to shore and was told that their friends who were on shore got into their pontoon docked at the cottage and drove out onto the lake to assist them.  I asked who drove out and she said she was on the boat but wouldn't admit to operating out to assist her friends.  She was very reluctant to answer any of my questions with any degree of detail. 
Through interviewing others on scene, subject2 told me that subject3 had driven the boat out to get her friends from the water.  I was able to detect a strong odor of alcohol as well as bloodshot, glassy eyes in all four people involved at the scene however was not able to determine when they had begun drinking.  When i arrived on scene operator and occupant were both sitting in front of their cottage with open beer bottles discussing what had just occurred with subject3 and subject2 were inside.
I interviewed subject4 who indicated to me that he witnessed operator and occupant capsize their boat.  He stated that he was the one that got the attention of subject2 and subject3 and told them about their friends who were in the water.  He stated that subject2 and subject3 got into the pontoon and subject3 operated the boat out to the men in the water.  When the boat arrived on scene subject4 stated that they threw two life preservers from the pontoon into the water for operator and occupant to grab onto.  Subject4 stated that all of the occupants on the pontoon then tried to get the sunken rowboat out of the water but were unsuccessful as it was at the bottom of the lake.
After speaking to subject4, i went back and interviewed operator again and told him that i knew they didn't have life jackets on their boat when it had capsized.  Operator assured me that he did have them on the boat and that when they capsized the life jackets were floating in the water and they were able to grab them which was a different account of what he had told me when i first interviewed him.  
I cited operator for a pfd violation and explained that i would be back out at a later date to run sonar to locate the sunken boat while ico divers would recover it.  I secured a written witness statement from subject4 regarding what he had witnessed and cleared the scene at approximately 9:30pm.
I attempted to locate the capsized boat on 7/24/17.  We ran side scan sonar and located two sunken boats that divers confirmed were not the boat belonging to operator.  We were unsuccessful in locating the boat involved in this incident.


BARDID: IN-2017-0043
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2017-07-28 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 16:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Webster Lake
NearestCityorTown: North Webster
County: Kosciusko
WaterConditions: Rough
Wind: Strong
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with fixed object
AccidentEvent2: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentCause1: Machinery failure
MachineryFailure: Engine
DayofWeek: Friday
RedactedNarrative:
At approximately 1500 hours i made contact with a female subject twho advised me that she had been notified by her neighbor, that her boat, boat lift, and pier had been damaged by another vessel on july 28, 2017. Subject advised that she arrived at her cottage, in she observed damage to her pier, boat lift, and slight damage to the starboard stern of her pontoon, a white 1998 dolphin pontoon with indiana registration in4464bl. Subject advised me that after observing the damage she and her husband, decided to contact indiana conservation officers to obtain an accident report.
I arrived at the cottage at approximately 1600 hours and took photographs of the damage to the boat, boat lift, and the pier. Subject advised me that she had already been in contact with the owners of the other vessel, later identified as a white and red 1929 64 foot stern drive paddle wheel boat with indiana registration number in0061hh. The paddle wheel boat is commonly referred by its name, "the dixie." subject advised she had spoken with the insurance adjuster representing the dixie and the company was sending a representative to look at the damages to her property.
At approximately 1800 hours i arrived at fishermen's cove in north webster, where the dixie is parked between charters. I walked around the vessel and spoke with the owners and crew members. I observed no damage to the vessel, and the crew members also advised me that there was no damage done to the dixie on the evening of july 28, 2017.
At approximately 1830 hours i spoke with the captain of the dixie, who advised me he had been the captain of the vessel on the evening of july 28, 2017. Operator2 advised me that he had taken two charters out earlier in the day and remembers that the wind was blowing very strongly. Operator2 advised me that he had not had any engine trouble that day prior to the accident, which occurred at approximately 1600 hours.
Operator2 advised me that he was turning around in webster bay and was heading north out of the bay when the dixie began to lose power. Operator2 advised me that he attempted to restart the vessel several times and was able to get it running, however, when operator2 put the vessel into gear the engine would die. Operator2 advised me this happened for approximately ten minutes.
Operator2 advised that while the vessel was disabled the wind was pushing the vessel toward the shore near the address. Operator2 advised me that while he was still attempting to regain control of the vessel, it collided with the starboard stern of the pontoon and the boat lift, which were then pushed over into the pier. Operator2 was finally able to get the engine to remain running and power the vessel away from the boat, boat lift, and pier.
At approximately 1900 hours i spoke with subject2, who advised me he had witnessed the entire incident. Subject2 advised me that he observed the dixie run over an idle zone buoy in webster bay and that the buoy had become hung up on the paddle wheel of the dixie. Subject2 advised he could then tell that the captain of the dixie was having trouble starting and keeping the engine of the dixie running properly. Subject2 advised me that the dixie was completely disabled and was being pushed toward the property.
Subject2 advised me that he then heard a loud "crash" and observed the bow of the dixie had collided with the boat and boat lift in front of the property. Subject2 advised that after approximately ten minutes the captain was able to regain control of the dixie and drive it away from the property.


BARDID: IN-2017-0046
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2017-08-12 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 19:30:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Painted Hills Lake
NearestCityorTown: Martinsville
County: Morgan
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Skier mishap
AccidentCause1: Alcohol
AccidentCause2: Excessive speed
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
Details of incident/investigation
On august 12, 2017, i, ico, was notified by the morgan county sherriff's department of a boat accident that occurred on painted hills lake, around 7:30 pm.  They said a female subject was injured and transported to iu morgan hospital.  They said a deputy was in route to the hospital.

On august 13, 2017 i spoke with deputy who went to the hospital and spoke with the parties involved in the accident.  Deputy1 said operator was operating a 20 foot runabout boat and towing a water skier.  Deputy1 said operator was approaching the dam of the lake and went to turn, but did not calculate for how far victim would swing out while skiing.  Deputy1 said victim swung out and collided with the rocks on the face of the dam.  Deputy1 said that victim suffered a separated shoulder, broken ribs, and face injuries.  Deputy1 said all parties were together for a party, and he asked operator if he had been consuming alcohol during the day.  Operator said he had consumed alcohol.  Deputy1 administered a portable breathe test to operator, who tested .05% bac.  Deputy1's report is attached.

On august 15, 2017, i went to operator's home and spoke with him.  Operator said he had been operating boats all his life, but it had been a while since he had pulled a water skier.  He said he just didn't calculate for how far victim was going to swing out when he turned the boat.  Operator said he was traveling around 20-25mph when victim collided with the rocks on shore.  I obtained the boat information of the boat involved.  


BARDID: IN-2017-0048
State: IN
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2017-08-15 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 03:50:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake Michigan
NearestCityorTown: Hammond
County: Lake
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Unknown
AccidentEvent1: Fire/explosion (fuel)
AccidentCause1: Ignition of spilled fuel or vapor
DayofWeek: Tuesday
RedactedNarrative:
On august 15, 2017, at approximately 3:50am, a boat explosion occurred at the hammond marina in hammond, indiana at 701 casino drive on "g" dock.  
The explosion caused a fire in the vessel,  then causing damage to three other vessels and the hammond marina dock where the vessel was docked at. 
All vessels have been determined a total loss due the damage caused by the fire.
The cause of the fire has been determined as a gas vapor explosion onboard vessel.  
The ignition source is undetermined at this time.  
There were no injuries during the fire.  No persons were onboard any of the affected vessels during the time of the explosion.


BARDID: IN-2017-0049
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2017-08-20 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 12:40:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake James
NearestCityorTown: Angola
County: Steuben
WaterConditions: Rough
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Skier mishap
AccidentCause1: Other
OtherAccidentCause: passenger/skier behavior
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On 8-20-17, at approximately 12:50 pm, i, conservation officer cpl., was contacted by steuben county communications and advised that a boat accident had been reported on lake james.  Communications advised me that ems and deputies were on their way to the corner landing where the victim had been brought to shore.  The only information they had at the time was, that it was a tubing accident and the victim had a carabiner impaled in his arm.

I spoke to deputy who advised me he was on the scene and gathering information from the persons involved.  He also advised me that the victim was being transported to parkview regional medical center.  Sgt. also advised me that he had spoken to the operator and he did not believe he had been drinking.  I made arrangements to get the information from sgt. later, and went to parkview.

When i arrived at parkview i spoke with the victim.  Victim advised me that he had been on the lake with his two brothers, operator, who was operating the pwc, and occupant who was the spotter.  

Victim described the incident and how the injury occurred.  He stated that they had been tubing for approximately 45 minutes when operator, who was operating the pwc, slowed down and created some slack in the rope.  When this happened victim went forward and somehow got his arm entangled in the rope.  The rope was attached to the tube by a metal carabiner.  When the pwc again picked up speed the rope and carabiner cinched into victim's arm.  He yelled for help and for them to stop, which they eventually did.  When the rope cinched around victim's lower left arm, the carabiner impaled itself and had to be removed from an unidentified person in a pontoon boat who stopped to provide him aid.  Victim was transported by the pontoon boat to the corner landing where he was met by paramedics.

When the orthopedic nurse came in to examine victim's wound i saw that he had a severe laceration to his lower left arm below the elbow.  There was fat as well as muscle tissue exposed and they began to prep him for surgery.  I took photos of the injury which are included with this report.

I then spoke with operator and occupant who had come into the room.  Both of them described the events just as victim had recounted.  I asked operator if he had consumed any alcohol and he advised me that he had not.  I did not observe anything that indicated that he was under the influence, and i did not smell any alcohol coming from his person.


BARDID: IN-2017-0050
State: IN
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2017-08-20 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 16:03:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Patoka Lake
NearestCityorTown: Dubois
County: Dubois
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Fire/explosion (non-fuel)
AccidentCause1: Machinery failure
MachineryFailure: Engine
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On 8/20/17 at approximately 16:09 hours, we were dispatched by the dubois county dispatch center to the cove directly west of the dam in an area known as "party cove" on patoka lake in dubois county, in for the report of a houseboat fire.  Upon our arrival, at approximately 16:14 hours, the house boat was completely engulfed in flames.  We were flagged down by a boat, containing the houseboats owners, and were advised everyone was off the boat.  The houseboat was resting on the north shoreline and fire suppression crews from the celestine fire dept. And dubois fire dept. Were able to extinguish the fire.  The watercraft was a complete loss.  Once the fire was extinguished the debris was contained with a snake buoy system, used to contain fuel spills, placed by the hoosier hills marina and the army corps. Of engineers.  The indiana dept. Of environmental management was notified of the incident and the steps that were taken to contain the debris and potential spill.
The owners advised they were the owners of the watercraft, a 1986 60ft sumerset houseboat registration# in 6321 dx.  Owner1 advised he was the only occupant at the time of the incident.  Owner1 advised had just pulled anchor and had travelled approximately 100 yards when he heard an explosion from the engine compartment.  Owner1 advised he observed flames in the rear of the boat and initially grab two fire extinguishers but realized the flames were too high to extinguish.  Owner1 advised he grabbed his dog and got onto a neighboring boat that had come to his aid.  Owner2 advised she witnessed the incident from another watercraft.  They advised the watercraft was worth approximately $70,000 and they had approximately $20,000 worth of personal items aboard.  They advised they had insurance through state farm.


BARDID: IN-2017-0051
State: IN
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2017-07-02 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 00:35:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake Michigan
NearestCityorTown: Hammond
County: Lake
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with fixed object
AccidentCause1: Operator inexperience
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
This accident was investigated by Illinois Conservation Police Officer believing the accident occurred in Illinois waters, when in fact, the accident occurred in Indiana Waters on Lake Michigan. Officer advised me that the owner had received insurance check for $96,000.00 for the loss of the boat.
          On Sunday, July 2, 2017 at approximately 0035 Hours, Boat Operator and three other passengers were on their way to Hammond Marina from the Chicago River. While on their way, operator the boat operator struck the Calumet Harbor Breakwall. There were no injuries, the boat was a total loss.


BARDID: IN-2017-0052
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2017-08-19 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 11:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake Michigan
NearestCityorTown: Michigan City
County: LaPorte
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentCause1: Operator inexperience
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
A 2014 32 foot cobalt with indiana registration number in8817dy (vessel 1) was backing north out of the 700 docks and put the boat in drive turning the bow to the west. 

While turning to the west and traveling forward, the boat began to head in a northwest direction, striking the back side of a sail boat, identified by illinois registration number il0176hr as a white and blue 1994 catalina yachts 32 foot sail boat (vessel 3). Vessel two sustained light gouging on the stern and gel coat transfer with an estimated damage amount of $1,000.

Operator1 continued west in the 32 foot cobalt, striking the stern end of another boat, identified by indiana registration number in4728bl as a green 1994 tartan yachts 35 foot sailboat (vessel 2) and coming to a stop. Vessel 2 sustained an approximately dime-sized chip on the starboard side of the stern with an approximate damage amount of $1,000 dollars.

As a result of the collisions, vessel 1 sustained light gouging and gel coat transfer on the starboard side of the boat near the stern with an approximate damage amount of $1,000.

Vessel 3 insured by global marine, and was furnished an operator's report.


BARDID: IN-2017-0054
State: IN
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2017-08-27 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 14:40:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Patoka Reservoir
NearestCityorTown: Birdseye
County: Dubois
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Fire/explosion (fuel)
AccidentCause1: Failure to vent
AccidentCause2: Ignition of spilled fuel or vapor
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
	i (conservation officer) was contacted by central dispatch center on august 27, 2017 at approximately 1447 hours.  They advised that a boat fire was ongoing at south lick fork boat ramp on patoka reservoir.  It was reported that celestine fire department was on scene and all occupants of the boat were safe on shore.

	i responded and arrived on scene at approximately 1507 hours.  I met with the boat owner. He told me that they just backed the boat and trailer into the water.  The boat started and when he put it in gear the rear seats flipped up and he could see fire.  Owner then told me that he pulled open the motor cover and it was full of flames.  Owner exited the boat and swam to the boat ramp.  The boat was a 1988 thunder craft, model 162 sd regency, with indiana registration in 2753 dw.  The boat was not insured.

	owner told me that he used the blower and it was working.  He turned it on while they were backing down the boat ramp.  It does not appear it was on for the recommended four minutes.  Owner told me that the fuel tank was full.  He stated he filled it up on friday evening august 25th.  Owner had just put on a new battery connector.

	celestine vfd was on scene at my arrival.  The fire was out and the boat was on the trailer and on the boat ramp.  The 911 call was at 1440 hours.  The celestine vfd was on scene at 1445 hours and the fire was extinguished at 1450 hours.


BARDID: IN-2017-0055
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2017-09-02 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 17:30:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Burn Ditch Waterway
NearestCityorTown: Portage
County: Porter
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentEvent2: Fall in vessel
AccidentCause1: Navigation rules violation
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On september 2, 2017 at approximately 1700, operator:  Operator2, was operating his motorboat downstream on the west branch of the little calumet river when he was struck from behind from operator1.  

Operator1 and operator2 were both operating their own vessels downstream from south shore marina towards doyne's marina.   

Operator2 trolled down quickly near an abandoned marina, when operator1 was unable to avoid hitting the back of operator2 vessel because he was following too closely. 

Operator1 began to lose control of his jet boat by letting off the throttle at the same time as cutting the wheel to avoid the collision, while on top of operator2 boat wake.

Operator1 struck the back of operator2 motor cover with the bow of his vessel also causing the  bimni top to break. 

The impact throws operator2 forward toward the steering wheel where he then impacted the broken pole of the bimini top.  

The arm of the bimni top hit above operator2 eye near his right eyebrow. 

Operator2 was taken to porter regional hospital for treatment and received 5 stitches above his eye.  

Alcohol was not a factor in the accident.

No charges were filed in result of the accident.


BARDID: IN-2017-0058
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2017-09-16 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 13:12:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake Michigan
NearestCityorTown: Michigan City
County: LaPorte
WaterConditions: Unknown
Wind: Unknown
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Person struck by vessel
AccidentCause1: Operator inexperience
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
A five year old male climbed on an unattended pwc while his father went back to shore. The safety lanyard was plugged in, which is necessary for the pwc to start, and he pushed the ignition button which started the pwc. The pwc was in forward gear so it began to slowly move forward immediately upon being started, which scared him and caused him to grab onto the handlebars.

While grabbing onto the handle bars, he squeezed the throttle lever with his right hand while turning toward shore, accelerating rapidly and riding onto shore at a high rate of speed, striking bystander  as she was sitting in a lawn chair approximately 35 feet from the water's edge. The pwc struck bystander  on her right side causing the injuries to her right foot.


BARDID: IN-2017-0059
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2017-09-16 00:00:00
CoordinatesConfidence: C
NameOfBodyOfWater: Burns Ditch Waterway
NearestCityorTown: Portage
County: Porter
WaterConditions: Unknown
Wind: No wind
Visibility: Unknown
AccidentEvent1: Carbon monoxide exposure
AccidentCause1: Equipment failure
EquipmentFailure: Other
OtherEquipmentFailure: Generator exhaust
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
	ICO indicated to me that based on information that he learned from the coroner's office, a male and female were found nude and deceased on the boat.  Preliminary indications were that the couple had been possibly exposed to Carbon Monoxide of a toxic level. 
	I also learned that Fire Department officials the night before had taken air readings from inside the boat that far exceeded the toxicity threshold. It was described to me that the boat had to be ventilated for approximately 30 minutes before the air reached a safe level for first responders and coroner's office personnel to enter the boat. 
	He indicated that both of the deceased were found nude, nearly on top of each other, on the floor near the foot of the bed.  No engines were reported as running when they were discovered.
	During an exterior inspection, I observed that the Line 1 shore power supply cord was defective (see photographs). The threaded retainer ring was missing from the supply cord at the boat receptacle. With the ring missing, the plug could easily be disengaged but still appear to be plugged in.  Owner said that he had already purchased another supply cord this year, but had not yet replaced it because the boating season was coming to a close. 
	Owner showed us the one and only Carbon Monoxide detector on the boat. It was located in the berthing area on a wall outside of the bedroom door. He told us that it was hardwired into the boat's power supply system and to his belief, was fully functional. He stated that he knew this because he personally had installed it and had also manufactured the mounting plate that it was affixed to. With the line 1 shore power supply cord fully engaged, a green light was illuminated on the CO detector. 
	Owner allowed us to conduct trials with the boat's shore power system.  We discovered that when the line 1 shore power cord was unplugged completely and also slightly disengaged, the air conditioner unit would not function.  He indicated that Victim1 would not know to check this shore power supply cord to see that it was plugged in completely.
	Additionally, when the line 1 shore power supply cord was disengaged, the green light on the CO detector would turn off possibly indicating that it was not functional.
	Owner further stated that when the boat is secured in his slip, he cannot let the inboard engines idle for very long without Carbon Monoxide building up inside of the cabin. He stated that he normally closes the door to the berthing area to prevent the CO detector from tripping into alarm mode. Owner theorized aloud that Victim1 may have run the inboard engines while in the slip for awhile and then turned them off, causing a CO buildup inside of the boat. 
	Owner indicated that the boat's generator was operational.  Upon request, he started the generator.  The gasoline generator's engine seemed to run and function well. The exhaust port for the generator was located on the starboard hull, forward of the stern and above the water line.
	Before leaving, I told Owner that I thought it would be appropriate for him to contact his boat insurance company and advise of the deaths that had occurred on his boat. He dialed a phone number and appeared to leave a message for someone. 

	After discussing with Det., learning from Owner, inspecting the boat and its equipment, it was my belief that if Carbon Monoxide poisoning was in fact the cause of death for the two individuals, I believe that the Carbon Monoxide could likely be sourced to one of the three gasoline engines on the boat. I also believe that due to the outside temperature in the Portage area on Friday, September 15th, (High 87, Mean 73, low 60 degrees Fahrenheit), anyone spending any significant amount of time in the berthing area would likely be extremely uncomfortable without functional air conditioning. It is possible that at some point, one or more engines were started and ran in attempt to get the air conditioner to function.
Wednesday, September 20, 2017
	On this date, I received a phone call from ICO Brock.  He advised me that he had learned on this date that Owner's boat had been taken to Doyne's Marine for winterization services.  A Doyne's representative indicated that he had discovered the presence of a significant leak in the generator's exhaust manifold. 
Thursday, September 21, 2017
	After learning from ICO of the exhaust manifold leak on the generator, I began to conduct some online research on fuel combustion engines and air/fuel mixture. See attached documents.
	I discovered that when the air supply to engine becomes overly rich in Carbon Monoxide and lacks Oxygen, the engine will "choke" and stop running. 
It is possible that:
 - If the line 1 shore power supply cord was not engaged completely the air conditioner would not function
 - The generator was started and had been running inside the engine compartment


BARDID: IN-2017-0060
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2017-09-22 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 13:15:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Monroe Lake
NearestCityorTown: Bloomington
County: Monroe
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Skier mishap
AccidentCause1: Other
OtherAccidentCause: passenger/skier behavior
DayofWeek: Friday
RedactedNarrative:
On september 22, 2017 at approximately 1:20 p.m., while on duty in monroe county, dispatch put out a call in the area of the cutrite boat ramp. A man had a possible broken leg.

I arrived at lake monroe, cutrite boat ramp at approximately 1:25 p.m. a boat was tied to the dock with several people standing around it. Victim was lying in the back of the boat with his leg propped up on the back seat. I applied an ice pack to the swollen area on victims leg.
Victim explained he was trying to wake board when the power of the boat and the downward pressure on his leg caused the leg to break. Victim explained he released the rope from the boat and went into the water. The operator of the boat stopped the boat and assisted victim back into the boat.

Operator took the boat back to the cutrite boat ramp, subject2 called 911. After interviewing four people,  they all confirmed victims story. Victim was transported to iu health in bloomington.


BARDID: IN-2017-0061
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2017-09-24 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 07:11:00
CoordinatesConfidence: NC
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake Michigan
NearestCityorTown: Porter
County: Porter
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Unknown
AccidentEvent1: Person departed vessel
AccidentEvent2: Capsizing
AccidentEvent3: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Alcohol
AccidentCause2: Improper loading
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On Sunday 9/24/17 Victim drowned while with two friends on borrowed kayaks on Lake Michigan near the Porter Beach and Dune Acres boundary.

  On Sunday 9/24/17 at approx. 6:00 p.m. Victim, Operator2 and Operator1 were visiting at Porter Beach.  The three borrowed the use of two kayaks from an unknown male they just met that day.  They also borrowed two personal floatation devices.  Operator2 was in one of the kayaks and Victim and Operator1 were in the other.  

While on the lake Victim decided to get out the kayak he was in and swam over to the one Operator2 was operating.  Victim attempted to board Operator2's kayak which caused it to capsize with both Victim and Operator2 entering the water.  Operator2 had a PFD on while Victim did not have one.  Operator1 paddled over to the area Victim and Operator2 were located.  As Operator1 got close to the other two, Victim then attempted to reboard Operator1's kayak.  When Victim attempted to board the second kayak it also capsized causing Operator1 to enter the water.  Operator1 was also wearing a PFD at the time.

      The three began to swim to shore with Victim trailing the other two. Both stated that Victim was swimming fine and then a small wave came across at which time they lost visual contact with Victim.  A short time later after Victim became missing Operator2 and Operator1 flagged down a recreational boater who inturn called the Porter Co. Central Dispatch.

       A search of the area was unsuccessful locating Victim that evening performed by Porter Fire, U.S. Coast Guard, Porter Police and Conservation Officers.  The following morning 9/25/17 the body of Victim was recovered in approx. 10 ft. of water 150 yds. from shore off Porter Beach.  The body was located by the U.S. Coast Guard helicopter and removed by Porter Fire.

       Operator2 and Operator1 advised that they had been drinking beer prior to entering the water.  Lack of a personal floatation device seems to be a main contributing factor and alcohol may have been a contributing factor pending toxicology report from the Porter Co. Coroner's office.

      The coroner initial cause of death was drowning.  The Official cause of death will be included in the coroner's report along with the toxicology.  Both will be included in this report when they become available.


BARDID: IN-2017-0063
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2017-11-20 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 12:17:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: FlatRock River
NearestCityorTown: Columbus
County: Shelby
WaterConditions: Unknown
StrongCurrent: -1
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Capsizing
AccidentEvent2: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Hazardous waters
AccidentCause2: Operator inexperience
DayofWeek: Monday
RedactedNarrative:
On november 20, 2017, at approximately 1323 hrs., i, indiana conservation officer was notified about a boat accident that occurred in shelby county at approximately 1218 hrs. On the flatrock river near the geneva lowhead dam.  Initial reports indicated that a small boat with one male occupant went over the dam and capsized.  I contacted the shelby county sheriff's department and they advised that the boat operator was pulled from the water by the shelby county swift water rescue team at 1255 hrs. And transported to major hospital in critical condition.  The unidentified victim arrived at major hospital at 1313 hrs.  

I arrived at the hospital at 1429 hrs. And spoke with medical staff.  The staff advised that the unidentified male victim was being transferred to methodist hospital for further treatment.  They provided me with a set of keys that were in the male's jacket.  I left the hospital and went to the flatrock river area where the accident occurred.  I arrived at approximately 1509 hrs., and located the boat still in the boil of the lowhead dam. I took photos and recorded the registration number on the boat, in8231ap.  Efforts were made to run the registration to identify the owner but those efforts were unsuccessful.  

I talked to the original 911 caller.  Caller stated that he observed a white male wearing an orange jacket using oars to navigate with as the boat floated down the river.  Caller stated that he tried to warn the male several times that he was getting ready to go over the dam, but the current was so swift that the male was unable to paddle fast enough to get the boat to shore.  Caller stated that once the boat went over the dam, he called 911 and offered words of encouragement to the victim to continue to hold on to the boat until help arrived.  Caller stated that it appeared that there was a propane tank that was inside the boat with the male and that the tank was stuck in the boil and kept hitting the male in the head while he was in the water.  

Caller has lived near the river for several years and stated that he did not recognize the man or the boat.  After talking to him, i drove along the river looking for an abandoned vehicle that may be in a position where the male victim could have launched the boat.  I continued looking until well after sunset on both sides of the river and was not able to locate a vehicle matching this description.  I spoke with several residents in the area and asked if they knew someone that had a boat similar to the one involved in the accident.  Each time i followed up on a lead that someone would give me regarding the possible boat owner, the investigation would come to an end because potential owner would be located and their boat would be confirmed to be on site.  The search for leads ended at approximately 2000 hrs.

	at approximately 2319 hrs., ico dispatch received a call from suject, stating that she may have information regarding the accident.  I called subject and she advised that she was with her boyfriend, operator1 earlier in the day near st. Paul.  She stated that they got in to an argument and that operator1 got in to a boat and told her that he was going to float the flatrock river to knoblitt park in columbus, in.  She stated that operator1 asked if she wanted to accompany him, and she said that it was too cold and he didn't have any life jackets so she declined the offer.  Subject stated that he was wearing an orange jacket and that was the last time that she talked to him or seen him and she feared that the person we had a methodist hospital was operator1.  I asked subject to describe any tattoos that operator1 had and that i would contact hospital staff to see if we could confirm his identity in that manner.  Subject provided approximately six different tattoos on various locations of operator1's body.  I contacted methodist hospital staff and they were able to confirm all of the tattoos that the unidentified victim had.  I explained to the staff about the current situation and that i was going to have subject come to the hospital for a positive identification.

	i called subject back and advised her that it appeared that the victim was operator1, but we would need to do a positive visual identification before we could be for sure that it was him. I asked if she could go to the hospital, and she said yes.  I asked subject if operator1 had any other family that i could contact and she stated that his mother was living, but they did not communicate with each other.  At approximately 0021 hrs on november 21, 2017, i began to ask subject some very specific questions regarding how we got to this point.  I asked if the boat belonged to operator1 and subject stated that it belonged to a friend.  When i asked more questions regarding the friend, subject then admitted that the boat was really just a random boat that operator1 decided to go for a ride in. 

I asked subject if she could recall where they were when he got in to the random boat and she said that she wasn't sure where they were but she thought they were close to st. Paul.  I asked what type of vehicle they were driving and she said they were driving a maroon chevy blazer.  I asked subject where she was currently and she said that she was in columbus and that she had to have a friend come and pick her up after operator1 left in the boat because they chevy blazer would not start.  I asked what was wrong with the blazer and she stated that they had been have problems with the alternator and she suspected that was the problem.  Subject stated that she last saw operator1 around 1030 hrs. And she sat with the chevy blazer until approximately 2030 hrs. Before she could find a friend to come and pick her up.  Subject stated that she had to send a pin on a map to her friend because she didn't know the location where she was at.  I asked if the location was in a rural area that was out in the open or if there were houses nearby, and she said that there were not any houses close to the broke down vehicle.  I asked what they were even doing in that area and subject said that they were en route to the casino.  The more questions i asked subject, the more she seemed to not remember and would either not answer or ignore the questions that i asked.  

	on november 22, 2017 operator1 was released from the hospital.

	on november 23, 2017, i drove along the flatrock river looking for the maroon chevy blazer vehicle to try and find the location where the boat was taken.  I was unable to locate the vehicle.  Later that evening, i drove to operator1's residence in columbus, in to interview him and he was not there.

	on november 24, 2017, the shelby county sheriff's department received a call, stating that there was a maroon chevy blazer on her property that was covered with a tarp.  Upon further investigation, it was determined that there were items inside the vehicle that had been stolen from the property, and the boat belonging to her brother was missing from a shed on the property.  Detective captain is handling the burglary and theft of items from the residence and property.  The vehicle was towed from the scene and transported to ross towing in shelbyville, in.

	on december 6, 2017, the shelby county swift water rescue team recovered the boat from the flatrock river and it was returned to the property.


BARDID: IN-2017-0065
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2017-10-29 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 06:45:00
CoordinatesConfidence: NC
NameOfBodyOfWater: Long Lake
NearestCityorTown: Valparaiso
County: Porter
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Unknown
AccidentEvent1: Capsizing
AccidentEvent2: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentEvent3: Flooding/swamping
AccidentCause1: Alcohol
AccidentCause2: Drug
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On sunday october 29, 2017 at approximately 0645 hours, two adult males were drifting in a 17 foot coleman canoe on the northeast end of long lake in valparaiso, indiana when, for an unknown reason the canoe capsized and both survivors ended up in the water

The surviving said they had been canoeing since around 0400 hours and had been consuming marijuana and adderall prior to going out on the water. He said they were also smoking marijuana while on the water and had last smoked about 30 minutes before capsizing. The wind was light and the water was calm at the time of the incident.

According to survivor, he was sitting in the front of the canoe and Victim was sitting in the back and they were facing each other and just talking when the canoe tipped over. Survivor was able to make it to shore and did not see Victim return to shore. Survivor made contact with a lake resident and she called 911.

The canoe was found upright and partially filled with water, resting against some lilly pads to the east of where survivor described capsizing. There were no life jackets onboard at the time of the incident and neither survivor was wearing one.

body was recovered on november 19, 2017 in approximately 8 feet of water to the east of where survivor said the canoe capsized.


BARDID: IN-2017-0066
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2017-07-14 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 16:39:00
CoordinatesConfidence: NC
NameOfBodyOfWater: Raccoon Lake
NearestCityorTown: Rockville
County: Parke
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Person departed vessel
AccidentCause1: Other
OtherAccidentCause: Passenger/skier behavior
DayofWeek: Friday
RedactedNarrative:
On july 14, 2017 at or about 4:39 p.m. i  was notified by dispatch that a man had not resurfaced in raccoon lake while swimming near a boat with family in the north idle zone near hartman's landing.  I launched my jon boat at hollandsburg boat ramp and located the boat where the incident occurred.  I spoke with the owner of the boat.  

Owner informed me that the missing man jumped overboard to swim and had resurfaced briefly before disappearing underwater.  Owner stated he had attempted to throw victim a flotation noodle, and after victim disappeared he made multiple attempts to locate him underwater.  Owner also pointed out to me an approximate location where he believed victim had disappeared, and i marked the area with a floating buoy.
	         
indiana conservation officer divers began a search for victim.  Ico and i assembled the side scan sonar and began to search the area. Ico utilized sonar on his jon boat to locate victim's body approximately 60 yards southwest of the marker buoy, which was retrieved by ico at 6:42 p.m.
			
victim was pronounced dead at the scene, and his body was positively identified by subject who stated that victim had been complaining of being hot, and had jumped in the water to cool off before disappearing under the surface.  She also mentioned that he had medical history of heart problems.
	      
on july 15, 2017 at 1:00 p.m. i attended autopsy at regional hospital in terre haute.  The procedure was completed by dr..  Preliminary findings were consistent with drowning. 

 i swear and affirm under i.c. 35-44-2-1 the penalty of perjury, that the foregoing information and the representations made herein are true and accurate to the best of my knowledge and belief.


BARDID: IN-2017-0067
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2017-06-11 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 15:15:00
CoordinatesConfidence: NC
NameOfBodyOfWater: Saxony Lake
NearestCityorTown: Indianapolis
County: Hamilton
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Falls overboard
AccidentCause1: Drug
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On june 11, 2017, at approximately 1530 hours indiana conservation officer corporal advised ico central dispatch of a report from fishers police department of possible missing person at saxony beach park at 13288 pennington road fishers indianain hamilton county. The initial information from hamilton county dispatch reported that a male was struggling in the water around saxony beach. Officers with fishers police department and fishers fire department were first to arrive on scene. 
Indiana conservation officers on scene gathered information for the victim, wearing maroon swim trunks and possible light colored shirt. 
Indiana conservation officers made contact with a witness to the drowning. Witness advised that she observed a black male on a paddleboard, fall into the water near the north east corner of the lake and then begin to struggle. She stated that the male did not appear to have a life jacket on, but was wearing a light colored shift with no sleeves. 

Witness advised that the male was less than 50 feet out from the north shore. Witness entered the water two different times attempting to rescue and locate the male. She swam out about 20 feet after entering the water the second time, but was not able to locate him. She brought the paddleboard with life jacket attached to it and paddle to shore. She last saw the male at approximately 1515 hours. Another witness advised that he was on another paddleboard out off of the point near the beach and swimming area.


BARDID: IN-2017-0068
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2017-06-25 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 11:59:00
CoordinatesConfidence: C
NameOfBodyOfWater: Eel River
NearestCityorTown: South Whitley
County: Whitley
WaterConditions: Unknown
StrongCurrent: -1
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Capsizing
AccidentEvent2: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Dam/lock
AccidentCause2: Hazardous waters
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On 6/25/2017 at around 11:30 am, Four people began unloading their kayaks on the downside of the collamer dam.  They were parked on the west side of 900 w where a bridge crosses the eel river west of south whitley.  Victim1 observed the dam and advised everyone in his party that he wanted to ride his kayak over the dam.  Victim1 took his kayak over to the top of the dam where they met a second group of people that were going to swim around in the water below the dam.  
Victim1 launched his green kayak from the south side of the dam from the cement and maneuvered his kayak to the middle of the river around 20-25 yards upstream of the dam.  At this point victim1, who was in a green kayak wearing a type 3 personal floatation device and a helmet, turns and faces downstream toward the dam and drifts to the dam only using his paddle to keep himself pointed downstream.  Victim1 went over the dam holding his arms up in the air with paddle in his hands and over his head.  Victim1 and his kayak went over the dam and the bow of the kayak entered the water first.  
Upon entering the water victim1 rolled to the portside and capsized his kayak.  Victim1 exited the kayak and began struggling to gain footing due to the boil downstream and the force of the water falling from the low head dam.  The green kayak was rolling and flipping in the water and eventually was submerged.  Victim1, now completely submerged in the water, was bobbing up and down.  Each time victim1 would bob, his head would go under water.  
Approximately 20 seconds go by from the time victim1 went over the dam when subject1, who was standing nearly 15-20 yards downstream of the boil line, began swimming and jumping his way through the water to assist victim1.  Subject1 struggled to make it through the boil line but was able to stand in the boil.  At this point subject1 reaches out to grab victim1, simultaneously subject1 is pulled underwater and completely submerged by the force of the boil.  At this point both subject1 and victim1 are bobbing up and down in the low head dam.  Approximately 1 minute and 46 seconds after victim1 and his kayak entered the dam and flipped into the water emergency 911 was contacted.  The time of the call was 11:59 am.
During this time subject2 had entered the water near the boil line and was able to grab ahold of both victim1 and subject1 and he pulled them to shore.  The first responder to arrive on scene was a volunteer firemen from cleveland township fire department.  When responder arrived he observed a male subject floating in the water and subject2 out attempting to get the other male out of the water.  He assisted subject2 and got the second male subject to shore.  He began cpr on subject1 until a pulse was located.  More cleveland township first responders arrived on scene and began cpr on victim1.  The samaritan helicopter from parkview regional medical center was called and arrived on scene to transport both victim1 and subject1 to the hospital.

The scene-
The incident scene was at collamer dam just west of south whitley on the south side of the eel river.  The location by means of address is 5995 s 900 w south whitley, in 46787.  The collamer dam is a 'low-head' dam that stretches the width of the eel river.  The eel river downstream in north manchester, in gages the river at 5.56 feet where a minimum flood stage is measured at 9.0 feet and moderate flood stage is measured at 11 feet.  At the collamer dam on the down-stream side of the 'boil line' it is approximately 3 feet in depth, at the boil line the depth is approximately 4.5-5 feet in depth.
Current disposition:
Both victim1 and subject1 were transported and in critical condition.  Victim1 was pronounced brain dead.  In this report, the injury record for the bystander has been removed.


BARDID: IN-2017-1001
State: IN
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2017-05-07 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 17:20:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Patoka River
NearestCityorTown: Jasper
County: Dubois
WaterConditions: Unknown
StrongCurrent: -1
Wind: Unknown
Visibility: Unknown
AccidentEvent1: Collision with fixed object
AccidentEvent2: Capsizing
AccidentEvent3: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Hazardous waters
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
According to News Media three men were stranded while kayaking in the Patoka River early Sunday evening.  At approximately 5:20 pm they were kayaking in the Patoka River downstream of East 300 North northeast of Jasper.  One of the kayaks overturned upon hitting a low lying limb at water level. The area of the Patoka River that the men were in was flooded with a strong current.  All three individuals became stranded in the water with only two kayaks left for them to hold on to.  The third kayak drifted downstream in the current. The boys were stranded in the water for approximately 1.5 hours, and were not wearing life jackets.  They were met with an ambulance and transported to Jasper Memorial Hospital.  There were no major injuries sustained from the incident.


BARDID: IN-2017-1002
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2017-07-10 00:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake Michigan
WaterConditions: Unknown
Wind: Unknown
Visibility: Unknown
AccidentEvent1: Collision with fixed object
AccidentEvent2: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentEvent3: Person struck by vessel
AccidentCause1: Unknown
DayofWeek: Monday
RedactedNarrative:
According to News Media - An  angler and his partner escaped serious injury in a boating accident on Lake Michigan July 10.  They launched in East Chicago, ran to Chicago, caught a few fish, then made the 20-mile ride back to the ArcelorMittal shipping channel near Burns Harbor. As he zoomed into the mouth of the shipping channel, the bottom of his boat struck a large pipe protruding inches above the water off an underwater break wall. The heavy pipe shredded the fiberglass hull the 21-foot Ranger Boat on impact and ejected both men into the lake.  Both anglers were jettisoned across the front deck, over the bow and into 30 feet of water. One was knocked temporarily unconscious when his face slammed into the console on his way out of the boat. Fortunately for both men, the boat turned sharply away as they were tossed over the nose and neither man was struck by the propeller. The boat came to rest against channel rocks. He had the outboard “kill” switch attached to his life vest but had forgotten to attach it to the throttle connector.  The boat did slow to idle speed when his foot came off the gas. Both anglers were wearing life jackets.  One had a traditional foam-filled jacket that covers the back and chest; one was wearing a harness style vest designed to inflate when submerged, it didn’t. He regained consciousness underwater and surfaced The other man was struggling due to his badly injured legs - the prop on the electric motor cut it when he was thrown over the top of it.  The boat had filled with water from a gaping hole torn along the keel on the bottom.
http://www.southbendtribune.com/sports/outdoors/outdoors-anglers-lucky-after-crash/article_8eab696b-1431-51d9-acf3-56955722da4d.html


BARDID: IN-2018-0001
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-04-05 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 00:00:00
CoordinatesConfidence: NC
NameOfBodyOfWater: Driftwood River
NearestCityorTown: Columbus
County: Batholomew
WaterConditions: Unknown
StrongCurrent: -1
HazardousWaters: -1
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Capsizing
AccidentEvent2: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Hazardous waters
DayofWeek: Thursday
RedactedNarrative:
Officer advised that from the information they had obtained the subject had went kayaking on the driftwood river near the tannehill trailer park in the morning on 4/4/18 and had not been heard from since. 


From the information they had obtained and the face book posts it appeared that Victim had taken his kayak from his residence in tannehill trailer park and launched it on the driftwood river, which was extremely flooded due to very heavy rains that we had received. They advised his truck was still at his residence so it was likely that he had taken the kayak and walked from his residence to heflin park, which is located directly behind his residence and is located next to the driftwood river. They also had found out that Victim did not have a life jacket and never wore one when he kayaked. 

We located a blue sun dolphin kayak, which we were advised by the family was the kind of kayak Victim owned. The kayak was upright in the trees out of the main river channel. There was nothing in the kayak and no signs of Victim around it. We retrieved the kayak and searched the river back upstream to where we had launched but did not locate Victim. Upon arrival back at the command site family members confirmed that the kayak was Victims.

   the drones and helicopter continued to search the area of the river from our location south, checking as far south as azalia but were unable to locate Victim. Later in the afternoon we decided to launch bartholomew county's air boat at the command site and they would search the fields down along the river to see if Victim had possibly been washed out into the fields. At approximately 16:00 hrs. The air boat crew advised that they had located a body. The body was stuck in debris just outside of the main river channel. The body was loaded into the air boat and taken to the bank where it was turned over to the coroner's office. The body was approximately 100 yards downstream of where Victim's kayak was located. A family member later positively identified the body to be Victim. At the time he was located he was wearing a red shirt, blue jeans that were pulled down to his ankles and underwear. Victim was not wearing a life jacket when he was located.

   an autopsy was performed on april 7th. The preliminary examination did not show any signs of homicide but the final determination of cause of death is still pending toxicology reports.

  on 04-20-2018, the autopsy report concluded that the cause of death was asphyxia due to drowning, accidental.


BARDID: IN-2018-0002
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-04-26 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 12:15:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Shock Lake
NearestCityorTown: North Webster
County: Kosciusko
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Capsizing
AccidentEvent2: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Operator inexperience
DayofWeek: Thursday
RedactedNarrative:
On april 26, 2018 at approximately 1215 hours operator was fishing from a kayak on shock lake in tri county f&w area. While fishing with his boat anchored in one spot, he moved around in the kayak causing it to capsize resulting in him entering the water. At the time he had his life preserver on and floated beside the boat. He was able to upright the watercraft but was unable to re-board it due to its instability in the water. Eventually, after being unable to get anyone’s attention to help him, he was able to swim over to a shallow peninsula in the lake not far from him in an attempt to get out of the water and reach shore. Due to his hypothermic condition from being in the cold water for so long, he was unable to walk through the shallow water and thick mud all the way up to shore. He observed another vehicle drive down to the access site and was able to get the occupants attention who then called 911. A boat belonging to the syracuse fire department was used to go retrieve him from the water and bring him to shore. He was transported to kosciusko community hospital for treatment of hypothermia.


BARDID: IN-2018-0003
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-05-20 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 08:15:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Brookville Lake
NearestCityorTown: Liberty
County: Union
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Fair
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentCause1: Operator inattention
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On 05/20/2018, at approximately 8:15am, subject was on his boat buoyed at the quakertown marina. He was working on his battery. He heard a man shout "watch it!" he then immediately heard a boom. The boat that was struck was unoccupied, covered, and buoyed. Subject saw three men on a boat start to leave the area, come back to the boat, and then head to the gas docks of quakertown marina. Subject did not make contact with the men on the boat. 
Operator1 said that he, his son, and his grandson were cruising and fishing in the buoy field area. The boat was a tiller steer, and operator1 said he was operating when he became distracted by his son who was putting a slip bobber on one of the fishing poles. He admitted to turning loose of the tiller for "just a second" when he realized that he was too close to boat. He was not able to regain control of the vessel in time, and the raised trolling motor that was on the bow of operator1's boat slammed into the siding of a pontoon. This is consistent with the visual damage observed.

Operator1 stated that he went to the marina gas docks to report the incident, but the marina was not open yet. He decided to return to fishing and come back to the marina once they had opened.

No alcohol was found on operator1's boat, there were no signs of impairment, and alcohol was not suspected as a contributor to the crash. Operator1 was cited for imprudent operation.


BARDID: IN-2018-0005
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-02-18 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 13:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Hamilton Lake
NearestCityorTown: Hamilton
County: Steuben
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentCause1: Operator inattention
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
V2 owner stated to me that his pontoon boat was at the dock at clark's landing marina when a personal watercraft(pwc) crashed into it at approximately 1:00 pm.  V2 owner stated that his pontoon boat had visible dents and the marina pulled it out of the water for him so he could get a better look at the dents.  The marina advised him that the dents would not be able to be repaired and that he would have to replace the port side pontoon at an approximate cost of $6,000.00.
V2 owner stated there was about an 11 or 12 years old boy trying to drive a boston whaler.  The boy was having trouble operating it.  V2 owner stated to me that operator1 then came towards the dock on his pwc and crashed into the pontoon boat.  V2 owner stated to me that he watched operator1 push away with his hand from his pontoon boat.  V2 owner stated the boy got the whaler running and then both of them left the marina area.  V2 owner stated to me that operator1 never talked to anyone at the scene and just left.  Operator1 was the father of the boy operating the boston whaler.  V2 owner stated to me that he was standing on the shop side of the channel at the marina when he heard the crash and looked over and seen it.  V2 owner then stated to me that he went over to look at his pontoon boat and seen scratches on the port side pontoon.  The marina suggested that he pull the pontoon boat out of the water and look at it due to the very loud crash and the scratches down the side.  V2 owner stated the marina got the pontoon boat pulled out of the water at about 3:00 pm.  V2 owner stated to me that this is when they noticed multiple dents in the port side pontoon.  V2 owner's pontoon boat was new and had just been put in the water that day.  V2 owner stated the marina knew the identity of the operator(operator1) of the pwc.  V2 owner stated the marina then contacted operator1 and operator1 stated that he was running errands and it would be a little bit but he would stop by.  Operator1 showed up at the marina at approximately 4:00 pm.  V2 owner stated to me that operator1 stated that it was not a big deal and tried to convince him that it was no big deal.  V2 owner stated to me that operator1 never denied crashing into the boat and had an arrogant attitude.  V2 owner stated to me that both of them then exchanged information at the marina.  V2 owner stated he has state farm insurance.
     on 05-27-18 at approximately 5:25 pm i spoke with operator1 on the telephone.  The call lasted approximately 12 minutes.  Operator1 stated to me that his pwc was in idle and bumped the side of v2 owner's pontoon boat.  Operator1 stated to me that he was assisting another family member with a boat. Operator1 stated he was later called by the marina and he went and looked at v2 owner's pontoon boat.  Operator1 stated to me that he hit v2 owner's boat but his boat was in idle position.  Operator1 stated to me that "he tapped him."  operator1 admitted to me that he "bumped" v2 owner's pontoon boat causing small bumps, creases, and scratches.  Operator1 stated to me that he told v2 owner that "he can't see the forest because of the trees."  operator1 stated to me that he did not tell the owner because it was a miniscule amount of damage.  Operator1 also stated to me that he did not tell the owner of the boat because he was "jawing with the marina hands."  on 05-27-18 at approximately 6:00 pm i went to operator1's lake house to photograph the pwc.  Operator1 invited me to come over to the residence and invited me to photograph his pwc to show that there was no damage on it.  Operator1 stated to me that he thought the crash happened around 11:15 am and clark's landing marina had called him at approximately 1:40 pm.
Witness stated to me that operator1 never tried to stop the impact and was going about 5 mph when he crashed into the pontoon boat.  He also stated to me that operator1 was looking at his boy trying to get that boat running and not watching where his pwc was going. 
     operator1 failed to stop the pwc he was operating at the time of the crash and exchange the required information in ic 14-15-4-1.  Operator1 also did not operate his pwc in a careful and prudent manner and therefore caused the crash.  


BARDID: IN-2018-0006
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-05-27 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 15:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: West Boggs
NearestCityorTown: Loogootee
County: Martin
WaterConditions: Rough
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Skier mishap
AccidentCause1: Operator inexperience
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On 5-27-18 at approximately 15:00, i overheard radio traffic from martin county regarding a 17 year old subject who had been injured on the water at west boggs and was being transported to the hospital via ambulance.  Units from the daviess co sheriff's office, loogootee pd, and isp were all en route to the gatehouse where the victim had been transported.

	at approximately 15:10, i arrived on scene and met with isp trooper who stated that the victim was being towed on a wakeboard and had fallen hard into the water. He stated that the victim was in the ambulance and was being transported to jasper memorial hospital.  I then met with dc deputy, who introduced me to a witness to the accident.

	according to witness1, who was the observer on the boat, his friend (the victim)  was standing up riding the wake board when he went over a wave and fell.  When the victim fell from the board, his face and head slammed into the water very forcefully.  The victim was then pulled into the boat, and began complaining of dizziness and a lot of pressure on his eyes.  He was then transported by truck to the gatehouse where they met the ambulance.  According to the witness witness1, the boat was going around 25 mph when the accident occurred.

	according to rescue personnel, victim did not have any visible injuries to his face or head and was being transported just to be safe and get checked out. 


BARDID: IN-2018-0007
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-05-27 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 16:09:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Morse Reservoir
NearestCityorTown: Noblesville
County: Hamilton
WaterConditions: Rough
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentEvent2: Fall in vessel
AccidentCause1: Alcohol
AccidentCause2: Navigation rules violation
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
Both vessels northbound from carrigan rd area towards marina.  V1 wheeled around and stopped facing east to avoid traffic congestion.  V2 could not stop in time and struck v1 broadside, with the nose of v2 contacting the middle of the starboard side of v1.  V2 had primary damage at the bow.  V1 had a large hole in the starboard side, midship.  Steering controls were broken, with secondary damage to bow.  
Operator on v1 suffered serious injuries, including a broken jaw, facial lacerations, dental damage, and a leg injury.  Operator on v2 and passenger on v1 both had minor soreness and bruising.  All involved occupants were wearing pfd's.  

Operator of v2 tested positive for alcohol, but was just below the legal limit at the time of sfst's.  The primary cause of the accident was following too closely.  Alcohol may have been a factor.


BARDID: IN-2018-0008
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-06-01 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 19:45:00
CoordinatesConfidence: NC
NameOfBodyOfWater: Monroe Reservoir
NearestCityorTown: Bloomington
County: Monroe
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Fair
AccidentEvent1: Person departed vessel
AccidentCause1: Other
OtherAccidentCause: Passenger/skier behavior
DayofWeek: Friday
RedactedNarrative:
On june 1st, 2018, at approximately 1938 hours, i, indiana conservation officer, received a call from central dispatch about a missing boater last seen in the water on monroe reservoir near the paynetown campgrounds and boat ramp. I and several other officers responded. When i arrived on scene i spoke to two subjects on an anchored pontoon boat. They advised that they were with a group of people out boating when a storm starting coming. There were two male subjects swimming in the water and when they went to pull them out of the water one subject was missing. They got the other subject out of the water but could not find victim. They then returned to the boat rentals and got some employees to help look for victim.

The two witnesses advised that the area they were anchored in was where they believed victim went missing. The area was searched by boat and sonar until approximately 2230 hours when lighting conditions called for the search to be suspended until the next morning at 0600 hours. The search was continued through june 2nd until the search was suspended due to lighting conditions until the third at 0600 hours. On june 3rd a sonar unit searching an area further towards moore's creek and the paynetown boat ramp than the previous search area had a possible hit on a body. Divers entered the water, confirmed that the sonar hit was a body and recovered victim's body in 15 feet of water at approximately 1949 hours. The temperature of the water at the time was 77.5 degrees Fahrenheit

Update: a preliminary autopsy on june 4th, 2018, showed that victim's cause of death was consistent with drowning.


BARDID: IN-2018-0009
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-06-12 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 16:39:00
CoordinatesConfidence: C
NameOfBodyOfWater: Farm Pond
NearestCityorTown: Tennyson
County: Spencer
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Capsizing
AccidentEvent2: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentEvent3: Flooding/swamping
AccidentCause1: Overloading
DayofWeek: Tuesday
RedactedNarrative:
On 6-12-18 at approximately 15:33 cst, the spencer county sheriff's office received a call that a fisherman had fallen out of a boat and was missing.  Spencer co dispatch contacted multiple rescue units including their ema water rescue team, isp, and ico central dispatch.

Witnesses and rescue units took me to a small pond that was located behind the victim's residence.  The pond, n38.0848/w87.0590, was approximately 1/3 acre and was surrounded by pond lillies growing along the edge.  I observed a blue colored paddle boat floating upside down in the pond as well as a pair of rubber boots floating.

Trooper advised that the witnesses stated that they were on the small paddle boat with victim checking a trot line that was strung across the pond.  As they worked their way across the pond, the witnesses stated that the boat flipped over and threw them all into the water.  Subject1 was able to help subject3 to the shore, but victim struggled for a short time and then went under the surface and never came up.

Trooper2 advised that she attempted a search of the pond utilizing her scuba gear but was unable to clear her ears and could not get to the bottom.  She estimated the depth to be around 10 feet deep.  
 According to subject1, who was visibly shaken by the incident, he and his fiancée subject3 had been invited to run the trot line with Victim.  He stated that they were all three in the small paddle boat working their way across the pond checking and baiting the trot line.  They had just taken off a catfish and placed it on the stringer, when the boat began to flip over.  As it flipped over, all three were thrown into the water.  Subject1 stated that he could swim and he immediately grabbed ahold of both subject3 and the victim.  He estimated that they struggled for a couple minutes in the water and that the boat floated away from them when it flipped over.  He stated that he felt subject3 sinking in the water so he let go of victim and began dragging her toward the shore.  He said that he heard victim asking for help and then went under water.

I then had subject1 walk around the pond on the side of the dam to give a better location of where the victim went under.  He showed me where a pack of cigarettes was floating in the water and stated that he went down just to the left (west) of the pack approximately 15 yards from the bank.  During conversation with subject1, i asked if alcohol was a factor in the drowning.  He stated that he had only drank one beer because he had just got off of work.  He stated that victim may have had a couple of beers but he did not seem intoxicated.  Subject1 became very emotional during the interview and stated that everything keeps replaying in his head.

We were able to pull the paddle boat up on the shore to examine it.  The boat, a playmate brand paddle boat, was in rough shape and contained a large amount of water that had come in through several seams that had separated.  Several photos were taken of the boat.

Coroner examined victim's body and observed that there was a volume of water inside of the lungs.  He lowered the victim's head, and observed water flowing out of his mouth.  Coroner stated that these clues were indicative of a drowning.  We then observed the victims face and head for any suspicious injuries.  There were no visible injuries to the head except a small scratch on the victim's right ear.  We then examined the victim's hands and fingers.  There was no sign of injury or bruising to the hands and no foreign matter under the finger nails.  Coroner determined that all evidence pointed to an accidental drowning.  He further advised that he was not going to request an autopsy.  Coroner stated that he would email me an official coroner's report of death when he got it completed.


BARDID: IN-2018-0010
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-06-20 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 12:30:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake Michigan
NearestCityorTown: Whiting
County: Lake
WaterConditions: Rough
Wind: Moderate
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentEvent2: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Operator inexperience
DayofWeek: Wednesday
RedactedNarrative:
On Wednesday, June 20, 2018, I was contacted by an Officer from the Whiting Police Department about a boat accident that had just occurred at Whilhala Beach.  The officer informed me the victim was already transported to Saint Catherine's Hospital, so I responded to the Hospital.  I discovered Victim was the victim in the crash and he had suffered traumatic head and brain injuries.  

Details of Incident:

	On Wednesday June 20, 2018, at approximately 1320 hours, I Indiana Conservation Officer was contacted by Whiting Police Department about a boat accident that had just occurred near Whilhala Beach in Lake County that involved two personal watercrafts (PWC's).

	Officer stated that he responded to a medical call at Whilhala Beach, where a male subject was unconscious and bleeding from his mouth.  The male was later identified as Victim.  Officer was then informed that Victim's injuries were the result of a boating accident and he notified the Indiana Conservation Officer's Central Dispatch Center, and then contacted me by phone.  Officer informed me that Victim was transported to Saint Catherine's Hospital in East Chicago.  Officer also stated that the PWC Victim was operating was still at the beach, and the family brought the other PWC with them to the Hospital.

	While on my way to Saint Catherine's, I was contacted by Indiana Conservation Officer, who informed me he was on his way to the hospital as well to assist me.  At approximately 1430 hours, we arrived at Saint Catherine's Hospital.

	In the parking lot of the Hospital, I observed one of the PWC's involved in the accident.  It was a black and silver Yamaha PWC with Illinois registration, and had damage to the front and port sides.  The PWC was on a trailer with an Illinois plate and the trailer was attached to a red GMC Acadia with an Illinois plate.  I took photos of the PWC and the damage on it.

	Inside the Hospital, I met with subject1, who was present at the time of the crash.  Subject1 was a family friend and owned the two PWC's involved.  Subject1 stated that he did not personally see the crash happen, but while he was talking to one of the life guards, he heard the crash.  After he heard the crash, he looked into the water and saw Victim laying face down in the water and the other PWC operator, Operator1, was attempting to hold his head out of the water.  Subject1 then stated that the life guard swam out to Victim and brought him onto shore.  Victim was unconscious and bleeding from his mouth, he was still breathing at this time.  I asked Subject1 how much experience Victim had on a PWC, and Subject1 stated Victim has been riding for years.

	I then spoke to the other PWC operator, Operator1.  Operator1 identified himself to me by name and date of birth.  I first asked Operator1 how much experience he had operating a PWC, and he stated less than three hours.  I then asked Operator1 if he could tell me the details of what had happened.  Operator1 stated that he and Victim were riding side by side, Operator1 operating to the left of Victim, and were traveling towards shore.  Operator1 said he did not see Victim beside him and he turned sharply to his right and struck Victim.  Operator1 then stated his PWC came out of the water and went over Victim, when this happened, his PWC struck Victim in the head.  Operator1 said it felt as if he struck a wave and was unable to steer his PWC.  Operator1 continued to say Victim was laying face down in the water, and he held his head out of the water until the life guard grabbed Victim.  


the PWC was located on the beach.  It was a blue and white Yamaha with an Illinois registration of IL8048KU.  The PWC had damage to the steering column, port side, and the front plastic.  I photographed the damage. 

Subject2 informed me that he witnessed the crash happen.  He stated that the PWC being operated by Victim was travelling slowly straight towards shore, and that the PWC being operated by Operator1 was travelling at an angle directly towards Victim.  He continued to say that the PWC Operator1 was operating was travelling at a high rate of speed and suddenly struck the other PWC, which sent Operator1's PWC into the air and Victim into the water.  Subject2 then said he swam out to Victim and brought him to shore, where individual assisted with the bleeding.  Subject2 stated Victim was bleeding from his jaw, where he appeared to have a large laceration, as well as blood coming from his mouth.  Subject3 kept pressure on the laceration to control the bleeding, and they checked Victim for any other injuries and only observed a scrape to his left knee.

	On Thursday June 21, 2018, I contacted Victim's Mother to get an update on Victim's condition.  She informed me that Victim is currently in a coma and is being treated for severe head and brain trauma.

	Subject4 sent a video to me.  While watching the video, I was able to see the PWC Victim was operating travelling towards short at approximately idle speed (less than 10 miles per hour).  I was then able to see the other PWC that Operator1 was operating travelling towards Victim at a high rate of speed, Operator1's PWC then struck the port side of Victim's PWC and I was able to observe Operator1's PWC leave the water and travel through the air on the video.  After seeing the video, I determined the cause of the accident was lack of operational experience and operating too fast for water conditions by Operator1.  Although I have gotten a statement from Operator1 and after seeing the video, I am not going to be filing any charges against Operator1 for his operation of the PWC.

	On Tuesday July 3, 2018, I was contacted by Victim's Mother.  she stated Victim is still currently in the intensive care unit, but is able to communicate with his hands and wake up on his own and not with medication.

Victim has far exceeded the expectations the doctors had for him at this point and he is making a good recovery.  Victim was able to walk and talk, but will still be in therapy for some time.  I gave her an IRF request for her insurance before I left.  Operator1 was not present and I have been unable to get into contact with him since the day of the accident.


BARDID: IN-2018-0011
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-07-01 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 02:15:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake Michigan
NearestCityorTown: Michigan City
County: LaPorte
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Unknown
AccidentEvent1: Collision with fixed object
AccidentEvent2: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentEvent3: Fall in vessel
AccidentCause1: Alcohol
AccidentCause2: Excessive speed
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On july 1 2018 at approximately 0215 a 2016 alumacraft boat, indiana registration, crashed into the michigan city break wall in the vicinity of 14°43'40.9"n 86°54'55.6"w. The boat struck the break wall and ended up on the south east side of the break wall. The passenger was ejected and the operator was tossed away from the helm. Operator was not wearing a kill switch during the time of the crash even though one was available. Both occupant and operator were injured in the crash. Both operator and occupant received facial injuries. No pfd's were worn at the time of the crash even though they were available on the boat. The conditions at the time of the crash were calm and clear with light winds. 

During the crash the boat became lodged onto the rocks that made up the break wall. After several attempts operator got the boat unstuck and motored over to occupant and retrieved him from the water. The uscg then made contact with the boat and towed it back to the public dock for investigation. When the uscg came into contact with the boat operator was the operator. When first asked if the boat was involved with a crash operator said they had not been involved in a crash. Bystanders got the attention of the uscg and told them that operator's boat was the boat involved in the crash.

When the uscg conducted their recreational boarding it became apparent that operator was intoxicated. Michigan city police officer conducted sfst's on operator which he failed. Operator submitted to a pbt which read 0.23% bac. Operator was then given a certified test at 0345 and tested at .215% bac. Operator was then arrested for operating while intoxicated.

Contributing factors in the crash were the level of intoxication of the operator, violation of the night time speed limit, excessive speed, and lack of familiarization with obstacles in the area.


BARDID: IN-2018-0012
State: IN
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2018-07-04 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 10:55:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake James
NearestCityorTown: Angola
County: Steuben
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentEvent2: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Operator inexperience
AccidentCause2: Operator inattention
DayofWeek: Wednesday
RedactedNarrative:
On 7-4-2018 at approximately 10:55, steuben county communications dispatched a personal injury boating accident involving a pwc and a pontoon boat in the area of timber bay on lake james.

     i was currently in the 4th of july parade in angola, and responded from downtown angola, exiting the parade route.  I responded from approximately 11 miles away and arrived on scene at 11:21.

  i arrived and found several people around a pontoon boat with extensive damage to the area of the stern and outboard motor.  There was also a yellow pwc with extensive damage to the hull in the area of the bow.  

     i interviewed several witnesses and photographed the damage to both vessels.  I was advised that a passenger on the pontoon boat was being transported by steuben county ems to cameron hospital in angola complaining of shoulder and neck pain.

     according to witness statements which were found to be consistent among all witnesses the following events occurred:

     operator1 was operating his pwc on the third basin of lake james.  He stopped his pwc, removed his personal floatation device, which had the kill switch lanyard attached.  The lanyard was attached to both the kill switch on the pwc and the vest style lifejacket.  He left the pwc running and climbed into the water to cool off.  

     as operator1 began to climb back onto the pwc, he grabbed the lifejacket not knowing the lanyard had wrapped around the throttle of the pwc.  This caused the pwc to accelerate without an operator for approximately 300 yards towards the timber bay beach area.  This area has a sandbar where boats commonly moor for people to swim.  Operator1 stated that the throttle appeared to have been "pinned wide open."  he stated that he watched the pwc head for the sandbar at a speed of approximately 60 mph  while he was in the water.  He watched the pwc hit a boat and fly into the air 10'-15' upon impact.

    the bow of the pwc struck the pontoon boat in the port stern causing extensive damage to stern area, outboard motor, and motor mounts.  owner had the pontoon boat moored with auger posts from the bow and the stern.  There were 9 passengers on the pontoon.  One person was standing on the stern decking of the pontoon at the time of the collision.  When the pontoon boat jolted to the side as a result of the impact, she was thrown into the shallow water head first.  She hit the lake bed with her head, face, and shoulder, causing her considerable pain to each.  She was transported to cameron memorial hospital by steuben county ems where she was treated and released.

     there were no other injuries as a result of the collision.

     both vessels had extensive damage and were a total loss.  The estimate of damage to the pontoon boat was $22,288.  The estimate of  damage to the pwc was $10,820. 

     alcohol was not a factor in the collision.


BARDID: IN-2018-0013
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-07-14 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 20:57:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake Shafer
NearestCityorTown: Monticello
County: White
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with fixed object
AccidentEvent2: Grounding
AccidentCause1: Alcohol
AccidentCause2: Excessive speed
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On 07/14/2018 i, indiana conservation officer was patrolling lake shafer in a marked patrol boat and in boating class c uniform.  At 8:57 pm, white county dispatch advised me over the radio there was a boat incident with injury toward the area of buffalo bridge north of the sandbar.  I was at the north end of the dredge zone and activated the emergency lights.  There was very little boat traffic and i arrived on scene within minutes of the 911 call.
I was waved over to a boat that was beached on the east side of lake shafer.  I observed a male on the back of the boat and he told me there was an accident and there was 2 victims inside the boat.  A female  walked around the back of their motorboat and held onto my patrol boat.  I asked subject1 how many victims were injured and she told me only 2.  A person in the motorboat asked me for my medical bag so i gave them my medical bag with limited supplies in it.  I asked subject1 what had happened and she told me the driver of the boat ward struck a tree branch and was knocked out, she grabbed the steering wheel because she was the sitting next to him in the passenger seat and turned towards shore and put the throttle in the neutral position and ended up on the shore of the east side of the lake where the boat was at when i arrived.
First responders from buffalo vfd arrived on the other side of the river and i transported 3 of them to the boat with the victims in it.  The first of 3 ambulances arrived and i was getting ready to transport the medics and backboards to the boat when subject2 operated the boat with the victims and medical personnel to the other side where the ambulance was parked.  Monticello fire department arrived on scene and started to take care of the 2 victims that were in the boat.  I separated the passengers to get their names and information when cpl arrived on scene and assisted getting statements and the information from all of them.  The two victims that had the most injuries (operator and subject3) were transported to white county memorial hospital and eventually taken to methodist hospital in indianapolis by helicopter.  A third person also went to white county memorial because he said that he was knocked unconscious but was released later that night.
After all the passenger names and information was obtained, ico received permission in writing from subject2 the boat owner to release the boat to the idnr law enforcement to complete the incident investigation.  Ico transported subject2 and another passenger to get the trailer for the boat.
Cpl and i took pictures of the initial impact tree and the final spot where the boat was at when i arrived on the other side of the river.  We secured the boat in a side-tow and i towed the boat to the ramp downstream from the sandbar restaurant where it was loaded onto the trailer.  Ico transported the boat and trailer to prophetstown state park and placed inside a locked facility.  
On 7/15/18, i went back to the accident scene and took measurements from the initial impact to where the boat was located on the other side of the river which was 277 yards.  The measurement from the shore to the initial impact area was 7 feet from shore.  
On 7/16/18, i secured a search warrant to remove any and all electronic information from the motorboat to assist in the boating incident investigation.  Cpl assisted me in searching the boat and logged information about the contents of the boat.  There was 3 wearable life jackets on board and a throwable cushion.  All the beer cans were counted and there was 41 (miller high life, miller lite and coors light) empty beer cans and 3 full beer cans all over the bottom of the boat.  The docking light switch was in the forward position as well as the accessory light switch.  Both fill bags in the rear of the boat were empty and the hour reading on the boat was 110.9.  I took more pictures of the inside and outside of the boat from different angles.
On 7/17/18, i transported the mondo moomba to mid-indiana marina and requested them to remove information from the motor and he advised that he was only able to get the last codes of the motor which would not be pertinent to the investigation.  I transported the boat back to prophetstown state park and placed it back inside the locked facility.  
On 7/18/18, isp detectives came to prophetstown state park and performed a 3d scan of the boat and took more pictures of inside and outside of the boat.
On 7/20/18, i met with subjects and received written statements from them about what had happened prior to and during the accident which are attached to this report.  I stopped and met with subject3 and asked him about the accident and he stated he couldn't remember anything about what had happened.
On 7/21/18, i performed a function check on land of the throttle cable and steering of the mondo moomba and both functioned correctly.  I transported the boat per request of subject2.  I was not able to place the boat and trailer into the barn because of the damage to the ski rack placed it outside in front of the barn and advised subject2 where it was.
On 8/13/18, i received the requested medical paperwork from the white county prosecutors' office.  This information was subpoenaed by the prosecutors' office from methodist hospital for operator, the operator.  I observed the reading of .207 from the lab results performed on 7/14/18 at 22:57.  I also observed that there was a positive result of benzodiazepines in the drugs of abuse urine screen.
On 8/13/18, cpl reviewed the inspect results for operator from 8/13/15-7/14/18 and emailed them to me.  According to the indiana inspect report operator did not have any benzodiazepines prescribed to him since 5/5/2017 and there was a quantity of 8 pills.
On 8/24/18, i received a copy of the 3d scan from isp detective and it will be an attachment to this report.


BARDID: IN-2018-0014
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-07-15 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 16:30:00
CoordinatesConfidence: NC
NameOfBodyOfWater: Worster
NearestCityorTown: North Liberty
County: Saint Joseph
WaterConditions: Rough
Wind: Unknown
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Falls overboard
AccidentCause1: Alcohol
AccidentCause2: Operator inexperience
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On july 15, 2018 i was on potato creek state park (pcsp) for routine patrol when a missing person on worster lake was reported. The person missing was with his friend on a rented paddleboat.  victim could not swim and was on the platform portion of the paddleboat. Friend heard victim call his name from the water. Friend said rain and winds had just started. Friend threw victim a pfd but it appeared victim could not reach. Friend jumped in to try and get to victim but to no avail. Friend swam back to the boat rental and reported the incident. 

Victim was drinking alcoholic beverage (beer) with friend beforehand and earlier in the day. Friend thought victim was wearing blue shorts and a maroon/red shirt. (a boating accident report was not filed due to no other boat involved and it is believed the victim fell into the water due to unexpected weather conditions. The victim's inability to swim and possible alcohol intoxication, pending toxicology report, is also being considered factors)

Ico search and recovery set up on the west boat ramp where side scan sonar, underwater remote operated vehicle and surface watercrafts searched the area where victim was last seen. On july 16 at 1504 pm, victim was found in the water by ico search and recovery team. 
An autopsy is scheduled for july 17 in ft wayne with report pending. (7/19/1018)


BARDID: IN-2018-0016
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-09-09 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 14:30:00
CoordinatesConfidence: NC
NameOfBodyOfWater: Ohio River
NearestCityorTown: Newburgh
County: Warrick
WaterConditions: Unknown
HazardousWaters: -1
Wind: Unknown
Visibility: unknown
AccidentEvent1: Capsizing
AccidentEvent2: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Machinery failure
AccidentCause2: Dam/lock
AccidentCause3: Hazardous waters
MachineryFailure: Engine
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
Officers are investigating a boating accident that resulted in the rescue of an  and the disappearance of a second. The boat they were in was pulled into the Newburgh Dam by water current after the motor of their boat failed to start. Before the boat submerged, one of the individuals was able to put on a lifejacket and then climb onto a ledge of the dam. Officers were able to rescue one boater by lowering a rope to him and pulling him to safety. The incident occurred at approximately 2:30 p.m. on Sunday at the Newburgh Lock and Dam on the Ohio River. Rescue crews are still searching for the missing boat and boater.


BARDID: IN-2018-0017
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-09-15 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 16:00:00
CoordinatesConfidence: NC
NameOfBodyOfWater: Driftwood River
NearestCityorTown: Edinburgh
County: Bartholomew
WaterConditions: Unknown
StrongCurrent: -1
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Capsizing
AccidentEvent2: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Operator inexperience
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On 9/15/18 i, indiana conservation officer And ico cpl. responded to a report of a missing canoer on the driftwood river. Bartholomew county sheriff's dept. Dispatch advised they received a 911 call reference to a subject that capsized a canoe and had gone under water. They advised it was in the area just south of the driftside trailer park so cpl. and i responded to that area. Upon our arrival we located several subjects that had been canoeing and advised us that a subject in a canoe that had capsized had gone under water and had not been seen since. 

Deputies from the bartholomew county sheriff's dept. Arrived on scene along with the german twp. Fire dept. While deputies obtained information from witnesses and a friend who was with the missing subject, cpl. and i proceeded to heflin park where the bartholomew county water rescue team was launching their air boat. A fire fighter with wayne twp. Fire dept. Was also en route to that location with my boat. Once my boat had arrived ico and i responded to the location up river by boat and began conducting a search with side-scan sonar equipment. 

Due to the conditions in the area where the friend advised he last saw the victim, the area contained large pieces of concrete that had been put along the bank and into the river to control erosion, the sonar was ineffective. We also attempted to utilize a drag bar but due to the concrete it was also ineffective. Due to the water level, current and hazards diving was not an option. We had the franklin fire dept. With two boats, drones from several departments and isp helicopter on scene assisting with the search. We did recover a life jacket and a sandal that were stuck in a tree top that had fallen into the river.  the victims canoe was also recovered and taken to the bank. After searching for several hours we suspended the search due to darkness.

   on 9/16/18 the bartholomew county water rescue team and indiana conservation officers resumed the search for the victim along with assistance from the german twp. Fire dept. And columbus fire dept. We searched the area where the victim was last seen on the surface again with sonar for a short time. We then began utilizing pike poles to search the area. At approximately 11:06 hours ico was able to recover the victim with a pike pole and bring him to the surface.

   the victim was then transported to the staging area at heflin park where the coroner was on scene. Coroner took custody of the victim and he was transported to columbus regional hospital. Coroner concluded that the death was the result of an accidental drowning.

   
   from the information gathered from the witnesses, victim and subject were traveling in their canoe when it capsized. The canoe became lodged against a log that was partially sticking out of the water. They attempted to free it but were unable to. Occupant was able to swim across the river to a sand bar but Victim was in the current and was taken down stream. Victim was bobbing up and down in the water and then went under and never resurfaced. Victim had a life jacket on board the canoe but was not wearing it at the time of the incident. The lifejacket was found stuck in a tree top that had fallen into the river.

   the coroners report will be attached once it is received.


BARDID: IN-2018-0018
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-06-03 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 16:15:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Brookville Reservoir
WaterConditions: Unknown
Wind: Unknown
Visibility: Unknown
AccidentEvent1: Person struck by propeller
AccidentCause1: Improper lookout
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On sunday june 3, 2018 at around 16:15 i, indiana conservation officer, received a call from franklin county sheriffs department dispatch reference a male subject hit by a boat prop, and will be transported to bonwell boat ramp in franklin county, in.

	i responded to the bonwell boat ramp on brookville reservoir and observed a boat with ems personnel at the east dock.  I approached and located the operator of the boat at the time of the accident and interviewed him.  Operator1 informed this officer that his uncle, the victim, and his daughter were being pulled by operator1 on a tube.  They fell off and he retrieved them where they wanted to continue tubing.  Operator1 added that he couldn't see them behind the boat and didn't realize they were that close to the boat when he put it in gear.  He added that he was told that victim was sucked into the motor and was cut by the prop. 

	i informed operator1 that i could see open containers inside his boat, and asked if he had been drinking today, to which he replied he had earlier in the day, but not since they had been on the water.  He added that he had 1 beer, but that was 3 hours ago.  I offered a portable breath test to operator1 where he consented and registered .000 bac.

	i then observed ems load up the victim into the ambulance, and was informed they were transporting him to the spillway of the brookville reservoir dam area for a helicopter to transport him to the university of cincinnati for further medical attention.  A franklin county deputy informed this officer that the victim was struck on the right hamstring just below the buttocks.

	i then interviewed the daughter of the victim.  She stated they were floating, and when they went to get back into the boat she felt the propeller pulling her towards it and that's when her father was struck. 

	i then interviewed the operator's son, and he informed this officer he witnessed the accident.  He stated they, the victim and his daughter, were on the tube, they fell off, swam back over to the boat where he was telling the victim to use the ladder, and he swam too close to the propeller and was sucked in.  He added he thought it was the blower not the propeller he was hearing.  I asked where he was seated at the time of the accident, and he replied the back seat closet to the rear of the boat.  He added that the victim stated he tried to pull his leg back but it just sucked him in.


BARDID: IN-2018-0019
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-06-16 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 17:30:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Cataract Lake
NearestCityorTown: Cloverdale
County: Putnam
WaterConditions: Rough
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Falls overboard
AccidentCause1: Excessive speed
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On saturday, june 16, 2018, at approximately 1732 hours, i responded to a boat accident at the lieber state recreation area beach in putnam county, indiana. I was advised by putnam county sheriff's dispatch, that a juvenile female had fallen from a pwc and was bleeding form her vaginal area.

     upon my arrival, the victim was sitting in the back seat of her father's pickup truck when i asked her if she was able to speak with me and she replied, “yes.” I asked her where she was hurt and she said stated that she was bleeding from her butthole. First responders were already on scene and they advised there was a small amount of blood on her bathing suit and that there were going to wait until the ambulance arrived to examine her any further. I asked victim how she was injured. She told me she was riding on the back of her mother's jet-ski and that her mother was driving too fast and she could not hold on and she fell off of the back. She stated that when she fell, she fell on the jet drive which is what caused her injury.

     victim's mother was standing on the beach speaking with park security. I asked her what had happened and she corroborated victim's explanation of the accident. She advised they were both wearing life jackets at the time of the accident. I asked if she had a driver's license and she provided me a valid license. She also provided registration and insurance information for the pwc.

     putnam county operation life arrived on scene and they moved victim into the back of the ambulance for further examination. Once they had finished examining her, i was advised they would be transporting her to riley children's hospital in indianapolis. Ems personnel advised that victim was bleeding from her rectum. They advised me that the injuries appeared to be minor, but due to her discomfort and pain, that she would be transported to the hospital for further testing.


BARDID: IN-2018-0020
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-06-17 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 12:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake Freeman
NearestCityorTown: Monticello
County: White
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with submerged object
AccidentEvent2: Flooding/swamping
AccidentCause1: Other
OtherAccidentCause: unseen water hazard
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
I, indiana conservation officer, responded to a boat accident that occurred on lake freeman on 6/17/2018. The accident occurred just north of the beginning of the 30 mph no towing zone. The accident resulting in property damage only.
	on 6/17/2018 operator was operating a yellow 2015 bombardier jet ski on lake freeman. The jet ski was owned by another person. Operator was operating the jet ski in the 30 mph no tow zone near the west bank. Operator claimed that he struck something in the water. The collision created a softball sized hole in the hull of the watercraft. Operator stated that the watercraft began to take on water but he was able to get the watercraft to the dodge camp boat ramp. From there they trailered the boat to owner’s lake home. 
	i inspected the damaged area to the watercraft. I located and photograph a large hole in the hull. Around the damaged area appeared to be small pieces of wood lodged in the cracks around the hole.
	i advised owner that a boat accident report would be completed. I later went to the scene of the accident and located several tree trumps that were flush with the water. No further law enforcement action was taken


BARDID: IN-2018-0021
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-06-23 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 15:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Raccoon Lake
NearestCityorTown: Rockville
County: Parke
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: No wind
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Person departed vessel
AccidentCause1: Other
OtherAccidentCause: Passenger/skier behavior
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On june 23, 2018 at, or about 3:00 p.m. i was on patrol near raccoon lake in parke county, indiana.  I overheard radio traffic from parke county sheriff's department dispatching parke county ems to a boating accident that had injured a male on raccoon lake.  The boat and the injured victim had returned to the raccoon lake boat rental for medical assistance.  
When i arrived at the raccoon lake boat rental i spoke briefly with the injured male.  Victim was holding his left hand in a blood soaked towel and appeared to be suffering significant pain.  I also spoke to another passenger on the boat who stated that while the boat was stationary, victim had leapt overboard in an attempt to retrieve a pair of eyeglasses that had fallen in the water.  Victim's wedding ring had gotten caught on the pontoon boat railing, which caused a deep laceration around the base of victim's left ring finger.  
Victim was transported in an ambulance to the hendrick's county hospital.  All additional members of his party took control of victim's vehicle and belongings.  No citations were issued.


BARDID: IN-2018-0023
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-07-01 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 14:25:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Dallas Lake
NearestCityorTown: Wolcottville
WaterConditions: Unknown
HazardousWaters: -1
Wind: Unknown
Visibility: Unknown
AccidentEvent1: Fall in vessel
AccidentCause1: Hazardous waters
AccidentCause2: Operator inattention
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On 7/1/18 I, Indiana Conservation Officer, was on duty in LaGrange County.    

LaGrange County Sheriffs Department Dispatch advised of an EMS call at the Westler Lake Public Access.   Arriving on scene I was met with Parkview LaGrange EMS already on scene assisting a subject victim to the ambulance.    

Subject had his right ankle splinted and was assisted from the boat by EMS.   

Discussing the incident with witness I was told that Subject had been operating a PWC (registration unknown) when he crossed a wake from another boat  he came down upon his ankle presumably dislocating or breaking the ankle.       

EMS transported Subject to Parkview Noble Hospital.   

I was unable to locate the PWC involved.


BARDID: IN-2018-0024
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-07-04 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 19:22:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Hamilton Lake
NearestCityorTown: Hamilton
County: Steuben
WaterConditions: Rough
Wind: Moderate
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Person struck by propeller
AccidentCause1: Other
OtherAccidentCause: Passenger/skier behavior
DayofWeek: Wednesday
RedactedNarrative:
Boat operator had just shut off his 1995 Caravelle I/O drive motorboat and subject immediately attempted to climb into the boat at the stern.   Operator stated that the propeller may have still been spinning after it was placed into neutral as subject was climbing into the boat.   Subject was struck by the propeller.  

     Subject was transported to Parkview Regional Medical Center in Fort Wayne by Steuben County EMS.

     Alcohol was not a factor in the accident.  Aa portable breath test of operator resulted in .000% BrAc.


BARDID: IN-2018-0025
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-07-06 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 11:55:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Patoka Lake
NearestCityorTown: Dubois
County: Dubois
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Skier mishap
AccidentCause1: Other
OtherAccidentCause: Passenger/skier behavior
DayofWeek: Friday
RedactedNarrative:
On 7-6-18 at approximately 12:15, i was contacted by ico dispatch regarding a possible boat accident at patoka lake.  According to information that they had received by dubois county, a 16 year old was being transported to the jasper memorial hospital er with a possible ankle fracture.  I advised dispatch that i would be in route to the hospital.

While in route to the er, i made contact with the patoka property personnel regarding the accident.  According to patoka , the family had all left the newton stewart ramp area and were in route to the hospital.  the victim was injured when he was thrown from a tube.

At approximately 13:00, i arrived at the jasper memorial er and met with the victim and his family shortly later.  I first talked with the victim's mother, who stated that her son was riding on a tube behind the boat.  She stated that they made a turn and victim came off of the tube.  As he fell from the tube, his foot got caught on the tube and he had injured his ankle.  They then transported him to the ramp and met with the ambulance.

I then talked with the victim, who was being treated for the ankle injury.  I observed bruising and swelling on his left ankle.  The doctor asked him his pain level and he stated that it was a 6 out of 10.  I then asked victim what had happened and he stated that he was tubing and had fallen from the tube during a turn.  He stated that his left foot got caught on the tube and his ankle and foot got twisted as he came off the tube.  He stated that he heard a pop and then felt some extreme pain in the ankle.  Victim was being prepped for an x ray on the ankle.

I then talked to the victim's father, who was operating the boat.  Subject stated that he was operating a 1995 rinker captiva near the patoka lake dam and was pulling his son victim on a tube.  He stated that he didn't see what happened but as he made a quick turn, victim was thrown from the tube.  He said that he circled around to pick him up and he was complaining about an injury in his left ankle and foot.  They then pulled victim onto the boat and transported him to the newton stewart ramp, where they were met by the ambulance.

Victim was transported by dubois county ems to the jasper memorial hospital er.


BARDID: IN-2018-0026
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-07-11 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 23:25:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake Wawasee
NearestCityorTown: Syracuse
County: Kosciusko
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with fixed object
AccidentCause1: Alcohol
DayofWeek: Wednesday
RedactedNarrative:
I WAS NOTIFIED BY KOSCIUSKO COUNTY DISPATCH OF A POSSIBLE BOAT ACCIDENT ON LAKE WAWASEE.  I WAS INFORMED BY A LAKE PATROL UNIT THAT A PROPERTY OWNER NOTICED DAMAGE TO HER PIER AFTER ASSISTING A BOATER OUT OF SHALLOW WATER.  THE LAKE PATROL OFFICER ATTEMPTED TO LOCATE THE BOAT BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL.  A SHORT TIME LATER DISPATCH WAS NOTIFIED OF A MALE LAYING IN THE ROAD.  A DEPUTY RESPONDED AND DETERMINED THE MALE WAS A PASSENGER ON THE BOAT WHEN IT HIT THE PIER.  THE DEPUTY WAS ABLE TO GET A CONFESSION FROM THE DRIVER, THAT HE HIT THE PIER AND LEFT THE SCENE.  He WAS ARRESTED FOR LEAVING THE SCENE OF A BOAT ACCIDENT.  THe operator had been drinking alcohol.


BARDID: IN-2018-0027
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-07-14 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 07:30:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Sylvan Lake
NearestCityorTown: Rome City
County: Noble
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Skier mishap
AccidentCause1: Other
OtherAccidentCause: Passenger/skier behavior
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
Victim was barefoot skiing on sylvan lake on 7/14/2018.   At approximately 7:30am he was barefoot skiing and during a turn, fell, striking the water.   He was injured during the fall and complained of pain and numbness.   He was later found to have fractured vertebra c6.


BARDID: IN-2018-0028
State: IN
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2018-07-14 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 13:14:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake of the Woods
NearestCityorTown: Bremen
County: Marshall
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Fire/explosion (fuel)
AccidentEvent2: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Failure to vent
AccidentCause2: Ignition of spilled fuel or vapor
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
Details of investigation/incident:
(7/14/2018 @ 1311hrs)
I corporal was working as an indiana conservation officer. I was dispatched to a boat accident involving an explosion of the watercraft that injured one male operator. The area of the location was on lake of the woods in marshall co. The operator was already being transported to memorial hospital in south bend for his injuries. Sheriff's deputy was my contact at the scene of the incident who documented most of the information for me. 

Deputy advised me of the watercraft owner and make of the boat with an indiana registration. Deputy explained to me that the jet ski exploded on the water then started to sink.
I contacted owner directly on the way to the hospital. His story matched deputies story about what had happened. I asked owner if the jet ski was having any mechanical issues. Owner stated that it was having from fuel issues and contained a full tank of gasoline when is exploded. 

I arrived at memorial hospital in south bend and spoke with the injured. Subject stated that victim was attempting to start the pwc when it exploded. He also stated that victim’s sister was attempting to start the same pwc before victim tried. When the pwc exploded it threw victim off of the machine and injured him. The extent of injuries are on his t11 and t12 vertebra for a spinal injury, muscle bruising on buttocks, and a fracture in the right foot ankle area. 

Based on the facts of the incident i believe the explosion was created by the buildup of gasoline vapor in the motor compartment under the seat. Due to this area not being vented during the extensive time attempting to start the motor without success this buildup of gas easily ignited causing the explosion further igniting the full fuel cell all located just underneath the operators seat.


BARDID: IN-2018-0029
State: IN
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2018-07-20 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 04:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: White River
NearestCityorTown: Martinsville
County: Morgan
WaterConditions: Calm
HazardousWaters: -1
Wind: Light
Visibility: Unknown
AccidentEvent1: Collision with fixed object
AccidentEvent2: Flooding/swamping
AccidentCause1: Machinery failure
AccidentCause2: Hazardous waters
AccidentCause3: Restricted vision
MachineryFailure: Engine
DayofWeek: Friday
RedactedNarrative:
On july 21, 2018, i, ico, received a call from central dispatch reporting there was a subject who called in saying he sunk his boat on the white river in morgan county.

Subject said on july 21st around 4:00 am, he and two other individuals were fishing on the white river, approximately a 1/2 mile upstream of the henderson ford pa.  Subject said they were attempting to go back to the ramp, but the motor on the boat would not start.  Subject said they attempted to just float the boat back to the ramp.  He said in the area where the white river comes right next to sr 37 at new harmony rd, they were attempting to float on the west side of a sandbar in the middle of the river.  He said they hit a log jam and the back corner of the boat started to take on water.  

He said they attempted to get the boat out, but could not and the boat continued to sink under water.  He said he retrieved what valuables he could but could not get the trolling motor off or the 27 horsepower beaver tail motor off.  He said the water depth was approximately waist deep.  Subject said they made contact with another friend who came out on the river and brought them back to the boat ramp.  Subject described his boat as being a 16 foot flat bottom jon boat.  Subject said no one was injured in the accident.  I told subject i would complete a boat accident report, and i would make an attempt to get out on the river and locate the boat to see if we could get it out or not.


BARDID: IN-2018-0030
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-07-28 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 14:24:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake Freeman
NearestCityorTown: Monticello
County: Carroll
WaterConditions: Rough
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with fixed object
AccidentEvent2: Person struck by vessel
AccidentCause1: Other
OtherAccidentCause: Passenger/skier behavior
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
I, indiana conservation officer, responded to a boat accident with injury on lake freeman on 7/28/2018. The accident occurred at the boat dock. I arrived at 6:37 pm.  
	upon arrival i spoke with the operator of the boat. The boat was a pontoon with registration. Operator explained to me that as they were motoring into their boat lift victim stuck his leg out to push the boat away from the dock. Operator1 explained that victim slipped on the rubber corner of the dock and the pontoon smashed victim's foot against the dock. Operator1 claimed that there was a large cut along the bottom of victim's foot. I then asked operator1 if he had been drinking that evening. Operator1 stated that he had not. During my conversation with operator1 i did not detect any impairment. I asked operator1 how fast he was going when they hit the dock. Operator1 advised that they were going very slow and not in gear when they crash occurred. 
	i then spoke with victim's wife. She was able to confirm the events that were given to me by operator1. 
	i did not have the chance to talk to victim directly as he was being treated in the back of the ambulance. I did however speak with the medical responders on scene. They stated that victim suffered a deep laceration to his right foot. They stated that he would be transported via lifeline to indianapolis for non-life threatening injuries. 
	i photographed the scene. The pictures captured bloody areas and the impact site. No further law enforcement was taken.


BARDID: IN-2018-0031
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-07-28 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 18:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: West Boggs Creek Lake
NearestCityorTown: Loogootee
County: Daviess
WaterConditions: Rough
HazardousWaters: -1
Wind: Moderate
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Skier mishap
AccidentCause1: Alcohol
AccidentCause2: Operator inexperience
AccidentCause3: Hazardous waters
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
Prelude : 	
	victim1 was injured in a boating accident at west boggs lake. During the course of this investigation, victim2 was found to have consumed alcoholic beverages while being under 21 years of age.

Details of investigation/incident :	
	 on 07-28-18, i was notified that an injured person from a boating accident was being treated at jasper memorial hospital. As i was entering the hospital i noticed a group of exiting the hospital, one of them in particular made eye contact with me but continued on as i did the same. Hospital staff took me back to one of the treatment rooms. In this room i met victim1 who was in the bed and holding gauze to her mouth. Also in the room was her sister in law. I told victim1 who i was and that i was there to take a report on her being injured from an incident involving a boat. I asked her whose boat it was and who had witnessed the incident. She stated that it was her friend's brother's boat and that several of her friends were in the boat and on the tube. I asked where her friends were and she said that they had just left the hospital. It was then that i realized that the group of people that i had observed leaving were her friends that were present when the incident happened. I asked her to text her friends to have them return to the hospital so that i could speak to all of them. 
Victim1 stated that she had been on an inflatable couch that was being towed behind the boat. This was also the first time that she was at west boggs and was tubing. She said that she did not know where on the lake they were, but they hit a wave and she flew across the tube and hit her mouth on the top of her friend's head. She said that she had not been holding on tight enough. I asked what was her friend's name was. She told me it was victim2. Victim1 and her sister in law explained to me that victim1 had knocked out upper teeth from the right side of her mouth teeth # 7 & # 8 and fractured # 9 in half. Her sister in law made contact with dr. to treat victim1's injured and missing teeth. I had learned that all the people involved in this incident were under the age of 21, so i asked victim1 who all had been drinking. Victim1 denied having been drinking and having any knowledge of anyone else drinking.
	as i was about finished talking with victim1, victim2 and subject3 walked into the room. I then spoke to victim2 and subject3. I asked where the rest of the group was and they stated that they had left. This time i asked victim2 and subject3 to contact the rest of the group and to have them return to the hospital, which they did. I found it strange to have to keep asking all the people involved in this incident to return to the hospital. They both told me how they hit a wave and victim1 flew across one subject and then hit her mouth on the top of victim2 head. Subject3 was a passenger in the boat and victim2 was on the tube. It was then that i was told that victim2 had been injured as well. Victim2 told me that he had received 5 staples in his scalp from the wound caused from victim1 hitting her mouth on his head. Victim2 stated that he had the ½ of the # 9 tooth stuck on his scalp when he came in to the hospital. Subject3, victim2 and victim1 did not know where victim1's other two teeth were, but speculated that they were in the lake. I then asked victim2 and subject3 to come with me outside to my truck. 
	when we got to my truck i asked subject3 and victim2 how much they had been drinking. Subject3 stated that he had not and explained to me how he was training to be and emt and a fireman. Victim2 at first denied having had anything to drink but when i got out my pbt to test both he and subject3 he told me that he had a couple of beers. I told him that was a problem since he was under the age of 21. Victim2 tested positive with a result of .04. The rest of the group returned to the hospital. I then asked each of them for their version of the incident involving victim1's and victim2' injury and where they were in the boat or "tube". 


BARDID: IN-2018-0032
State: IN
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2018-07-29 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 05:21:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: West Fork White River
NearestCityorTown: Spencer
County: Owen
WaterConditions: Unknown
StrongCurrent: -1
HazardousWaters: -1
Wind: Light
Visibility: Unknown
AccidentEvent1: Collision with fixed object
AccidentEvent2: Capsizing
AccidentEvent3: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Hazardous waters
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
Prelude: 
I investigated a boat accident on the White River where a john boat capsized and the two occupants were rescued by Owen County Search and Rescue.
Details of Investigation/Incident: 
     On July 29, 2018 at, or about 6:25 AM, I received a call from Central Dispatch regarding a capsized boat on the White River in Owen County. The dispatcher advised that two occupants of the boat were clinging to a tree. I responded to the incident and met with Corporal on Trout Lane, south of Spencer. We were able to launch a john boat but it was determined that the Owen County Search and Rescue team had made it to the two victims. The victims were transported by boat to the river bank where a deputy was waiting. 
     At, or about 8:01 AM, I met with the two victims at the Freedom Bridge where they had planned to travel to by boat. They explained to me they had launched their boat from the Spencer Public Access Site at, or about 6:30 PM on July 28, 2018. They advised they had been boating and fishing and made three stops throughout the night. They advised at, or about 4:00 to 5:00 AM, they struck a log jam and the boat capsized and was lodged partially underneath the logs. They were able to crawl onto the log jam but were unable to make it to shore. Occupant explained they sat on the log jam for about 30 mins before they decided to call 911 to be rescued. He advised he did not feel comfortable enough swimming across the current to attempt to reach the shore. They advised Operator was operating the boat while Occupant attempted to guide Operator around logs from the bow of the boat. They explained the current was too strong and pulled them into the log jam where the boat capsized. They explained the boat was a 14 foot john boat equipped with a 5 horsepower outboard engine. I asked them if they were wearing their life jackets and Occupant claimed they were, but said they had to take them off because they were being pulled under the log jam. Both victims claimed they had not been drinking and had no alcohol on their boat. I did not observe any impairment or smell any alcoholic beverages coming from either one of their persons. Occupant showed me on an aerial map where the location was the boat had capsized. 
     At, or about 8:45 AM, I spoke with a friend of mine whom was paddling a kayak on the White River near the area where the boat had capsized. I explained to him about the possibility of there being a dangerous location on the river and sent him the location. He later confirmed the location and sent a photograph of a cooler he found downstream of the capsized boat. The cooler did not contain any alcohol, only bottled water. This same friend additionally advised he did not locate any personal flotation devices while traveling downstream. 
     At, or about 10:30 AM, I was able to get a copy of the Owen County Dispatch Call Log. The log indicated the first call came in at, or about 5:51 AM, which would have made the time of the capsize at, or about 5:21 AM. 


BARDID: IN-2018-0033
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-07-29 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 18:26:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake Michigan
NearestCityorTown: East Chicago
County: Lake
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentEvent2: Fall in vessel
AccidentCause1: Operator inexperience
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On 7/29/18 at approximately 5:26 cst, a boat accident involving injury occurred on lake michigan near jeorse park beach (east chicago, in). I responded to st. Catherine hospital to interview parties involved. Corporal responded to the scene, however parties and vehicles involved had already left. All parties involved were at the hospital, including the vehicles (trailered / hospital parking lot). 
      operator2 had been admitted and was receiving x-ray's at this time. I interviewed operator1 and subject1. Operator1 explained that he and operator2 were riding parallel to each other. Operator2 was to his right side. She accelerated, increasing distance and started to turn in front of his path (left). During the course of the turn, operator2 accidentally disconnected her pwc lanyard, causing her pwc to shut down in operator1's path. Operator1 struck operator2 portside. Operator1 estimated he was travelling approximately 25 mph when he struck operator2's pwc. Subject1 was on the beach when the accident occurred.
      damage to both vessels were documented with pictures. Operator2's pwc had a broken portside mirror and fiberglass damage along the portside gunwale. Scuff marks were visible underneath (hull) operator1's pwc. Both operator1 and operator2 were said to be wearing pfd's. They have minimal operating experience. Subject1 stated this was their second time operating pwc's.
      operator2 sustained a broken left tibia, fibula and pelvis. The vehicles were owned by subject1's employer. Operator2 (17 years of age) has never been issued a state driver's license. Operator1 (15 years of age) has not taken a boater's education. I explained the operation laws to subject1. He was not aware that pwc operator's must have a valid driver's license / boater education requirement to lawfully operate a pwc. Subject1 was issued a citation for permitting unlawful boat operation.


BARDID: IN-2018-0034
State: IN
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2018-08-01 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 20:25:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Pretty Lake
NearestCityorTown: Plymouth
County: Marshall
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: No wind
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Fire/explosion (non-fuel)
AccidentCause1: Machinery failure
MachineryFailure: Engine
DayofWeek: Wednesday
RedactedNarrative:
** No boat operator

On august 1, 2018, i was contacted by marshall county dispatch about a boat being on fire. At approximately 2045 hours, i arrived on scene and plymouth fire department had the fire extinguished. I observed a white pontoon motorboat behind the residences. The motorboat had fire damage to the 90 horsepower mercury outboard motor. I did not observe any other damage due to the fire. I observed fire extinguisher powder on top of the water surrounding the motorboat. 

Subject said around 2000 hours he was sitting on his deck when he noticed some smoke and smelled what he thought to be an electrical fire. He continued to sit on his deck for a short period of time when he noticed there was a fire on a boat. Subject asked subject2 to grab a fire extinguisher from the house. He went down to owner's boat and discharged the fire extinguisher in to the vents multiple times for roughly five minutes. He then took the motor cover off and discharged the fire extinguisher multiple times. The fire extinguisher was having little to no affect so owner called the fire department. 

At approximately 2112 hours, i made contact with subject2. She said she was sitting on the deck with subject when she could smell something burring. She went in to her house and grabbed a fire extinguisher and gave it to subject. She went over to owner's house and notified him that subject was down at his boat trying to put out a fire. She watched subject try to put out the fire. Subject told her the fire extinguisher was not helping so owner called the fire department. 

At approximately 2125 hours, i made contact with owner. He said his boat motor was worked on june 4th at stanley marine inc. Since getting the motor worked on, he started the boat and let the motor run for about 15 minutes on june 13th, june 25th, july 18th, and august 1st. The boat motor ran fine until on august 1st. On august 1st, at around 1930 hours, he said it started up just fine and ran for about 15 minutes. He then shut the motor off and tried to restart it. He said he could smelled something funny. He tried to start the motor a couple more times and the motor never started so he thought the battery was bad. He could still smell the funny odor. Owner looked at the motor and saw smoke coming from the motor. He watched the motor and the smoke was dissipating. He went to his house to call stanely marine inc. And left a voicemail. Owner said subject2 showed up and told him subject was down at his boat putting out a fire. Owner then called the fire department.


BARDID: IN-2018-0035
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-08-04 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 00:15:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Patoka Lake
NearestCityorTown: French Lick
County: Orange
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Unknown
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentCause1: Inadequate onboard navigation lights
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On 7/4/18 at approximately 00:32 hours, i, indiana conservation officer, was contacted in reference to a boat accident that had just occurred on patoka lake in the painters creek fork in orange county, in.  Subject1 advised he was the passenger in a boat that hit another boat.  Subject1 advised there were no injuries and minor damage to both watercraft vessels.  I responded and met both parties involved at the painters creek boat ramp at patoka lake.  

Upon arrival i was informed that subject1 was the passenger in a boat operated by operator1.  Operator1 was operating a 1993 17 foot astro pas18fqe1 fishing style boat.  Operator1 and subject1 advised at approximately 00:15 hours they were traveling east in the painters creek fork of patoka lake, returning to the painters creek boat ramp, when they hit a  runabout style boat, anchored in the middle of the lake with no lights on.  
Operator1 estimated his speed at the time of the collision was approximately 6.5-7 mph as he had been watching his speed on the boats gps.  Operator1 stated he put the boat in reverse quickly to try to avoid impact but still struck the boat.  Operator1 and subject1 both stated they believed the two occupant of the boat were sleeping at the time of the collision as it took them approximately a minute to stand up and make contact with them.  Operator1 stated he didn't believe his watercraft sustained damage to anything but the trolling motor, which was mounted on the bow of the boat and was the point of impact in the collision.  Operator1 stated the trolling motor was in the up position at the time of the collision.  The trolling motor is a minn kota ulterra bow mount trolling motor with i-pilot link us2 serial#p075mk00371.  Operator1 stated the trolling motor value was approximately $2,600 and i later found the same trolling motor on basspro.com for $2,599.99.  Operator1 stated the trolling motor would not auto deploy and demonstrated to me that it would only deploy half way.  I observed that the trolling motor shaft appeared to be sitting off centered of the mount.  I observed scuffs and scratches to the front of the trolling motor.

I observed the boat that operator1 and subject1 stated they struck still on the water, with a male and female attempting to trailer it.  At this time i observed the boat had working bow lights but did not observe a stern light on.  Once the other watercraft was loaded i made contact with the male and female.  requested subject2 enter my marked police vehicle for an interview.  I asked subject2 what had happened.  Subject2 stated that he had been out boating earlier in the day with friends and family and that he and subject3 had decided to spend the night on his boat, a 1992 19 foot bayliner marine maxum runabout style boat which was white with a red strip.  Subject2 stated he believed they had anchored properly near the shore but thought they must had drifted into the middle of the lake.  Subject2 stated he did not have any navigation lights on.  Subject2 stated repeatedly that he was unfamiliar with all of the boating laws.  Subject2 stated he was asleep at the time of the collision and that the impact was so light he only woke after hearing operator1 and subject1 and talking. 

I then interviewed subject3  in my police vehicle.  Subject3 stated the same as subject2, that they had planned to spend the night on the watercraft near the shoreline and that the boat must have drifted away.  Subject3 also stated that there were no lights on.  Subject3 also stated she was unaware of a collision and awoke to operator1 and subject1 talking.

I observed black marks, likely from the trolling motor, on the starboard (right) side on the bayliner, where all parties stated the impact occurred.


BARDID: IN-2018-0036
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-08-04 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 15:50:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Geist Reservoir
NearestCityorTown: Indianapolis
County: Marion
WaterConditions: Rough
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentCause1: Improper lookout
AccidentCause2: Restricted vision
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
After speaking with both operators it was determined that the pontoon was not under power and nearly stationary south of the marina idle zone.  The pontoon was positioned near the east side of the reservoir near the 200' buoys placed by homeowners and was facing north.  The yamaha was traveling northbound towards the marina idle zone towing a passenger on an inflated tube.  

Operator2's passenger fell from the tube and operator2 turned right (clockwise) to pick up his passenger.  Operator2 failed to see the pontoon to his right prior to making the turn.  Operator2 observed the pontoon prior to the collision and altered course and reduced the throttle.  Reducing the throttle on the jet powered watercraft decreased the ability to maneuver and the port bow of the yamaha struck the port side of the pontoon.


BARDID: IN-2018-0037
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-08-06 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 17:09:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Patoka Reservoir
NearestCityorTown: Birdseye
County: Orange
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Skier mishap
AccidentCause1: Other
AccidentCause2: Force of wake/wave
OtherAccidentCause: Passenger/skier behavior
DayofWeek: Monday
RedactedNarrative:
On monday august 7th, 2018 at 19:12pm est, indiana conservation officer dispatch was notified of an injured male subject who was seeking treatment at jasper memorial hospital and was involved in a water skiing/wake boarding accident on patoka reservoir.
Operator1 indicated they were wakeboarding with a brand new 2018 yamaha seadoo wake155 personal watercraft (pwc or jetski) near the area of the beach and big island on patoka reservoir in orange county, indiana when the incident happened.
Operator1 indicated he was operating the pwc while subject1 was riding along as the observer, facing backwards.  Victim, a twenty-five year old white male, was being pulled behind the pwc on a wakeboard.
Operator1 stated the pwc belonged to victim and was brand new, having only 4 hours of operation time on the engine. Operator1 stated he was attempting to set the speed of the pwc in the wakeboard mode when victim fell down attempting to move from the inside of the wake to the outside hitting the water face first.
Operator1 thought they were going around 25 or 30 mph when victim fell and thought possible a second boat was in the area tubing which could have thrown off a secondary wake and caused victim to fall.
This was victim's first wakeboarding trip with the pwc.
Subject1 stated victim did not lose consciousness and was quick to get up and retrieve his board which fell off.  He then got on the back of the pwc with subject1 with no indication of being injured, she stated.
The three occupants of the pwc then made their way back to hoosier hills marina on patoka reservoir for the evening.
It was not until they entered the idle zone surrounding the marina and slowed down in speed, did they noticed anything wrong with victim.  Victim kept asking where he was and what happened.  Victim kept repeating "leave it to beaver" and no one in his family knew why.
I spoke with victim; however, he did not remember wakeboarding at all.  Victim remembered purchasing the pwc from lexington motor sports less than a month ago and the specific model but could not tell me anything about the accident.
The pwc, an orange/blue yamaha seadoo wake 115 has yet to be registered in the state of indiana.
All occupants were wearing their required lifejackets while on board the pwc and the pwc sustained no damage.
Victim previously had a concussion from playing football in high school and the emergency room physician thought he was at a much greater risk for a second concussion.  Victim was given a ct scan which showed no signs of injury.
Victim had no other visible injuries i could observe, except for the memory loss.


BARDID: IN-2018-0040
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-09-01 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 19:22:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Raccoon Lake
WaterConditions: Unknown
Wind: Unknown
Visibility: Unknown
AccidentEvent1: Carbon monoxide exposure
AccidentCause1: Other
OtherAccidentCause: Carbon Monoxide
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
3 juv on cabin boat co2 poisioning 2 transported by ambulance, 1 transported by parents to hospital...

**this is all the information i currently have on this report*** 2/14/18


BARDID: IN-2018-0041
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-09-02 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 16:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Patoka Lake
NearestCityorTown: Celestine
County: Dubois
WaterConditions: Rough
Wind: Moderate
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with submerged object
AccidentEvent2: Flooding/swamping
AccidentCause1: Operator inattention
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
Prelude:
On september 2, 2018 while on boat patrol on patoka reservoir with master officer tony mann, hoosier hills marina contacted us in reference to a boat sinking at the lick fork boat ramp.  When we arrived on scene, the boat was fully submerged under the water line with only the very front bow sticking above water. At somepoint while traveling across the water, they struck a submerged object which dislodged their boat's plug causing the vessel to sink.
At 1720pm est, we arrived at the boat ramp to see a silver ranger bass boat tied to the dock and several gentlemen lifting up on the starboard dock line attempting to keep the transom from sinking. Only the boat's bow was above the waterline.  A male subject was swimming in the water near the transom. The entire dock system was being pulled down by the boat.  Contents were floating on the surface of the water from the watercraft; lifejackets, coats, fishing poles,etc.
The subject in the water was not the boat's owner but stated he put two plugs in the boat and that it was sinking because it did not have a plug in.
Subject stated they just purchased the boat and this was their maiden voyage.  She did not have a dated bill of sale to prove her purchase date or any paperwork stating she owned the vessel. 

I asked subject4 to explain what he thought happened and he stated, they launched the 1989 silver ranger model 363 v bass boat from fisherman's boat ramp at patoka reservoir at around noon.

Subject4 explained they went south into the south lick fork area of patoka reservoir into the stump fields and were fishing for approximately an hour, when they noticed water at their feet.

Subject4 stated he was able to start up the v6 evinrude intruder 150 horsepower outboard motor and get the boat up on plane, going north on the reservoir towards the lick fork area of the water intake and pushed the water out of the boat.

Subject4 stated when they noticed the water was gone, they stopped and went back to fishing in the area of the water intake; however, at this time a large amount of water was coming in, or rather settled forward after the boat came off plane and the watercraft started to sink below the waterline.  Subject thought water came over the corner of the transom in back.

Subject4 stated he attempted several times to re-start the outboard engine but it would not start, so he dropped the bow mounted trolling motor, when a pontoon boat heard their cry for help and came to their aid.

Subject stated the pontoon boat quickly began to tow them towards the lick fork boat ramp several hundred yards away.  When they made it to the boat ramp safely, the pontoon boat took subject4 over to the fisherman's boat ramp to retrieve his truck and trailer.

I asked subject4 if he remembered putting the plug in the watercraft and he stated he did.  When i asked how much boating experience he had, he stated some.  I asked subject4 if he remembers hitting or bumping something.  Subject4 remembers hitting something while navigating the stump field shortly afterwards the boat began to fill up with water.

Once the boat was on the trailer, i pulled the plug out in the middle fitting and the plug to the right of it and drained the rest of the water in the boat's bilge area.  The rear transom area of the ranger contained three deep cycle marine batteries and an onboard battery charger; all of which were under water.

I did not note any other damage to the vessel. Subject did not have insurance on the watercraft.

Closed - boat accident report completed


BARDID: IN-2018-0042
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-09-08 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 17:11:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: St Joseph River
NearestCityorTown: Bristol
County: Elkhart
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Grounding
AccidentCause1: Sudden medical condition
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On September 8, 2018 at 1711 hours i, indiana conservation officer (ico) was notified by ico central dispatch of a boating accident. I later identified the individual involved in the boat accident. Based on the initial information that victim only sustained a black eye and minor scrapes during the crash i informed ico central dispatch that i would follow up with the investigation the following day. 

On september 9, 2018 i went to elkhart general hospital to interview victim. At the hospital, i was informed that victim, in fact, sustained multiple skull fractures and brain hemorrhaging during the crash. Hospital staff notified me that he was undergoing several tests to determine if there were any underlying medical issues that may have led to the wreck. I was told there was no alcohol in his blood when he arrived at the hospital. Hospital staff continued saying when they talked to victim's wife, victim’s wife, she had informed them she had spoken with victim a couple hours before he wrecked and he sounded confused over the phone. I left the hospital without speaking to victim because he continued to receive medical attention. 

On september 10, 2018 i returned to elkhart general hospital and was able to speak to victim and his wife, victim’s wife. During the interview, victim told me that he remembered fishing his way downstream past the bristol boat ramp. He continued saying he wrecked on the way back upstream towards his house; approximately one mile upstream from the boat ramp. Victim stated he did not remember stowing his trolling motor or starting his engine. He remembered being hit in the face by branches before waking up in time to crash. Victim said he believes he passed out or fainted which led to the crash. I asked victim if he had any pre-existing medical conditions that may have led to him losing consciousness. He informed me he did not know of any pre-existing medical conditions. The hospital tested for a possible stroke or heart attack and both came back negative. When victim regained consciousness, the first thing he remembered was being "crumpled into the shoreline" and his boat was pretty beat up. 

Victim said his wife left the house around 1000 or 1100 hours in the morning and he left shortly after that to go fishing. He also stated that he only had a coffee and two donuts between when he left around ten or eleven until the time of the accident around 1700 hours. I asked victim if he was experienced operating a boat and he responded stating he has operated a boat since he was 20 years old (now 63). Victim also informed me that he did have an inflatable pfd on at the time of the accident as well as the kill cord, which cuts the motor if pulled. At the time i left the hospital, the cause of victim's loss of consciousness was still unknown. 

After leaving the hospital, i went to victim and victim’s wife's resident where the boat was located. I identified the boat as a 2006 white starcraft with indiana registration number. I ran the registration through ico central dispatch and they confirmed that the boat belonged to victim. While looking at the boat, i observed extensive damage to the bow and starboard side of the boat. During my initial interview with victim, he stated that to the best of his knowledge, the boat was running well and there were no issues that would have caused the wreck. 

On october 26th, i was able to make contact with victim’s wife over the phone. During our conversation i asked if the doctors ever discovered any underlying issues that led to victim losing consciousness. Victim’s wife informed me the doctors found out victim suffers from epileptic seizures. She continued saying there was a missed diagnosis at a younger age when doctors told victim he suffered from extreme migraines. Although victim does deal with migraines, the seizures were never discovered at the time. According to victim’s wife, when victim has these seizures, they are not the type of seizure that cause him to roll on the ground convulsing. Instead, she stated that he "acts as if he is in a trance" or zoned out. When he comes to, he needs help remembering what he was doing. Victim’s wife continued saying that the event leading to the accident caused transient global amnesia (tga) which is a sudden temporary episode of memory loss that cannot be attributed to a more common neurological condition, such as epilepsy or stroke. Victim is now being medicated for his seizures and he has returned to work full-time.


BARDID: IN-2018-0044
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-09-23 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 13:27:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake James
NearestCityorTown: Angola
County: Steuben
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentCause1: Operator inattention
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
PRELUDE:  ON 09-23-18 AT APPROXIMATELY 1:27 PM STEUBEN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS RECEIVED A CALL OF A PROPERTY DAMAGE BOAT CRASH ON LAKE JAMES OUT IN FRONT OF THE POTAWOTAMI INN AT POKAGON STATE PARK.  Operator1 operated HIS BOAT AND COLLIDED WITH AN ANCHORED BOAT, , AND DAMAGED THE FRONT LEFT PONTOON CAUSING APPROXIMATELY $2,000.00 IN DAMAGE.          


BARDID: IN-2018-0045
State: IN
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2018-10-06 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 13:03:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Monroe Reservoir
NearestCityorTown: Bloomington
County: Monroe
WaterConditions: Rough
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Fire/explosion (fuel)
AccidentCause1: Machinery failure
AccidentCause2: Equipment failure
MachineryFailure: Fuel
EquipmentFailure: Fire extinguisher
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
I, indiana conservation officer (ico), was dispatched to a vessel on fire on monroe reservoir on saturday, october 6, 2018, at approximately 1303 hours, in monroe county. I arrived on scene, which was in front of the outer docks, outside of the idle zone in front of four winds marina. When i arrived on scene, the owner and operator of the vessel, subject1, was with her daughter, subject2, who was also on the vessel that caught fire.  Subject1 and subject2 were uninjured and safe on a vessel.  
Perry clear creek fire department had the vessel fire extinguished and in tow to fairfax boat ramp where subject1's father was going to meet them with the trailer.  I had subject1 and subject2 board my patrol boat so i could interview and assist them with getting to the fairfax marina.  At approximately 1358 hours, the burnt vessel was successfully put on the trailer and hauled to the four winds marina parking lot, where staff there assisted with rearranging the vessel on the trailer.  Four winds marina staff is allowing the vessel to stay in their lot until the disposition is decided.  
I spoke with subject1, who advised me that they had launched her boat at approximately 1230 hours from paynetown boat ramp and operated it toward the dam and four winds marina.  Subject1 explained that as she was operating the boat she started to smell something “hot”.  Subject1 stated that she had her daughter get to the front of the boat and she looked at the engine cover, which had smoke coming out from it.  Subject1 then grabbed the fire extinguisher inside the boat and attempted to use it on the flames coming from the engine compartment.  Subject1 stated that he fire extinguisher did not work.
Subject3 was able to get subject1 and subject2 onto his boat safely and without any injuries.  Subject1 was also able to get some of her belongings off of the boat before the fire engulfed the boat.  Subject1 stated that some of the belongings she was unable to retrieve were water skis, a dewalt drill, and a “yeti” style cooler.  
After perry clear creek fire department was able to get to the burnt vessel over to the fairfax boat ramp, subject1 and her father were able to get it loaded onto the trailer.  I photographed the burnt vessel and subject1 was able to provide photographs she took on the water while the boat was on fire.


BARDID: IN-2018-1000
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-06-15 00:00:00
CoordinatesConfidence: NC
NameOfBodyOfWater: Ohio River
NearestCityorTown: Jeffersonville
WaterConditions: Unknown
Wind: Unknown
Visibility: unknown
AccidentEvent1: Carbon monoxide exposure
AccidentCause1: Unknown
DayofWeek: Friday
RedactedNarrative:
6/15/18 - Jeffersonville, IN A bystander found victim in the cabin of a boat in Jeffersonville last Friday, officials blamed carbon monoxide for the death.  Officials say the situation could have become much worse, if not for some vital information they received from bystanders. They were given the information that his engines had been at idle for a while.


BARDID: IN-2018-1001
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-08-26 00:00:00
CoordinatesConfidence: NC
NameOfBodyOfWater: Pond
County: Vigo
WaterConditions: Unknown
Wind: Unknown
Visibility: unknown
AccidentEvent1: Capsizing
AccidentEvent2: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Alcohol
AccidentCause2: Drug
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
8/26/18 - An investigation is underway in Vigo County after a body was recovered from water it happened in the 150 and Hollingsworth area in West Terre Haute first responders were dispatched to the area around 6 p.m.  for a body in the water. Crews were searching for a person whose kayak flipped over. Officials said they were able to find the body in the eastern part of the water, face down. Crews will also retrieve the kayak and do more investigating on it as well. According to officials, an autopsy is scheduled for 10 a.m. Monday morning. At this time, the body has not been identified and no further details have been released.
http://www.wthitv.com/content/news/Emergency-crews-trying-to-locate-a-person-whose-kayak-flipped-over-491766561.html  according to an article, alcohol and meth werebelieved to be factors.


BARDID: IN-2018-1002
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-10-27 00:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Mississinewa Lake
WaterConditions: Choppy
HazardousWaters: -1
Wind: Unknown
Visibility: Unknown
AccidentEvent1: Capsizing
AccidentEvent2: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Hazardous waters
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
According to a news article, two brothers in separate kayaks capsized, ejecting the individuals.  Both were transported to the hospital, presumably for hypothermia.  The two were noted as being in the 54-degree water for 1 hour.


BARDID: IN-2019-0002
State: IN
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2019-02-10 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 19:42:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: East fork White River
NearestCityorTown: Seymour
County: Jackson
WaterConditions: Unknown
StrongCurrent: -1
Wind: Light
Visibility: Poor
AccidentEvent1: Collision with floating object
AccidentEvent2: Capsizing
AccidentEvent3: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Hazardous waters
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On february 10th, 2019 sometime around 6:30 p.m. operator capsized a canoe in the white river near shieldstown.  Operator became entangle in a tree top in the channel of the river.   Operator was in 6 to 8 feet of 35-38 degree swift water from one hour to one hour and 45 minutes.  

Details of the investigation:
At 7:42 p.m. subject1 contacted the jackson county sheriffs department to advise that he had heard someone yelling for help in the white river near county road 300 north and the shieldstown covered bridge.  

I, conservation officer cpl. along with deputies from the jackson co. Sheriffs department arrived in the area and located a male approximately 90 feet from the east bank of the white river clinging to a downed tree. The white river was approximately seven feet above flood stage.  The current was swift and water temperature was below 40 degrees.  Operator was facing south (down river) with a limb under his arms.  Operator's head and the top of his shoulders were above water.  It is estimated that operator was in six to eight feet of water.

On 2-11-2019 i interviewed operator at the medical center.  Operator stated that he was attempting to retrieve his canoe from the river.  Operator stated that he was unable to pull it up the steep bank and that he decided to paddle the canoe a short distance along the east bank of the river so that he could pull it from the water.  Operator advised that it was right around dark, approximately 6:30 p.m. when he went to retrieve the canoe. Operator stated that  while maneuvering the river he was struck by debris from the flooded river causing the canoe to overturn.  

The canoe was not recovered.   Operator stated that it was a 16 foot red fiberglass canoe.  Operator stated that there was a pfd on board but he was not wearing a pfd at the time of the capsizing.  

Operator was treated for hypothermia and fatigue and monitored for 24 hours.  He is expected to make a full recovery.

Attempting to paddle a canoe solo in unfit waters was the cause of the accident.


BARDID: IN-2019-0003
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-04-03 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 13:45:00
CoordinatesConfidence: NC
NameOfBodyOfWater: West Boggs Creek Reservoir
NearestCityorTown: Loogootee
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Unknown
AccidentEvent1: Falls overboard
AccidentCause1: Sudden medical condition
DayofWeek: Wednesday
RedactedNarrative:
April 4, 2019
At approximately 13:45, I was notified by dispatch of a possible drowning at West Boggs.  According to dispatch, the incident was reported by the Daviess County Sheriff's Office.  DC Dispatch advised that they had been contacted by Subject1, who stated that a person had fallen overboard on the north end of the lake.  He stated that the subject could not swim and that he had been pulled from the water but was dead.

I arrived at the West Boggs boat ramp shortly after and observed a boat with two male occupants waving at me.  I made contact with the operator, Subject1, and he stated that he had been flagged down on the north end of the lake by a boater near the east bank.  Subject1 stated that as he got closer, he could see an arm sticking out of the water.  He stated that the other man in the boat seemed to be in shock, but had told him that his brother had fallen into the water and drowned.  The brother was able to grab him while in the water but couldn't pull him into the boat. Instead, he had hooked a rope around his arm and tied him to the boat.

At this time, I overheard radio traffic that the victim was near the last residence on Pine Tree Road at the north end of the lake.  Upon arrival to this location, I met with ISP Trooper and two Daviess County Deputies who were arriving at the same time as me.  At the water's edge, I observed a red Dyna Trak boat with an older male subject sitting in the boat.  

The man, Occupant, stated that his brother had fallen into the water and was dead.  He stated that his brother's body was on the other side of the boat still in the water.  At this time, I entered boat and observed the male victim submerged beside the boat.  He had an anchor line attached to his arm holding him at the surface.  As I attempted to talk with Occupant, it was apparent that he was very confused and in shock from the incident.  He stated that the victim was his brother, Victim, and that he had jumped off the front of the boat to get his line untangled.  Subject was unable to give me his correct age and couldn't remember his address.

At this time, we were able to pull the front of the boat into the shore and remove the deceased victim from the water and onto the bank.  The victim was wearing a flannel shirt, black pants, and tennis shoes.  He was also still wearing his glasses.  There were no odd marks or visible injuries on face, head, or hands.  There was very little water or fluids coming from mouth.  Deputy located the victim's wallet in his pocket and ID'd him by his operator's license.  The wallet also contained various insurance cards and $507 in cash.  The wallet was secured and later given to Deputy Coroner.

At this time, I decided to get Occupant away from the scene and back to the boat ramp area.  I rode along with occupant in his boat back to the ramp.  During the ride, Occupant seemed to get more coherent.  On the ride back, he stated that he and his brother had gotten to the lake just after daylight this morning.  He stated that they normally fish West Boggs 6-8 times a year.  He stated that they were fishing in the north end of the lake and had caught several crappie and blue gills.  As they fished the location where the accident had occurred, his brother, who was fishing from the front of the boat, had gotten his lure hung on a log under the water.  He stated that he had cussed a couple of times about getting hung and was trying to retrieve his line.  Occupant stated that he then fell into the water face first.  When he hit the water, Victim only moved his arms a couple of time, and then went motionless.  According to Occupant, his brother didn't say anything after he hit the water.  He stated that he could not get him back into the boat, so he used an anchor line to wrap around his arm so he would not sink.  After securing the line, he stated that he didn't have a phone and didn't know what to do.  He later flagged down a nearby boat to get help.  He estimated that he had sat there nearly an hour.

Back at the ramp, I assisted Occupant with securing the boat on the trailer and pulled it into the parking lot.  There were no containers of alcohol or any illegal substances in the boat. When asked if his brother had been drinking, Occupant stated that his brother never drank alcohol.  The coolers in the boat contained only food, water, and soft drinks.  Although he was getting better, Occupant still seemed disoriented.  We then called for the ambulance service to check him out.  At this time, I left the boat ramp and went back to the location of the accident.  Boggs manager stayed with subject until EMS arrived.


BARDID: IN-2019-0004
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-04-10 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 17:10:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Monroe Reservoir
NearestCityorTown: Bloomington
County: Monroe
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Fall in vessel
AccidentCause1: Alcohol
DayofWeek: Wednesday
RedactedNarrative:
I spoke with ico who was also responded to the scene. He stated that the victim had a laceration on his head and was missing some teeth. I also spoke with the monroe reservoir property manager and a lake monroe boat rental, inc owner. Owner provided a copy of the boat rental agreement and the indiana watercraft registration to me. I then spoke with several individuals/witnesses who were on the rental boat or out with the group on another boat when the accident occurred. 

It was determined that several of the double decker pontoon rental boats were tied together and stationary at the time of the accident. The witnesses stated that the victim was on the top deck of the double decker pontoon rental boat and was near the slide area. The witnesses that saw him stated that it appeared he was attempting to go down the slide, but slipped and fell from the top deck into the bottom level. One witness stated that the victim hit a bar on the bottom deck of the boat and was knocked out. Other witnesses on the boat, did not see anything, but heard a loud noise and then looked to see what had happened. They stated that the victim was bleeding from his head and they started wrapping his head with towels and then stated that he began touching his face and was alert. Several people called 911.     

I went to iu bloomington hospital emergency room and spoke with the victim. He stated that he did not remember falling, but remembered being out on the boat. He admitted to drinking about five beers. He suffered a laceration on his forehead, some abrasions on his arms and had some teeth that were chipped. No internal injuries or broken bones.


BARDID: IN-2019-0005
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-04-13 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 12:05:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Jimerson Lake
NearestCityorTown: Fremont
County: Steuben
WaterConditions: Rough
Wind: Strong
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Flooding/swamping
AccidentEvent2: Capsizing
AccidentEvent3: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Hazardous waters
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
Prelude:  on 04-13-19 at approximately 12:11 pm operator1 called 911 to steuben county communications and reported that his kayak had capsized.  Operator1 was able to get himself out of the water on jimmerson lake.  Operator1 was transported to cameron community hospital and treated for mild hypothermia.         


Details of investigation/incident:  on 04-13-19 at approximately 12:11 pm operator1 called 911 to steuben county communications and reported his kayak had capsized.  Operator1 was able to get himself out of the water on jimmerson lake.  The kayak was pulled to shore by the orland fire department and placed in the yard of the address of the call.  Ems squad 3 then transported operator1 to cameron community hospital in angola.  
     i was notified of the accident when i came on duty and was informed the ems was enroute to the hospital with the victim.  I arrived at the hospital at approximately 1:25 pm.  I spoke with operator1 at the hospital and he stated he was being treated for mild hypothermia and did not have any other injuries.  

Operator1 stated he put his kayak on the water at the jimmerson lake public access site and was fishing in a bass tournament.  Operator1 stated he had been fishing for 3-4 hours when the wind had started getting stronger.  

Operator1 stated his kayak filled up with water because of the large waves on jimmerson lake.  Operator1 stated he got to a pier and was able to empty the water out of his kayak.  Operator1 stated he decided that he would try and make it back to the access site where his vehicle was at.  Operator1 stated he went back out on the lake and noticed his kayak was unstable but did not know why it was unstable.  He said it does have a hull and he did not know whether there was still water in the hull or not.  Operator1 stated the waves were coming into his kayak again as he was paddling.  Operator1 stated his boat capsized approximately 100-200 feet from the shoreline.  

Operator1 stated it took him at least 4 or 5 minutes to get to shore.  Operator1 stated he had his telephone in a dry box around his neck and was able to call 911 when he got to shore.  Operator1 stated he was wearing a pfd at the time of the accident and was glad that he had it on.  Operator1 stated the lake was rough but it was very rough if you were in a kayak.  Operator1 stated the accident happened about 5 minutes before he called 911.  

Operator1 stated there was no failure of equipment that he knew of and there was no involvement of alcohol and/or drugs that contributed to the accident. Operator1 was paddling a tan 2018 future beach kayak that is approximately 10 feet in length.  Operator1 stated there was no motor on the kayak.  Operator1 stated there was no damage to his kayak and no other property damage.        


BARDID: IN-2019-0006
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-05-24 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 13:52:00
CoordinatesConfidence: NC
NameOfBodyOfWater: Brookville Lake
NearestCityorTown: Liberty
County: Union
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Falls overboard
AccidentCause1: Other
OtherAccidentCause: Passenger/skier behavior
DayofWeek: Friday
RedactedNarrative:
I, indiana conservation officer was called to the hanna creek boat ramp in union co., indiana reference a medical emergency that was taking place.  The call came out at 1352 hours, and i arrived on scene at 1425 hours.  I interviewed witness.  Operator advised he was operating his boat attempting to pull up to the boat dock when his uncle stood up from the passenger seat and walked to the starboard side of the boat with a push pole to hook onto the dock.  Operator told victim not to lean over the side of the boat and the pole victim was using slipped off the dock and victim fell into the water.  

Operator advised he asked victim if he hit his head and he advised "no".  Operator advised that victim grabbed onto the side of the boat and waited for operator to lower the stern swim ladder.  Operator advised that victim was talking but seemed to be short of breath so he told him to hold on to the swim ladder and rest.  

Operator advised as victim was holding on to the swim ladder, he made a "big exhale".  Operator advised he grabbed victims wrist to hold onto him while he was hanging on the swim ladder.  Operator advised victim's body went limp and his pulse was faint and his face quickly turned blue.  Operator advised he was holding on to victim as he dialed 911.  Operator advised two witnesses saw what was taking place and came over to help lift victim off the swim ladder and onto the dock.  

Union co. Ems arrived at 1408 hours and started cpr on victim.

At 1452 hours the union co. Coroner arrived and pronounced victim deceased at 1456 hours.


BARDID: IN-2019-0010
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-05-27 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 15:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Geist
NearestCityorTown: Indianapolis
County: Hamilton
WaterConditions: Rough
Wind: Strong
Visibility: Fair
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentCause1: Weather
DayofWeek: Monday
RedactedNarrative:
Details of investigation / incident:

On may 27, 2019, at approximately 1534 hrs., i, indiana conservation officer, was patrolling at geist reservoir and was notified by central dispatch that there was a property damage boat accident at the geist marina.  Dispatch advised me to make contact with the owner of one of the boats involved.  I walked out to the slip and met with subject1, and her son. 

Subject1 stated that at approximately 1500 hrs., she was operating her pontoon boat, a 2014 premier marine gemini and was backing out of her boat slip.  Subject1 stated that as she backed out and was perpendicular to slip, a gust of wind blew her pontoon boat in to an unoccupied boat.  

The front right side of subject1's pontoon struck the motor of the pontoon causing damage to the motor, and damage to the right front side of subject1's pontoon.  

I obtained insurance information for all parties involved, and completed a boat accident report.  Both boats were left in their respective boat slips.  Both parties were provided with each other's insurance information and advised that a report would be available to them in the coming days.  The weather was noted to be very windy with incoming thunderstorms.


BARDID: IN-2019-0011
State: IN
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2019-05-27 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 11:55:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Tippecanoe River
NearestCityorTown: Monticello
County: White
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Capsizing
AccidentEvent2: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Force of wake/wave
DayofWeek: Monday
RedactedNarrative:
Details of the incident/investigation:
On 5-27-19 at approximately 12:05 pm i responded to a boat that had capsized on the tippecanoe river.  I was already on the river in a boat looking for a missing kayaker at the norway dam.  I arrived at approximately 12:15 pm and located the victims.  They were at the boat ramp at the american legion downstream from the low head dam and the washington street bridge in monticello.  

	i received the information from the boat owner and operator.  I took photos of his driver's license and the boat registration.  I also took photos of his passenger driver's license.  She also provided a copy of the insurance information to me.  I asked them what had happened.  

Operator told me that he and his girlfriend had been out fishing for about an hour.  He said that he noticed that he was taking on water in his boat.  He said that he tried to turn on the bilge pump to get the water out of the boat.  He said that the pump did not work and that a wave came down the river and swamped the boat.  This caused the boat to sink very fast.  Operator and occupant retrieved their life jackets and were picked up by a passing boat.  Operator stated that the boat dropped them at the american legion boat ramp and the monticello fire and police departments helped them out.  I finished taking pictures of the boat registration and the boat at the ramp.  There were no injuries from the incident reported at this time.  
	buschman's towing company arrived and pulled the boat from the water.  I took photos of the boat after it was out of the water.  They will show damage to the canopy and trolling motor.  I did not observe any other damage to the boat and operator told me that the motor was running when it sank.  Operator then asked the tow company driver if they could put the boat back on his trailer. 
	on 6-4-19 i dropped a boat operator's crash report form at the residence and observed that the boat was on the trailer in his lot.


BARDID: IN-2019-0013
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-06-14 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 16:20:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake Shafer
NearestCityorTown: Monticello
County: White
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Moderate
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with fixed object
AccidentEvent2: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentEvent3: Fall in vessel
AccidentCause1: Operator inexperience
AccidentCause2: Machinery failure
MachineryFailure: Throttle
DayofWeek: Friday
RedactedNarrative:
Details of the incident/investigation:
	on 6-14-2019 i, indiana conservation officer, was contacted by ico dispatch in reference to a boat crash on lake shafer.  Ico dispatch told me i needed to make contact with white county dispatch to get the information on the crash.  I contacted white county dispatch at approximately 4:50 pm.  I arrived at approximately 5:33 pm and a white male identified as a subject1 met me at the end of the driveway.  He told me that the crash occurred at about 4:20 pm. And that only his and his wife's property was damaged.  I walked to the porch area and made contact with his wife.  I asked her if she was ok and she said that she had hurt her mouth.  I took photos of her face to document the injury.  I asked her if she needed an ambulance and she said no.  I asked subject1 where the boat was and he pointed to the lake.
	we went down to the dock area of the lake.  I noticed that a boat was setting on the dock and that there were two pwc's in the area.  Subject1 told me that his wife had crashed into the black 2009 pwc while it was on the lift.  This caused the pwc to be dislodged from the lift.   He also said that it damaged the white 1995 pwc and their dock.  Subject1 told me that this was his and his wife's property and no other property was damaged.  I took photos of the pwc's, rinker boat, pwc lift and the dock area.  I also photographed the gauges in the boat.  The tachometer was stuck showing 4800 rpms.  The oil pressure gauge showed 43 psi and the temperature gage read 127 degrees.  Subject1 said the boat ran for a few minutes out of the water and the engine was probably seized. I finished by photographing the throttle handle of the boat it was in the neutral position.  
	i went back to the porch area where operator was sitting.  I asked her what had happened.  She told me that they had just put the boat on the lake for the first time this year.  She said that as she pulled up to put the boat on the lift the throttle stuck open and she could not slow down.  I asked her how she stopped the boat and she said she turned the key off.  However she said she crashed into the pwc lift which caused the boat to jump out onto the dock.  During the impact she said that is when she hit her mouth on the front console of the boat.  I asked her if she was wearing any life jackets and she said that she had a type iii on.  I asked her if she was familiar with the boat and she said yes.  I asked if she had any formal boat training and she said that both her and her husband had taken a boat safety class sponsored by the us coast guard.  I asked her how many hours she had operating the boat and she said over 200.  I asked her if there was anything else she could think of about the crash and she said no.  She produced a copy of the insurance policy for the watercrafts.  I took a photograph of this.
	i asked her if the lake was busy and she said no.  The sun was out and there was approximately a ten mile per hour wind blowing.  I asked if there was any rouge wakes and she said no.  The water depth at the end of the boat dock was approximately four feet deep according to subject1.  I asked her if she knew what the water temperature was and she said no.  
I asked subject1 if he knew how much the pwc lift had cost and he said $1,800.00.  I asked him how much it would cost to fix the rinker and he said about $2,500.00 for the motor repair if it was stuck.  I asked how much the 2009 pwc was worth and he said around $6,000.00.  I do not know if the damage to the rear of the machine is enough for it to be a total loss.  I asked him how much it would take to fix the 1995 pwc and he thought around $200.00.  Finally i asked how much it would cost to fix the dock and he said around $100.00.  The total amount of damage that subject1 came up with was $10,600.00 in his estimate.  I asked if they had any questions for me and provided them with the case number.  Case closed pending approval.


BARDID: IN-2019-0014
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-05-31 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 16:17:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: St Joseph River
NearestCityorTown: Elkhart
County: Elkhart
WaterConditions: Unknown
StrongCurrent: -1
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentEvent2: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Operator inexperience
AccidentCause2: Excessive speed
DayofWeek: Friday
RedactedNarrative:
I responded to a two-pwc crash that occurred on the st. Joseph river in elkhart county.  A pwc being operated by operator2 was travelling towards a pwc operated by operator1.  

Operator1 had very minimal experience and panicked when he observed the other pwc coming his direction.  In his panic, operator1 grabbed the handlebars which included the throttle.  This propelled operator1 even faster towards the other pwc which caused a major collision.  

Both subjects were ejected from the vessels.  Operator1 suffered a shattered pelvis and has undergone two surgeries since the incident.  Operator2 suffered no injuries.


BARDID: IN-2019-0015
State: IN
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2019-05-18 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 15:35:00
CoordinatesConfidence: NC
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake Michigan
NearestCityorTown: Porter
County: Porter
WaterConditions: Rough
Wind: Storm
Visibility: Poor
AccidentEvent1: Falls overboard
AccidentCause1: Weather
AccidentCause2: Hazardous waters
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On saturday, may 18th, 2019, operator launched a kayak upon the waters of lake michigan from the porter beach.  He was last seen kayaking on the lake that afternoon and was not seen or heard from after that.  A missing person investigation that initiated in south bend, in was connected to the porter, in beach on or about Tuesday, may 22nd, when operator's blue pt cruiser was located parked at the dahlin johnson inn parking lot. Based on surveillance footage and witness statements, indiana conservation officers assumed the investigation.  Operator's body washed ashore the beach of the indiana dunes state park on wednesday, may 29th, 2019. Cause of death was ruled as traumatic suffocation as a result of freshwater drowning. Manner of death ruled accident.

Narratives of investigation contained within irf 10-19-00845 and inv1900953b

Weather and water conditions were cited as causes of the likely fall overboard.


BARDID: IN-2019-0016
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-06-15 00:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake Wawasee
NearestCityorTown: Syracuse
County: Kosciusko
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Unknown
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentCause1: Navigation rules violation
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
THE OWNER OF THE SAILBOAT ADVISED KOSCIUKO COUNTY DISPATCH OF SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO HIS BOAT WHICH OCCURRED SOMETIME THE NIGHT BEFORE.  THE OWNER OF THE BOAT ADVISED HE DID NOT HEAR ANY COLLISION THE NIGHT BEFORE AND I WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE ANY VIDEO FOOTAGE OF THE CHANNEL WHERE THE COLLISION OCCURRED.  PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE DAMAGE WERE TAKEN.


BARDID: IN-2019-0017
State: IN
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2019-06-22 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 02:30:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Geist Reservoir
NearestCityorTown: Indianapolis
County: Marion
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Unknown
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentEvent2: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Excessive speed
AccidentCause2: Improper lookout
AccidentCause3: Inadequate onboard navigation lights
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
At 1045 hours on 6/22/19, i was informed by dispatch of a hit-and-run boat accident on geist reservoir which had occurred early that morning which was being investigated by the fishers police department.  I contacted the victim in the accident, and he advised that the accident had occurred at 0230 hours that morning.

    operator1 stated he was anchored fishing for catfish in marion county 1/4 mile south of the marina when his boat was struck by another which was speeding.  He only had time to look over at the boat several seconds before it hit him and could only see the red (port side) bow light on the boat before it made impact.  The impact ejected him from the boat.

     operator1 had just re boarded the boat when he heard someone in the other boat say "he didn't have his fucking lights on!"  he then heard another voice ask him if he was all right.  Operator1 replied, " i think so."  the boat then immediately left the scene headed south toward the dam at a high rate of speed.
     operator1 was unable to give me any description of the boat, as it was dark and he was disoriented from the accident.  He added that the back portion of his boat had been badly damaged, including the outboard motor.  After several attempts, operator1 was able to start the motor and then went to the ramp and placed the boat on his trailer.  He then drove himself to the hospital, where he was evaluated and then released with no significant injuries.
     operator1 stated that the other boat left some white paint transfer on top of the cowling for his outboard motor, which had been crushed in the accident. He added that the boat had been deflected toward the back of the boat following impact by a stainless steel "roll-bar" he had on the back of the boat with rod holders mounted on it. Operator1 felt that without the roll-bar, the other boat would have hit him directly where he was seated in the rear pedestal mount chair. He estimated the boat was traveling approximately 30 mph when it hit his.
     i had operator1 send me several photographs of his boat showing the damage it received.  Upon examining them, it was clear that the other boat made impact from the port side adjacent to the rear pedestal mount seat, then ramped, making impact with the roll-bar, which rotated and deflected the boat over the transom and outboard motor. It was evident that the other boat must have been traveling well in excess of the night time speed limit of 10 mph at impact.
     the photographs also showed the white paint transfer which was left on top of the motor cowling.  The other boat had also crushed the fiberglass on the rear port corner of the transom, leaving a small amount of white paint transfer there as well.  Therefore, the other boat would likely have some black transfer from the cowling and some dark red transfer from the fiberglass gel coat on the port side bow section of the hull below the waterline.
     i was already on assigned boat patrol of geist reservoir, so i searched for the suspect boat the remainder of my shift.  I looked at all boats which were on lifts with a white hull where i could see above the waterline.  I was unable to locate any boats with damage or transfer consistent with what i suspected. 
     while searching, i made contact with operator1' girlfriend, who was out on a pontoon boat also looking for the boat responsible for the accident.  She gave me the name and phone number of a bass fisherman named, who had reportedly been fishing a night tournament and had witnessed the accident.
     i interviewed him two days after the accident.  He stated he had not witnessed the accident itself, but had seen the suspect boat leave the scene afterwards.  Subject1 told me he was fishing the small island south of the marina (about 200 yards west of the location of the accident) when he saw a boat turn on its navigation lights, then take off towards the dam at a high rate of speed.
    subject1 stated that the motor was very quiet and that the boat had a low profile, consistent with that of a ski boat with an i/o motor. He also noticed that the boat had lights which were brighter than navigation lights which were primarily green in color, possibly on the transom of the boat, as he observed them as the boat was traveling away from him.
     i examined operator1' boat at the geist marina on the evening of 6/25/19 and took my own photographs of the damage.  My examination confirmed my earlier findings from looking at the photographs operator1 sent me.  In addition, i noticed that the registration for the boat out of utah was expired.  The stern light was also on a short post and was not all-around.  Because of this, it would likely have been obscured by the rear pedestal mount chair with operator1 in it and the roll-bar with rod holders and operator1' fishing gear based on the relative position of the two boats prior to impact.
     i received a damage estimate from operator1 on 7/11/19.  He stated his insurance company was writing off the boat as a total loss, and that it was insured for $5,000.  In addition, operator1 estimated that damage and loss of his fishing gear was approximately $300.


BARDID: IN-2019-0022
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-07-04 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 18:47:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Geist
NearestCityorTown: Indianapolis
County: Hamilton
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Moderate
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with fixed object
AccidentEvent2: Fire/explosion (fuel)
AccidentCause1: Machinery failure
MachineryFailure: Throttle
DayofWeek: Thursday
RedactedNarrative:
Details of the incident/investigation:
	on july 4th, 2019 at approximately 1847 hours, i (ico) was dressed in full class b uniform working boat patrol at geist reservoir with ico cpl.. At this time, our patrol boat was docked at the geist marina floating gas dock. I was stationary in the boat at the gas dock waiting on cpl. to return to the boat. 
	while waiting on cpl. to return to the boat i was facing the shore and heard several people scream and looked to my right. Two docking slips to my right i observed a motorboat (1996 four winns 220) going over the dock striking a gas pump that was secured to the dock. The gas dock broke falling over and immediately caught fire. As this happened the boat involved slide off the gas pump and dock back into the water. I immediately observed one male in the boat behind the driver's seat. I also observed several people on the dock around the active fire. 

I immediately began assisting people and having them leave the dock. I then returned my focus to the male on the motorboat who was still in the motorboat around the driver's seat. I instructed the male several times to get off the boat and he looked at me with a blank stare. I then reached my hand out to the male and assisted him off the boat. The male informed me that he was the only one on board and he thought he was having a heart attack. 

At this time, cpl. arrived on scene and began helping to put the fire out with two fire extinguishers. I escorted the male to shore where he was seated at the concession area. I requested ems support and they arrived on scene within seconds and began evaluating the male. 

The male identified himself verbally and with his military identification card. Operator informed me that he did not have a driver's license and had not had one since the 1990's while he was in florida. Ico dispatch was unable to locate a driver's license in florida or indiana. Operator stated that he was unaware that a driver's license was needed to operate a motorboat. While speaking with operator he stated that he was unable to get the boat back into neutral when approaching the gas dock. Operator showed no signs of impairment and did not smell of an alcoholic beverage. I asked operator if he had been drinking and he confirmed that he had not been. Operator was later given a pbt that registered .000 gbac. 

	cpl. and firefighters were able to put the fire out on the floating dock. Once evaluation by ems was completed and operator was released we looked at his boat for any damages. Operator and i were unable to see any physical damage to the hull of the motorboat where it had struck the dock and gas pump. Operator stated that he did not observe any damages to his boat. Operator and i notices that the gear shift handle on his boat was very loose and may have contributed to the accident. While speaking with operator he confirmed that he was the only one on the boat at the time of the accident and that he was operating. I took multiple photos of the boat, dock and gas pump. While on scene i also made contact with the marina manager. After all information was collected, i issued operator a citation for operating a motorboat without a valid driver's license (ic 14-15-11-9a, c - infraction). Operator informed me that he understood the citation and thanked me for helping him. 

	on a later date i made contact with operator and explained to him that i was going to mail him the boat operator's accident report and informed him that he could call me if he had any questions or concerns. While speaking with operator he informed me that it was found by marina staff that the throttle cable of the boat had broke. Operator also informed me that his insurance information had been provided to subject4. I also made contact with subject4 who provided the same information that operator had provided. Subject4 also informed me that he had been in contact with operator's insurance agent and was currently in the process of receiving estimates for damage repair. 

	on july 17, 2019 subject4 informed me that he had received an estimate of $14,330.00 to repair the gas pump, gas lines, and electrical lines. Subject4 informed me that this estimate did not include repairs that will be needed to the dock. Operator and subject4 were both provided with the irf number for the boating accident report. Both subjects were cooperative throughout the entire investigation.


BARDID: IN-2019-0024
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-07-05 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 15:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Mississinewa
NearestCityorTown: Wabash
County: Wabash
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Falls overboard
AccidentEvent2: Person struck by propeller
AccidentCause1: Operator inattention
AccidentCause2: People on gunwale, bow, or transom
DayofWeek: Friday
RedactedNarrative:
On friday july 5th at approximately 1500 hrs, operator1 was operating a 20 foot 2005 supra mariah vicinity latitude 40.668281, longitude -85.871311 pulling a wakeboarder when the person wakeboarding fell off and operator1 turned to port/left to pick him up. At the same time, 13 year old victim was leaning over the starboard gunwale in an attempt to touch the water's surface. The turn to the left, although at a relatively slow speed, threw victim out of the boat and into the path of the boat's lower unit and propeller.

Victim was struck in the upper torso and left thumb by boat's propeller. Operator1 and subject1 immediately stopped the boat and entered the water to retrieve victim. Emergency medical personnel attempted to have victim transported to lutheran hospital in fort wayne but weather precluded that from happening. Victim was initially transported to duke's hospital in peru, indiana and injuries necessitated further transport to lutheran hospital in fort wayne. Alcohol was not a factor in this incident and personal flotation devices were worn as necessary.


BARDID: IN-2019-0025
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-07-06 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 15:30:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Tippecanoe River
NearestCityorTown: Brookston
County: Carroll
WaterConditions: Unknown
StrongCurrent: -1
Wind: Moderate
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Grounding
AccidentEvent2: Capsizing
AccidentEvent3: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Improper loading
AccidentCause2: Hazardous waters
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
Details of the incident/investigation:
On 7-6-19 at approximately 3:33 pm i, indiana conservation officer responded to a boat crash on the tippecanoe river near springboro.  When i arrived i observed that there were several canoes on the water.  I was approached by a male telling me that the people in the middle of the river needed help.  I yelled to them and they said they needed an ambulance.  I checked with carroll county dispatch to make sure one was on its way.  The people were standing in approximately knee deep water holding on to a white male.  A canoe was pushed to his location by several members of the group.  They helped him into the canoe and walked it to the access site at springboro and state road 18. 

When they arrived on shore i asked the male if he was ok and he said no.  His daughter told me that she, her father, and her mother had been floating down the river in the same canoe.  She said that they hit a rock and the canoe flipped over and ejected them.  

She said that her father operator had hit his chest on the rock that flipped the canoe over, and that he could not stand up after this happened.  She then told me that her dad needed help to keep his head out of the water.  I asked her if he had any medical conditions and she said no.  Carroll county ems transported operator to iu hospital in monticello.  I took a photo of operator while he was on the stretcher before being transported.  I did not see any marks or cuts on his body, however his ex-wife had lacerations to her left hand and refused medical treatment.  I later checked on operator and found there were no broken bones or any other injuries.

There was no damage to the canoe and the owner of hodges canoes picked up the canoe from the scene.  Based on my training and experience the low water level and fast current along with three occupants of the canoe caused it to flip over.  Life jackets were being used and helped mitigate the injuries.  Case closed pending approval.


BARDID: IN-2019-0026
State: IN
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2019-07-06 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 18:05:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake Freeman
NearestCityorTown: Monticello
County: Carroll
WaterConditions: Rough
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Fire/explosion (fuel)
AccidentCause1: Ignition of spilled fuel or vapor
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
Details of the incident/investigation:
On 7-6-19 at approximately 6:05 pm i, indiana conservation officer responded to a boat fire at white oaks campground on lake freeman.  When i arrived i observed that the boat was completely engulfed.  I took several pictures of the scene.  Monticello and delphi fire departments arrived and put the fire out.  I located the owner and passengers of the boat on shore.

The owner told me that he had just started the boat and went to put it in reverse to back off the trailer when he heard a "loud pop".  He then saw fire near the engine area.  He said that a second later the back of the boat exploded sending pieces of the cowling everywhere.  He hurried to get his daughter and mother out of the boat.  His girlfriend pulled the truck and trailer out of the area.  He said after he found no one was injured he checked to see if anyone had called the fire department.  There were numerous bystanders in the area and someone had already called 911.  

I asked operator1 how long he had owned the boat and he said about a month.  I asked him how many times he had operated it and if the boat had any problems on previous trips.  He said he had taken it out about six or seven times and had not had any issues with it.  I asked him if he had done any work on the boat and when the last time he had put gas in it.  He said that he had changed the fuel filter earlier in the week and had gassed the boat up about an hour earlier.   Mother interjected that it took 20 gallons to fill it up.   I asked him if he had smelled the odor of gas before he started the boat and he said no.  I asked him if he had any insurance on the boat and he said it was thru progressive.  I asked him to send me the policy and its information for the report.  Finally i asked him how much he had paid for the boat when he had purchased it.  He said he only paid $400.00 for it.  

I took photos of the boat a blue 1993 starcraft eurostar with indiana registration.  I also took photos of the damage to the dock at white oak's campground.  After mel's towing service had removed the boat from the water i photographed the hin number of the boat.

 operator1 texted me about an hour later asking me to change the time of the incident because his insurance policy was not in effect.  I told him that was not possible.  Operator1 replied that he understood.  

Based on my training and experience i believe that there was a buildup of gasoline vapors in the engine compartment.  These vapors ignited causing the explosion to occur and subsequent fire.  There was a type "b" fire extinguisher on board as well as proper personal flotation devices.  The fire extinguisher was not effective due to the extreme heat and amount of gas on board.  The boat is a total loss.


BARDID: IN-2019-0027
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-07-06 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 13:41:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Monroe Reservoir
NearestCityorTown: Bloomington
County: Monroe
WaterConditions: Rough
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Skier mishap
AccidentCause1: Excessive speed
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
I, indiana conservation officer (ico) cpl. on july 6, 2019 at or about 1341 hours was dispatched to the boat ramp at paynetown state recreation area in monroe county. Dispatch advised an individual fell from a tube and had injuries.  I responded and arrived at or about 1353 hours on scene.  

I spoke with a passenger in the watercraft and also the watercraft owner.  Subject1 advised operator was operating the watercraft and two people were being towed behind the watercraft in a flash wow tube.  They were near the sailing association traveling south at approximately 10-15 mph when victim fell off of the tube.  Victim was wearing a life jacket at the time of this accident.  When operator drove around to pick victim up out of the water victim complained of numbness in his legs and arms. They contacted monroe county dispatch who contacted ico central dispatch.  They then traveled back to the boat ramp at paynetown sra.  

I also spoke with operator and tuber and confirmed the same sequence of events and facts that subject1 had previously gave me.  Victim was transported to indiana university health bloomington hospital by ambulance 2164.  Alcohol was not a contributing factor in this accident. 
On july 11, 2019 i spoke with subject1 by telephone.  Subject1 advised victim had bruising and a possible torn muscle in his legs but no broken bones or significant injuries.  Victim also regained normal feeling in his arms and legs. 

I emailed a copy of the operators boat accident report to subject. I advised subject1 to have operator complete the form and mail it back to the address listed at the top of the form. Subject1 advised he understood and would have operator complete it.


BARDID: IN-2019-0029
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-07-07 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 14:53:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Snow Lake
NearestCityorTown: Fremont
County: Steuben
WaterConditions: Rough
Wind: Moderate
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Excessive speed
AccidentCause2: Force of wake/wave
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On sunday july 7th, 2019 at approximately 14:53,steuben county communications received a 911 call in reference to a subject who had apparently suffered a seizure while operating a personal watercraft.

     i was advised of the situation and responded from pigeon river fish and wildlife area at 14:57.  While responding the situation had been changed from a medical call to a boating accident as first responders gained information on what had occurred.  I arrived on scene at 15:07.

     according to separate interviews of the passengers on the pwc at the time of the accident, the pwc hit a wake and threw operator, and his two passengers off of the pwc.  Subject1 was sitting directly behind operator who was operating the pwc.  Subject2 was sitting at the rear of the pwc behind subject1.

     after hitting the wake and being thrown into the water, subject1 and subject2 noticed that operator was floating face down in the water and appeared to be unconscious.  They swam to operator and turned him over to get his face out of the water and noticed his unconscious gasping which appeared to be similar to convulsions.  

     at this time, they yelled for help and a nearby pontoon pulled operator into the boat and brought him to shore at the residence.  While in the pontoon boat operator regained consciousness but was very confused.

     while at the pier and being attended to by steuben county ems and fremont fire department, operator was unable to answer simple questions, unaware of the accident or his location.  He was able to walk but did so while shuffling one leg which was not normal for him.  He had no outwardly visible signs of injury.  The pwc had no signs of mechanism to injury or damage.

     operator was transported to cameron memorial hospital, then transferred from the ambulance directly to samaritan helicopter and transferred to parkview regional medical center.  Operator was treated and released. Neither alcohol nor drugs were a factor in the accident.


BARDID: IN-2019-0030
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-07-08 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 11:35:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake Freeman
NearestCityorTown: Monticello
County: White
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Skier mishap
AccidentCause1: Other
OtherAccidentCause: Passenger/skier behavior
DayofWeek: Monday
RedactedNarrative:
Details of the incident/investigation:
On 7-8-19 at approximately 11:40 am i, indiana conservation officer responded to a boat crash on lake freeman.  White county dispatch called and advised that a juvenile was hurt on lake freeman while wake boarding.  Operator stated his daughter victim had been knee boarding on a wakeboard.  He said she was kneeling down and had leaned too far forward causing the board to go under water and it “popped up and hit her in the forehead above the nose”.  It should be noted that the wakeboard is a multipurpose board for either wakeboarding or knee boarding.  He said she was unconscious for about two minutes, but had never went under the water.  He got victim into the boat and his wife called 911.  He drove the boat to his dock and met ems there.  

Victim was taken to iu white county and checked out.  When i arrived they had a helicopter ready to transport her to riley children's hospital.  I asked what he knew as he was at the hospital.  He told me that he had gotten the mother and found that victim did not have any broken bones or bleeding of the brain.  He told me that she was still going to be flown to riley children's hospital for precautionary reasons.  After victim was flown away i spoke to her parents and gave them my information and a boat operator's crash report form to fill out.  

On 7-13-2019 i made contact with operator and asked him how his daughter was doing.  He told me that she had a mild concussion and needed several stitches in her forehead.  I asked him how fast he was towing victim and he said about five miles per hour.  He told me that when he saw that the wakeboard had went under water he slowed the boat down and that is when victim leaned forward and the board hit her in the face.  He said that the incident happened in white county near his house.  I asked him if he had operated the boat before pulling victim and he said yes.  I also asked if he had any formal training about boat operation and he said no that he had operated it at least 200 hours though.  I asked if victim would have any other medical issues and he said no she was fine.

Based on my training and experience i believe this was an isolated incident.  The wakeboard seemed to be new and did not have any damage to it.  I also believe that the age of the juvenile was a factor in the incident.  Case closed pending approval.


BARDID: IN-2019-0031
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-07-14 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 12:23:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake Tippecanoe
NearestCityorTown: Leesburg
County: Kosciusko
WaterConditions: Rough
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Operator inexperience
AccidentCause2: Force of wake/wave
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
Operator jumped a large wake on a pwc and became airborne.  As he came back into  contact with the water he did not have a footing and slammed his knee into the fiberglass on the edge of the running board of the pwc which caused a severe laceration to his right knee.  

Operator also hit his head before he went overboard and suffered a minor laceration to the right side of his head.  Operator was wearing his pfd and safety lanyard.  Alcohol was not a factor.


BARDID: IN-2019-0032
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-07-14 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 14:05:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Shriner Lake
NearestCityorTown: Columbia City
County: Whitley
WaterConditions: Rough
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentCause1: Operator inexperience
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
Prelude:   
	boat accident involving 2 boats resulting in boat damage to both boats and no personal injuries.

Details of investigation/incident:
	on 7/14/2019 around 3:05pm i, indiana conservation officer, received a call from whitley county sheriff's department dispatch advising that there had been a boat accident on shriner lake.  I arrived on scene around 3:15pm and spoke with owner of the boats.  I identified the first boat a black 2018 bombardier seadoo spark 2up jet ski bearing an indiana motorboat registration of in9822eb.  I observed damage to the underside of the stern of the boat.  The damage consisted of paint transfer and a crack in the hull.

The second boat observed was identified as a blue and white bombardier seadoo gts jet ski bearing an indiana motorboat registration.  There was visible damage to the bow of the boat of paint transfer, gouges and cracks.  It also appeared to have damaged the hull of the jet ski.

I spoke with both operators. Operator1who was operating the black 2018 seadoo and operator2 who was operating the blue and white 2002 seadoo.  Both operators advised that they were maneuvering the jet skis through large waves created by other boats on the water.  While they were attempting to get away from the waves operator1 and operator2 had collided.  Operator2 advised that her jet ski had turned and struck the rear of the jet ski operator1 was operating striking the underside of the stern of his jet ski.  The damage to both jet skis appear to be consistent with what was advised happened.


BARDID: IN-2019-0034
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-07-19 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 17:12:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake Michigan
NearestCityorTown: Hammond
County: Lake
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentEvent2: Person struck by vessel
AccidentEvent3: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Excessive speed
AccidentCause2: Navigation rules violation
DayofWeek: Friday
RedactedNarrative:
After interviewing the operator of the motorboat and getting his statement. As well as interviewing the operator of personal watercraft 1 whom was operating in the area at the time of the accident. It was determined through my investigation that pwc 2 was following pwc 1 travelling south at approximetly 40mph, as they attempted to cut in front of a motorboat that was traveling east. 

Pwc 1 cut in front of the motorboat, this caused the motorboat operator to come off throttle. This caused the bow of the motorboat to rise, at the same time pwc2 struck the left(port) side of the motorboat. 

Pwc2's operator was ejected into the side of the motorboat striking it with his head and body. Pwc2's operator was wearing a us coast guard approved flotation device, causing him to remain floating face down in the water. The operator of the motorboat jumped into the water and turned pwc2 operator over so he was face up. The father of the operator of pwc1, and the operator of the motorboat transported pwc operator 2 back to hammond marina launch ramp. Once there pwc 2 operator was transported directly to university of chicago hospital with a traumatic head injury, right shoulder injury, and right knee injury. 

The accident was not caused by weather conditions. At the time of the accident the wind was relatively calm with 1-2 ft waves. The visibility was also good with no restrictions. Alcohol and drugs were not a factor as well. The motorboat operator did not show any signs of impairment, and there was no alcohol on either the motorboat or the pwc.


BARDID: IN-2019-0035
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-07-20 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 18:45:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Monroe Reservoir
NearestCityorTown: Bloomington
County: Monroe
WaterConditions: Very rough
Wind: Moderate
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Skier mishap
AccidentEvent2: Other
OtherAccidentEvent: Person strikes propeller
AccidentCause1: Hazardous waters
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On 7/20/19 i, indiana conservation officer Was dispatched to a report of a person hit by a boat. Dispatch advised that they were at the paynetown boat ramp and an ambulance was also en route. Lt. and i responded to the boat ramp and located the subjects involved. While ems was treating the victim, i spoke with the operator of the boat. 

Operator advised me that they had been tubing on the reservoir in the area south of paynetown. Victim was on a tube with 2 other girls and had fallen off. Operator told me that she stopped the boat and it was in neutral while victim was climbing back into the boat from the rear near the motor. Operator stated that several large boats were passing through the area creating large wakes so the water was extremely rough. 

When victim was climbing into the boat the rough waters caused her lower left leg to hit the propeller. Victim had a cut near her knee and appeared to be bruised. They applied ice to the area and transported her to the paynetown ramp. I then spoke with the 2 girls that were on the tube with victim. They told me the same information that operator had told me. victim was transported by ambulance to bloomington hospital for further treatment.


BARDID: IN-2019-0037
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-07-23 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 20:23:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Morse Reservoir
NearestCityorTown: Noblesville
County: Hamilton
WaterConditions: Rough
Wind: Moderate
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentEvent2: Person struck by vessel
AccidentEvent3: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Alcohol
AccidentCause2: Excessive speed
DayofWeek: Tuesday
RedactedNarrative:
On july 23, 2019 at approximately 2047 hours, ico central dispatch advised a boat crash with seriously bodily injury had occurred on morse reservoir in hamilton county. Dispatch advised that the crash involved two jet skis and an 18 year old male victim. Dispatch also advised noblesville police units were enroute to the scene. I then responded toward morse reservoir until more information could be provided regarding the status of the crash victim. 

Officer stated the information he received was that two operators on jet skis were jumping the wake of another boat and one jet ski struck the other operator (operator1) in the head. Ico later advised that operator2 admitted that he and operator1 had been drinking alcohol prior to the crash and both had smoked marijuana the evening before (july 22nd, 2019). Ico also transported operator2 to the hamilton county sheriff's department for a certified chemical test.

Witness statements indicate that operator2 was operating his father's jet ski (in2444dy) with his friend operator1 on his father's other jet ski (in8828dv). The two were located south of the carrigan road idle zone on morse reservoir. Operator2' statement indicated that he and operator1 were following and jumping the wake of another boat. Operator2 stated he approached the boat's wake from the left side simultaneously when operator1 approached from the opposite (right) side. Operator2 stated he jumped the wake first and his watercraft landed on top of operator1. Operator2 stated operator1 fell from his jet ski into the water. Operator2 then entered the water and lifted operator1's head out of the water. Operator2 then assisted operator1 (with help from other witnesses) into the boat they were following. 

Due to operator1 being unconscious and exigent circumstances at this time, operator1's blood was drawn without warrant. 

Operator1 sustained multiple injuries including fractured vertebrae (c1 and c2), multiple jaw fractures and brain trauma.


BARDID: IN-2019-0038
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-07-24 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 20:10:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake Freeman
NearestCityorTown: Monticello
County: Carroll
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Skier mishap
AccidentCause1: Operator inattention
AccidentCause2: Navigation rules violation
AccidentCause3: Restricted vision
DayofWeek: Wednesday
RedactedNarrative:
Details of the incident/investigation:
	on 7-24-2019 at approximately 8:15 am i, indiana conservation officer, was on patrol on lake freeman.  Carroll county dispatch advised of a boat crash near the sportsman inn on lake freeman in carroll county.  I was told that it involved three children and one was injured.  Monticello fire, ems, police and ico lt. responded to the scene.  After i arrived, i noticed that there was two children and one adult male in the boat.  There was a female victim in the water and ems was working on her. An adult female later identified as the boat operator and young male were standing on shore.  I took several pictures of the scene and started getting information from the people involved.   

	I spoke to operator and asked her what had happened.  She told me she was going north and started to turn to go back south.  Operator said that she turned to the west but was looking to the east. She said that the sun was in her eyes and the docks were in the shade.  She said she did not see them due to her glasses transitioning to a darker shade.  Operator stated she had slowed down to about 20 miles per hour and that subject1 was the observer and did not tell her that the children were close to the dock.  Operator stated that as she made the turn and was too close to the dock and the middle passenger on the three seater tube hit the dock.  

It should be noted that victim2 was the passenger in the middle.  The other passengers on the tube were victim1 and subject4.  Operator stated that subject4 told her he was thrown over the dock and victim1 was thrown off the tube.  Victim1 had minor injuries to her head and lower body.  She was treated and released from iu arnett hospital in monticello.  Subject4 was not injured and assisted helping with victim2 in the water.  Victim2 complained of neck pain and weakness in her legs.  She was transported to iu arnett hospital in monticello and eventually flown to riley hospital in indianapolis as a precaution.  
	She said she had over 500 hours of operation but had never had any formal training.  I asked if the boat had any mechanical issues and she said no and that it ran great.  I asked if the speedometer worked and she said no.  I asked her how she knew that she was only going 20 mph and she said it was a guess based on her tachometer.  I asked her if she knew how long the rope was on the tube, and she told me that it was the rope that came with it, and she did not know how long it was.  I asked her if there was anything else she could think of and she said that her glasses were darkened by the sun, and that was another reason that she did not see the docks.
	i went back to the sportsman inn and measured the length of the pier and it measured 28 feet 10 inches.  I measured the tube tow rope and it measured 48 feet 4 inches.  The rope was ripped from the tube due to the impact with the pier.  I also took photographs of the damage to the 2 x 6 on the pier.  I spoke to the manager of the sportsman inn and asked him to get an estimate of the damage to the pier.  He said he would and call me with the information. 

A witness told me that the boat was going fast and was turning, and the people on the tube crashed into the dock.  I had him give me a written statement for the incident.    
	on 7-30-19 i contacted the sportsman inn in reference to the damage estimate to the pier.  HE told me that the driver of the boat had made arrangements to fix the damage and he did not care anyways about the pier.  I made contact with operator and asked her how the girls were doing.  She told me that victim1 had no injuries and had been released immediately from the hospital.  She also stated that victim2 had received contusions to her lungs and kidneys, a broken right collar bone and a cracked vertebrae.  Operator said that the lung and kidney injuries were healed already and that victim2 was not in much pain and was doing well.  I issued operator a citation for imprudent boat operation.
	based on my training and experience i believe that speed and lack of attention by the observer, tow rope length, and time of day is a contributing factors to the crash.


BARDID: IN-2019-0039
State: IN
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2019-07-26 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 07:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Brookville Reservoir
NearestCityorTown: Liberty
County: Union
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Flooding/swamping
AccidentEvent2: Sinking
AccidentCause1: Operator inattention
DayofWeek: Friday
RedactedNarrative:
Prelude:
This report involves a boat that sunk at the fairfield boat ramp on brookville reservoir. 	

Involved persons:
Details of investigation/ incident:
	on friday july 26, 2019 at around 0930 a sunken boat was reported to south region dispatch.  I, indiana conservation officer corporal, observed the call on our cad system and responded.  I arrived around 1030, observed the sunken boat and called brookville reservoir assistant property manager to verify if the office had been advised.  

	i ran the boat registration through south region dispatch and discovered the registration number was not valid.  I returned to the boat and ran the registration number on the valid kentucky excise sticker and received a return. 

	i then patrolled to the parking lot and located a truck and trailer that probably went with the boat.  I located a male subject inside the truck who was the owner of the sunken boat.

	owner informed this officer that he had davis towing en route to remove the boat.  I asked what had happened and operator replied he put the boat on the night prior around 2200 and tied it to the dock.  He returned to his truck to sleep the night and meet some friends the following day.  He added he checked on his boat around 0200 and it was fine but when he returned to check on it at 0700 it had taken on water and the stern was under water.  He stated that by the time he made phone calls for assistance the stern was completely submerged.

	i asked if he had the boat out prior and he replied this was the first time this year due he had some mechanical work done to the motors. 

	davis towing arrived and recovered the boat.  I spoke with diver and he advised that the boat plug was not in.  I photographed the key was in the off position and that the drain plug was not in place nor in the boat (see attached photographs).

	boat was taken by davis towing per geico insurance.  

End of report. 


BARDID: IN-2019-0040
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-07-28 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 18:31:00
CoordinatesConfidence: NC
NameOfBodyOfWater: Monroe Reservoir
NearestCityorTown: Bloomington
County: Monroe
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Person departed vessel
AccidentEvent2: Person struck by propeller
AccidentCause1: Other
OtherAccidentCause: Passenger/skier behavior
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On 7/28/19 i, indiana conservation officer cpl. were on routine patrol at monroe reservoir. At approximately 18:30 hrs. We were dispatched to a report of a person that had went overboard from a boat and was injured near the paynetown boat ramp. While en route to the incident scene we were advised by ico dispatch that the victim had possibly been hit by the boat propeller and there was severe bleeding. 

Upon arriving in the area of the paynetown boat ramp there were subjects flagging us down on the right side of the ramp on a pontoon boat. I drove our boat up next to the pontoon boat and cpl exited our boat with a trauma kit and boarded the pontoon boat, where the victim was located. Just after he boarded their boat ems personnel from perry/clear creek fired department and monroe county sheriffs department arrived on scene. Ems personnel boarded the pontoon boat and began tending to the victim. The victim had severe lacerations to her left leg and abdomen so they quickly got her to the ambulance that had arrived on scene. 

The victim was transported to iu health bloomington hospital. I spoke with everyone who was in the area of the ramp to ascertain if anyone had witnessed the accident, but no one there had observed it. Several of the subjects who were on the pontoon boat when the accident occurred had already left to go to the hospital. I was able to speak with 3 subjects at the ramp who were on the pontoon boat. I obtained their information and asked them what had occurred. 

They advised that the victim had jumped off of the front of the boat after they entered the paynetown idle zone, while it was still under power, and was struck by the propeller. While speaking with them i did not detect any signs of impairment or odor of alcoholic beverages. They advised they were going to the hospital so i intended to speak with them further there. After speaking with them  i obtained the lifejacket the victim was wearing at the time of the accident from a boater that had picked it up and brought it to the ramp and also took photographs of the pontoon boat involved in the accident. I was advised prior to leaving for the hospital that the victim had passed away. 

Upon arrival at the hospital cpl. and i met with monroe county coroner and she advised us that the victim had been pronounced at 19:32 hrs. Shields notified the department of child services regarding the accident and they advised there would not be any action on their part. Cpl. and i spoke with the victims father and his fiancee. I interviewed fiance and it was audio recorded(see attached). In brief, fiance told me that her and subject1 where on a tube and they had just entered into the paynetown idle zone heading to the ramp. The boat had slowed to idle speed and the next thing she saw was Victim in the water behind the boat and blood everywhere. She said she did not see her jump off but Victim had been jumping off the front of the boat all day to swim. I asked her who was driving the boat and she told me the boat belonged to owner and he had been the only one driving all day. The next thing she could remember was a friend on the boat had Victim wrapped up in towels and they had called 911 for help. Cpl. interviewed father ( see attached). While speaking with both we did not detect any signs of impairment or smell any alcoholic beverages on them. After interviewing them ico lt. arrived at the hospital and we advised her of what information we had. She observed the victim and took photographs. She also advised me that she would attend the autopsy which was scheduled for tuesday. I also attempted to locate the other subjects that were on the boat at the hospital, due to being told by them that they were going to be there, but could not locate them. Apparently, they had not come to the hospital and went on home. Due to them going home we were unable to obtain a portable breath test from the operator of the boat.

  the following two days cpl. and i met with everyone that was present on the boat at the time of the accident and interviewed each subject. All the interviews were audio recorded by cp..(see attached).

  after interviewing everyone involved it appears that Victim jumped off the front of the boat, the boat went over top of her and she was caught by the propeller. The monroe county prosecutor's office was also contacted and advised of the incident and information that we obtained. They advised that they did not see anything criminal involved with the accident.


BARDID: IN-2019-0041
State: IN
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2019-07-28 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 15:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Cedar Lake
NearestCityorTown: Cedar Lake
County: Lake
WaterConditions: Rough
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentEvent2: Fall in vessel
AccidentCause1: Restricted vision
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
I responded to a boat accident on cedar lake in which:

On sunday 7/28/2019, a boat accident occurred on cedar lake in front of pine crest marina on the water. A green pwc was operated by operator1 was coming from the cove at pine crest at a high rate of speed and had the bow of his vessel high in the air which obscured his view of the second (purple) pwc operated by operator2. 

The green pwc struck the purple pwc on the starboard side coming from near the stern (the four o'clock position) and up toward the bow diagonally. In doing so the green pwc left several marks on the purple pwc and caused severe damage to the fiberglass of the purple pwc. The green pwc had marks on the bow and underside matching the marks from the purple pwc. 

Both individuals were wearing life jackets. Operator2 sustained severe injuries to his right leg and right elbow. He was rescued by nearby bystanders and taken to the pine crest dock where fire and ems personnel rendered aid. 

Both operators were tested for alcohol and operator1 blew a .028 on pbt and operator2 tested negative for alcohol on a blood screen at the hospital. Neither subjects gave any evidence of drug use. Operator2 was transported to st. Anthony's in crown point and was diagnosed with a broken right femur and a broken  right tibia and also a laceration to his right elbow.


BARDID: IN-2019-0043
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-08-09 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 23:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake Michigan
NearestCityorTown: Hammond
County: Lake
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Fair
AccidentEvent1: Collision with fixed object
AccidentEvent2: Fall in vessel
AccidentCause1: Operator inexperience
DayofWeek: Friday
RedactedNarrative:
According to operator, he and two passengers left the horseshoe casino in hammond at approximately 2300 hours and headed back to 31st st. Harbor in chicago. Operator stated that approximately 0000 hours, (saturday, august 10), he struck the calumet harbor breakwall going 10 -15 knots. Operator said that he was not sure what happened when he struck the breakwall and tried to assess the situation and possibly remove the boat from whatever he hit. After assessing the situation,  operator contacted tow boat us for assistance at approximately 0100 hours. Tow boat us then contacted uscg station calumet harbor for further assistance. Operator further stated that is was a "little foggy" and due to the age of his boat, it was somewhat difficult to see through the windshield. Operator said he was using a navionics app. To navigate from the horseshoe casino back to 31st st harbor. Operator suffer a right elbow scrape and bloody nose.
          i proceeded to interview subject1, who was at the boat with operator removing personal items. Subject1 stated at approximately 2300 hours, they left the horseshoe casino and were headed back to 31st st harbor. Subject1 stated he was below in the cabin area when the accident happened possibly hitting his head, as he didn't remember what time he came out of the cabin. He estimated the time of the accident around 2330 hours. Subject1 advised that tow boat was called about 45 minutes after the accident, then uscg arrived 45 minutes after tow boat arrived.
          i then conducted a phone interview with subject2 via subject1's phone. Subject2 stated that they left the horseshoe casino between 2230 - 2300 hours. At approximately 0000 hours, (saturday, august 10), she was sitting beside and to the left of operator, they hit the breakwall. She said that (operator), tried to figure out how to get the boat off the breakwall. Operator then proceeded to call tow boat us. Tow boat us arrived between 0130 and 0200, (saturday august 10). She further advised that uscg arrived on scene about 30 minutes later. Subject2 suffered a scrape to her right knee.

No one on board the vessel was wearing a life jacket at the time of the accident.


BARDID: IN-2019-0044
State: IN
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2019-08-11 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 17:39:00
CoordinatesConfidence: NC
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake Michigan
NearestCityorTown: Gary
County: Lake
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentEvent2: Person struck by propeller
AccidentEvent3: Flooding/swamping
AccidentCause1: Excessive speed
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
Based on my investigation it is determined that operator was leaving lake st beach and traveling east at a high rate of speed. For an unknown reason operator was ejected from his boat to the port side, damaging the windshield on that side. Operator was not wearing his boat's safety lanyard, so the engine remained running. The motorboat then circled back around without an operator, and struck operator. Operator was struck by the propeller which almost completely severed his right arm, cut open his chest and abdomen, and severed his spine. The motorboat then continued to move in tight circles at a high rate of speed. This stress from circling caused the u-joints to break, puncturing the bellows/boot. Once the u-joint broke the engine no longer provided power to the propeller so the boat came to rest with the engine still on at high rpms. Once the boat stopped, it began to take on water and eventually sank.


BARDID: IN-2019-0045
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-08-24 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 21:47:00
CoordinatesConfidence: NC
NameOfBodyOfWater: Ohio River
NearestCityorTown: Clarksville
County: Clark
WaterConditions: Unknown
StrongCurrent: -1
Wind: Light
Visibility: Unknown
AccidentEvent1: Capsizing
AccidentEvent2: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentEvent3: Person departed vessel
AccidentCause1: Alcohol
AccidentCause2: Hazardous waters
AccidentCause3: Dam/lock
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
The accident occurred when three individuals in three separate kayaks launched from shore nearby and on the upstream side of a large flood control dam. The dam had partially open flood gates and a very large volume of water was passing through the dam causing extreme currents and hydraulics. As the kayakers pushed off from shore attempting to cross the river, subject1 accidentally capsized her kayak and fell overboard. Subject1 did not have a pfd and could not swim well. Subject2 then exited his kayak to attempt to rescue subject1, but failed and parties lost sight of subject2 near the face of the dam. Subject3 was able to assist subject1 until first responders arrived to pull her from the water without significant injuries. Subject2 was later located by first responders straight out from the face of the dam deceased. Subject3 admitted that he and subject2 had consumed approximately three alcoholic beverages prior to the accident. The only pfds that subject2 and subject3 had with them were seat cushions that were not uscg approved.


BARDID: IN-2019-0046
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-09-02 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 21:40:00
CoordinatesConfidence: NC
NameOfBodyOfWater: White River
NearestCityorTown: Martinsville
County: Morgan
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Unknown
AccidentEvent1: Capsizing
AccidentEvent2: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Overloading
DayofWeek: Monday
RedactedNarrative:
Details of investigation/incident:

On 9-2-19 at or about 2142 hours, indiana conservation officer (ico) dispatch received a call from morgan county dispatch advising them of a boat accident that occurred on the white river south of three rivers public access site in morgan county.  They also advised that there were two individuals still in the water but possibly more.  Dispatch also advised there was a communication barrier between the caller and dispatch.  

Once on scene it was discovered that a group of approximately sixteen individuals were fishing and picnicking along the river.  Fourteen of the individuals had ferried across the river in a small jon boat and were fishing on the east side of the river on a sandbar.  One of the individuals operator, took four individuals from the east side of the river to the west bank of the river in a fourteen foot jon boat with indiana registration. Operator then returned with the boat to the east bank of the river and attempted to transport seven individuals from the east bank back to the west bank.  Something caused the boat to capsize in the middle of the river and everyone in the boat was ejected into the water.  The water depth in this area is approximately ten feet.  None of the individuals were wearing pfd's.

Morgan county sheriff's deputies were able to retrieve three individuals from the water and walk them to a nearby ambulance.  Paragon volunteer fire department personnel were able to recover two more individuals from the water that were unresponsive. All five of these recoveries were made in the river in the vicinity of shelton road. 

Lt. interviewed several of the witnesses with the aid of an interpreter and it was determined three individuals were still missing.  Multiple agencies continued to search but failed to locate any more victims.  The boat involved in the incident was located downstream from the accident scene turned over and the motor still running. At 0300 hours the search was postponed until 0800 hours on 9-3-19. 

The personal belongings of the group were loaded from the sandbar and put in a jon boat and stored at morgan county sheriff's department.  These items were returned to the family members on 9-3-19 and a property receipt was issued detailing each item. 

At 0800 hours on 9-3-19 multiple agencies continued the search for the remaining victims. At or about 1022 hours a victim was located approximately ¼ of a mile south of the accident scene. He was caught in a strainer on the east bank of the river.  At or about 1100 hours victim2 was located across from catfish boat ramp at the intersection of wilbur road and state road 67 approximately 2 miles south of the accident scene.  Multiple agencies searched the river until 2000 hours when the search was suspended until 0800 on 9-4-19.  

On 9-4-19 at or about 0800 multiple agencies continued to search for operator.  The boat involved in the accident was taken off of the river and put on the trailer that the family left in the parking lot.  The boat was then taken to the morgan county sheriff's department. We suspended search efforts at 2000 hours.  
On 9-5-19 at or about 0830 hours ico and ico sgt. located operator in the white river just north of the catfish boat ramp.  He was in the water pushed against a log in the middle of the river in approximately 3-4 feet of water.    

There were two pfd's located on the river but it is unknown if those pfd's belonged to the involved boat.


BARDID: IN-2019-0047
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-09-10 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 14:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake Shafer
NearestCityorTown: Monticello
County: White
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with fixed object
AccidentEvent2: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentCause1: Improper lookout
DayofWeek: Tuesday
RedactedNarrative:
On september 10, 2019, at approximately 2:00 pm, the white county communications center received a call in reference to a property damage boat crash on lake shafer.  Subject1 advised that a pontoon boat had struck another pontoon boat that was on a boat lift and then left the scene.  Subject1 advised that the suspect pontoon boat was traveling downstream when it struck the other pontoon boat on the lift.  The suspect pontoon boat then turned around and left the area traveling back up stream.  The suspect pontoon boat was kind of a maroon color and possibly had a greenish bimini top.  The suspect pontoon boat was occupied by two males.  It should be noted that subject1 did not witness the crash or the suspect pontoon.  Subject1 had received his information from another neighbor.  White county sheriff's deputies responded to the scene to meet with subject1, subject2 and search the area for the suspect pontoon boat.  The deputies were unable to locate the suspect pontoon.  They gathered information and left that information for me.
     on september 13, i picked up the information that was gathered from the crash at the white county communications center.  I then proceeded to the location of the crash on lake shafer.  When i arrived at the crash scene, i was met by the damaged pontoon boat owner who walked me out to the boat lift and showed me the damage to the pier and the boat.  It appears that the suspect pontoon boat struck the pier before it struck the pontoon boat on the lift.  Based on what i saw at the scene, it appears that the suspect pontoon boat struck the pier with it's front left pontoon.  The suspect boat then continued down stream and struck the motor of the pontoon boat on the lift.  The force of the collision pushed the back of the pontoon boat on the lift into the poles supporting the lift.  There was damage in three different areas of the right side of the boat and the front left corner of the boat from hitting the poles, along with damage to the motor and pier.  There did not appeared to be any damage to poles other than paint being removed from the boat making contact with them.  I took photographs of the scene.  I left my contact information with hope and left the scene.
     on september 14, 2019, i contacted some different marinas in the area.  I advised them of the boat description i was given.  I advised them of the possible damage on the suspect pontoon.  I asked them to contact me if anyone contacts them needing repairs that match the suspect boat description and possible damage.


BARDID: IN-2019-0048
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-09-13 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 15:48:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Brookville Reservoir
NearestCityorTown: Brookville
County: Franklin
WaterConditions: Rough
Wind: Moderate
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Grounding
AccidentEvent2: Flooding/swamping
AccidentCause1: Hazardous waters
AccidentCause2: Weather
DayofWeek: Friday
RedactedNarrative:
Vessel 1 was being operated northbound on brookville reservoir by operator 1. While northboud vessel 1 hit a submerged object in the water. The collision caused the hull of the boat to be severely damaged and take on water. While northbound operator 1 attempted to operate the boat to the boat ramp but was unable to and ran the boat aground near a marked idle zone. Operator 1 was wearing a pfd when approached by this officer. Operator 1 stated no one was injured. Passenger 1 was aboard vessel 1 when the incident occurred and not injured either. Passenger 1 was taken to shore by ems prior to this officers arrival. 
The weather was clear, water conditions were rough and it was windy; it was daylight when the incident occurred. 
No alcohol / drugs were involved in this incident.


BARDID: IN-2019-0050
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-05-25 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 18:00:00
CoordinatesConfidence: NC
NameOfBodyOfWater: White River
NearestCityorTown: Indianapolis
WaterConditions: Unknown
StrongCurrent: -1
Wind: No wind
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Capsizing
AccidentEvent2: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Alcohol
AccidentCause2: Weather
AccidentCause3: Hazardous waters
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On may 25th, 2019 at approximately 1758 hours i, indiana conservation officer responded to 2100 south white river parkway east drive in indianapolis on a possible drowning.  Once on scene, i assisted subject4 with retrieving a green canoe and paddle out of the white river just south of the 16th st. Dam. Shortly after, i met up with impd and members of tac 14 at the indy lakes boat ramp which is located directly west of riverside park. While at the boat ramp, i observed a female speaking with first responders. Subject stated that she told her fiancé that she was ready to leave indy lakes boat ramp and soon after, she walked over to their white van and sat in the passenger's seat. then stated that she got out of the van and observed operator paddling downstream in their green canoe. The canoe was later identified as a green rogue river 14tk.  Subject stated that there were two orange lifejackets inside the canoe and that operator knew how to swim. Subject also stated that operator had been drinking prior to going out on the water.     
	a short time later, two witness were downstream of the lake indy boat ramp roughly ½ mile at a 2nd parking lot hanging out near the water's edge.  Both witnesses stated that they had their backs towards the water taking a selfie on their phone when they observed an overturned canoe in the reflection of their camera screen.  At that time, both witnesses turned around and stated that they saw a green canoe flipped over and floating downstream. They then stated that they observed a subject near the canoe looking as if he was trying to swim. Both witnesses stated that operator was not panicking or yelling for help but looked rather calm. They then observed operator disappear under the water and stated that they did not see him after that. Both witnesses took first responders to the last seen point where they saw operator go under. Subject4 deployed a zodiac with sonar and started searching in the area where the last seen point was. Subject4 was unable to locate any objects under the water's surface and cancelled the search due to darkness.  The van and green canoe were both released.

	on may 26th, 2019 the search continued on the white river with subject4 searching downstream of the last seen point with indiana conservation officer's concentrating on the last seen point using advanced sonar. We did not locate any objects under the water and subject4 did not observe operator floating on the surface of the water or washed up against the banks. We continued our search efforts concentrating downstream of the last seen point through the morning of june 2, 2019. 
	on the afternoon of june 2, 2019 a witness was walking along a trail next to the white river in morgan county when he smelled a foul odor coming from the water's edge. Subject5 continued to investigate the odor and he eventually observed what looked like a human body floating at the surface of the water. Subject5 saw the arms and legs in a rigor mortis state. The body was located north of state road 144 and west of state road 37 in morgan county. Morgan county sheriff's office was contacted along with indiana conservation officers which responded to the scene. It was confirmed that a body was floating at the surface of the water. Chief deputy of the morgan county coroner's office responded as well but was unable to identify the subject due to the state of decomposition.  An autopsy was performed by chief deputy and it was confirmed that the deceased victim was operator. Chief deputy also confirmed that the cause of death was a drowning.


BARDID: IN-2019-0051
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-04-04 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 19:35:00
CoordinatesConfidence: NC
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake
NearestCityorTown: Elberfeld
County: Warrick
WaterConditions: Rough
Wind: Unknown
Visibility: Unknown
AccidentEvent1: Capsizing
AccidentEvent2: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Alcohol
DayofWeek: Thursday
RedactedNarrative:
Prelude:
	on april 4th, 2019, indiana conservation officers were dispatched to bluegrass fish and wildlife area in reference to two people who had not returned from going kayaking. 

Details of the investigation:
	on april 4th, 2019 at 19:21 warrick county emergency dispatch center received a phone call from subject1 in reference to two missing subjects. The caller subject1 reported operator and his daughter occupant were missing. Dispatch stated that the caller advised " caller reporting operator and his 4 year old daughter occupant missing…last heard from them around 11:30am…operator left his wallet at their home…kayak missing from the house… they have located his truck at the boat ramp on the north side of new harmony just east of klippel rd." dispatch also advised that "operator usually turn his phone off when he goes out…it is not turned on…kayak is a tan color." 

	i, indiana conservation officer was notified by indiana conservation officers central dispatch at 19:39 about the missing father and daughter at bluegrass fish and wildlife area. After getting my state issued jon boat i arrived on the scene at bluegrass pit at bluegrass fwa at 20:00. After launching my jon boat from the south boat ramp on the bluegrass pit, a boonville fireman boarded my boat with first aid gear and a spotlight to aid in searching for the missing father and daughter. The water temperature at the time was roughly 55 degrees and the air temp was in the low 60s. It had begun raining a few hours earlier and continued to rain through the entire search.

 We began our search along the west bank to the north. Using the spotlight beam we were able to locate the capsized kayak just feet from the bank approximately 300 yards from the boat ramp where we began our search. I notified dispatch that the kayak was located at 2010 hundred hours. The kayak was tan on the bottom and green on the top.  As i pulled up to the kayak fireman was able to flip the kayak right side up confirming that there was not a victim in the kayak still. The kayak had a small black case that had a drone inside, a potato chip bag and in the back of the kayak held down by a bungee cord was a blue adult life jacket. The life jacket appeared that there was no attempt to remove it from the kayak. I believe so due to the fact it was secured properly without any sign of the life jacket being pulled on or manipulated in an attempt or struggle to be removed from where it was secured on the boat. Fireman and i placed the kayak on the bank of the lake to set a reference point and to know where we found the kayak as we continued our search. This coordinate was marked   38.0925, -87.4648. We then continued searching up the west bank of the lake north finding the kayaks paddle another 100 yards down the bank. The paddles coordinate was marked 38.0942, -87.4643. 

We continued our search up the west bank to the boat ramp found on the north end of the lake where we then switched to the east bank and started our search back south down this bank. At one point in time while searching we could hear shouting that sounded like a female. We later found out that this was a volunteer in the area searching the area around the lake.

Indiana conservation officers had a boat on the water who was searching as well. As we searched down the east bank indiana conservation officer had arrived on scene with his boat and sonar unit. I then met ico at the boat ramp and lead him to the area where the kayak was found so that he could begin his search with the sonar unit.  

Fireman and i then boated across the lake directly east from where we found the kayak and started our search down the east bank of the lake back towards the boat ramp. As fireman was scanning the surface of the water and the bank of the lake with the spotlight the spotlight cast its beam on an object in the water that appeared to be red/maroon. As we motored closer to the object to get a better look as to what it was we were able to confirm that the object in the water was an adult male body floating face down with a maroon shirt, black gym shorts and red tennis shoes not wearing a lifejacket. At the time of finding operators body i was on the cell phone with indiana conservation officer lieutenant and notified him of our location. Operator's body was found at 2146 hundred hours. Photographs were taken of operator when we found him and his body was transported to the bank. The coordinate where operator's body was found was 38.0898,-87.4627. Operator was found in roughly ten feet of water. The first responders that were stationed at the boat ramp met us on the bank by boonville new harmony road where we were able to transfer the body from our possession to them so that we could continue our search for the four year old girl. 

Approximately 40 yards from where we located operator's body at 2152 hundred hours we then located the body of four year old occupant floating face down wearing pink and purple pants and a light weight pink jacket also not wearing a lifejacket. I photographed occupant in the water before she was pulled out. Occupant was rushed into the ambulance that was parked on bonville new harmony road just feet from where she was found. First responders pumped the water from her lungs and began to work the child before she was transported to the hospital. Occupant was found at coordinate 38.0895,-87.4634.

Operator's truck that was left sitting at the boat ramp was an dodge ram pickup truck with indiana plate . The truck was clean and had an empty glass drinking cup in the cup holder, pink backpack behind the seat and had a forward facing child's car seat in the front passenger seat.  The glove box had operator operator's license and a ruger lcpii. The truck bed was empty with only a die-hard portable power device. The kayak and kayak paddle had been recovered from the water and placed in the bed of the truck as well. The driver's compartment was photographed, locked and secured. The keys of the locked vehicle was returned to operator's family. 

The estimated time of death or time that the incident occurred is unknown.

On april 5th at 1400 hundred hours i attended the autopsy of both operator and occupant at vanderburgh county corners office. I observed both autopsies and have attached the corners autopsy reports. Both operator and occupant preliminary reports show signs of drowning. Operator's report returned showing that he had a blood alcohol concentrate (bac) of .163. 

On may 6th, 2019, i went to the home of subject1 with district 7 chaplain to speak with her about details of the drowning. Subject1 was polite and agreed to speak with me about the incident. Subject1 invited us in to sit and talk. Subject1 stated that she did not know that operator was going to take occupant in the kayak that day. She also added that they had never taken occupant in the kayaks with them. When subject1 found out that operators bac was .163 she was very surprised since they were not drinkers and she had no knowledge of operator drinking that day. Subject1 believed that the incident happened due to poor judgment and choices made while being under the influence of alcohol.  

	i hereby swear and affirm under the penalty of perjury that the foregoing facts are true and accurate to the best of my knowledge.


BARDID: IN-2019-0052
State: IN
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2019-07-01 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 19:04:00
CoordinatesConfidence: NC
NameOfBodyOfWater: Ohio River
NearestCityorTown: Clarksville
County: Clark
WaterConditions: Very rough
Wind: Unknown
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with fixed object
AccidentEvent2: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Operator inexperience
AccidentCause2: Hazardous waters
AccidentCause3: Machinery failure
MachineryFailure: Engine
DayofWeek: Monday
RedactedNarrative:
Prelude:

	On July 1, 2019 I responded to a report of a boat with two occupants going through the McAlpine Dam on the Ohio River. One occupant was rescued downstream. The operator was taken under not resurfacing. He was later recovered on July the 3rd downstream from the dam.

Details of Investigation:

	On July 1, 2019 I was informed by ICO of a boat accident that had occurred on the Ohio River at the McAlpine dam. Officers responded to the scene. While en route I was informed that the Clarksville Fire Department had rescued one subject from the water and that another was still missing.
	When I arrived on scene officers launched a boat from the New Albany to begin searching. I went to the Harrison boat ramp where I was met by a Clarksville City Officer who directed me to Subject1. 

Subject1 was identified as the subject who had been rescued from the river. I spoke with Subject1 and asked him to accompany me to my vehicle to determine the events leading up to the incident. advised that Operator had purchased a boat approximately three days prior and wanted to try it out. Subject1 met Operator at his residence and pulled the boat with his truck to Cox's park where they launched. Subject1 stated that Operator drove the boat downstream in the upper pool and approached the face of the dam very closely. 

Once there Subject1 stated he shut the engine down and called a friend. He advised Subject2 told him to leave the area stating he wasn't supposed to be there. Subject1 stated that Operator was able to get the boat restarted after several attempts and began traveling up river when the motor died. Operator was reportedly unable to get the boat to start again. Subject1 stated he had put a life jacket on and wanted to swim from the boat, but Operator advised him to stay in it. Subject1 also advised he informed Operator to put a life jacket on, stating that he did so. Subject1 stated the boat lodged against the face of the dam and he called 911. While on the phone with 911 he stated the boat tossed them and got swept under the water. He later stated that the boat was pinned against the dam on the right side and began sinking stern first. Subject1 advised he went through the dam and surfaced on the other side in the turbulent water.  

	Once back up Subject1 stated he saw Operator's life jacket floating without him in it then he heard Operator yelling. Subject1 stated he attempted to swim to Operator to assist him. Subject1 advised he lost sight of Operator then located him again. He stated Operator then disappeared under the water. Subject1 advised that he floated and swam toward the bank clinging to a piece of wood when a fireman and rescue boat was able to reach him, getting him out of the water. Operator was reported to be wearing khaki shorts and a black/ grey tank top.

	Subject1 retrieved his phone and was able to show me videos taken just prior to the incident while traveling down river. The boat was a white and blue fiberglass runabout with a mercury outboard. The boat had not yet been registered to Operator.

	I also spoke with Subject2 who had arrived on scene. Subject2 was able to show me a photo from Facebook of the boat's for sale post. 
	I 
	After speaking with the parties involved and nightfall approached the surface search of the water was halted.
	


BARDID: IN-2019-0053
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-09-28 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 15:50:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Geist
NearestCityorTown: McCordsville
County: Marion
WaterConditions: Rough
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Skier mishap
AccidentEvent2: Person struck by propeller
AccidentCause1: Operator inattention
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
Prelude:									

While patrolling hancock county, i received a report of a boating accident at geist reservoir.  A person riding on a tube was struck by the boat that was pulling them when the boat turned around to pick them up after falling off.  The person was transported to the hospital with lacerations to the right leg and a broken lower right leg.

Ifd personnel advised me that tuber2 had a broken lower right leg, and lacerations to his right leg.  I took photos of the boat that was involved in the accident, a 2010 bayliner 185.

I met with the operator of the boat, who stated that he was pulling two people on a tube.  Tuber1 was on the tube with tuber2 and stated they were being pulled behind the boat about 500 yds. North of the dam, and were southbound.  Tuber1 stated that she fell off the tube and tuber2 remained on the tube.  

Operator turned the boat in a loop towards the east in an attempt to circle back and pick up tuber1.  While doing so, several feet of slack was created in the rope connected to the tube that tuber2 was still on.  As operator maneuvered the boat to get tuber1, he did not realize he was as close to the tube that tuber2 was still occupying and the tube came in to contact with the front right corner of the boat.  

Subject4 stated that she believes tuber2 jumped off the tube in an attempt to create distance between him and the boat.  Meanwhile the boat was still under power and turning to the left.  Tuber went under the boat.  Operator did not see tuber2, but felt the boat motor strike something.  Shortly afterwards, tuber2 was at the rear of the boat and was screaming for help.  Tuber1 swam over to tuber2, and operator believed at this point that he had struck tuber2.  Operator entered the water to assist tuber1 and tuber2.  Tuber1 stated that tuber2 kept complaining of pain to his lower legs.  Tuber1 and operator brought tuber2 back to the rear of the boat.  A nurse onboard assisted.  

I noted that there did not appear to be any alcohol beverages on the boat, and that the operator did not appear to be impaired.  I did however ask operator if he had consumed any alcohol.  He stated that he did consume a shot of whiskey approximately four hours earlier in the day.  I performed an hgn test on operator at 1802 hrs. And he passed with no indicators of impairment.  Operator stated that he was willing to take a breath test if needed, but i told him that it would not be necessary.  Due to my training and experience, there were no indications that alcohol was a factor in this incident.


BARDID: IN-2019-0054
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-10-20 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 10:40:00
CoordinatesConfidence: NC
NameOfBodyOfWater: Prairie Creek Reservoir
NearestCityorTown: Selma
County: Delaware
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentEvent2: Fall in vessel
AccidentCause1: Improper lookout
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On october 20, 2019 at approximately 1040 hours, there was a boat collision on prairie creek reservoir in delaware county that resulted in a death. 

Operator2 was operating a 2002 ranger 620vs north from the south end of the lake.  Operator2 was struck on the port side of his vessel by a 1983 duracraft which was operating towards the east.  (passenger) advised he reached down to get a cup of coffee and saw the operator of the duracraft (operator2) slumped over.  The impact of the collision caused operator2 to be ejected from the watercraft.  Operator2 and v1 occupant observed operator2 in the water lying face up.  They immediately rendered aid to operator2.  V1 occupant advised a bystander helped them get operator2 out of the water and into operator2's watercraft.  The bystander then began cpr while they transported him to the ramp where they were met by emergency personal.  Operator2 was pronounced deceased on scene.  

The preliminary autopsy report advises the cause of death to be blunt force trauma to the head.  The primary cause of the accident is unknown.  Witnesses advised operator2 was in a slump over position prior to the collision.  A medical condition, or operator2 shielding himself from the sun, or operator2 possible reaching for something at the bottom of the watercraft are possible contributing factors resulting in the collision.  Operator2 failed to yield to the right away to the stand on boat and failed to have a proper lookout. Throughout officer's contact with operator2, there was no signs of alcohol or drug abuse.   Proper p.f.d s. Were on both vessels but no used.  There was also no safety lanyards used on either vessel.


BARDID: IN-2019-0055
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-09-18 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 09:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: West Boggs
NearestCityorTown: Loogootee
County: Daviess
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Fall in vessel
AccidentEvent2: Falls overboard
AccidentCause1: Operator inattention
DayofWeek: Wednesday
RedactedNarrative:
On september 18, 2019 at or about 0900 hours i was contacted advising there had been a boating accident on west boggs lake reservoir located in daviess county indiana. I made contact with conservation officer who was also in route to the accident. Officer advised when he arrived the individual had been rescued from the water and was transported to the dubois county hospital in jasper indiana. 

    i spoke with the other individual fishing in the boat with operator. He advised operator was sitting in his elevated seat in the bow of the boat when he lost his balance falling from his seat to the deck of the boat and then rolling into the water. Operator advised he was having difficulty swimming when he realized he had cut his arm severely. Operator advised he was unable to operate his boat to retrieve him from the water so he swam to a nearby dock located on the lake. Operator advised another fisherman was able to get him into his boat and transport him to the main boat launch on the lake where he was met by ems. 
     operator suffered a severe cut/tear to his right forearm. It appeared operator's forearm became snagged on the cleat of the boat used for tying anchor or dock line to as he rolled into the water causing his forearm to rip open. No alcohol or drugs are believed to be a contributing factor.


BARDID: IN-2020-0001
State: IN
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2020-01-22 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 09:45:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Wabash River
NearestCityorTown: Delphi
County: Carroll
WaterConditions: Unknown
StrongCurrent: -1
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Flooding/swamping
AccidentEvent2: Capsizing
AccidentEvent3: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Improper loading
DayofWeek: Wednesday
RedactedNarrative:
Details of the incident/investigation:
	on 1-22-20 i, indiana conservation officer, was dispatched to the wabash river for a boat accident near bicycle bridge road in carroll county indiana.  Carroll county dispatch advised that three people had been hunting on the river and had fallen out of their boat.  I arrived at approximately 10:06 am and found that all three hunters were inside the ambulance being treated by ems. 

 I checked on the three and got their identification from them.  The operator told me he was ok but i observed that he was distressed from the ordeal.  The second person and bow passenger of the boat told me he was fine, just cold.  The third hunter told me he was ok.  I asked the medics if they needed anything and they requested the identification for the three for their report.  While in the ambulance i did not notice any impairment or the odor commonly associated with that of an alcoholic beverage emitting from him or the others. 

	 i left the ambulance and went to the river bank and i took photos of the area.  The river was higher than normal and had a noticeable current.  I found where the three had exited the river from the gloves and miscellaneous hunting attire piled on the bank. Photos were also taken of these items.  I was approximately 100 yards upstream from bicycle bridge on the west side of the river.  I carried the items that were on the bank to my truck.  One of the items was a gun case with subject1' gun in it.  It was a remington 12 gauge with serial number rt56151a.  I ran a check on it and it returned not on file, not stolen.  I then checked with ems personnel again and they said they were trying to get dry clothes for the three.  


	i asked who was driving the boat and operator told me he was.  I asked him what had happened.  He told me that he was heading down stream with subject1 near him in the rear of the boat.  He said they were approximately 400 yards upstream from bicycle bridge at the time.  Operator told me the boat was a tiller drive with a 15 hp motor on it.  Operator said they were picking up decoys that had floated away.  He said that subject2 was in the front of the boat with the dog in the middle area of the boat.  

Operator stated that while they were picking up the decoys something happened and the boat flipped over.  Operator said it happened very fast with no warning.  He said one second they were good and then all three were then in the water along with the dog.  Subject2 Said that all he could do was grab the decoy bag and swim for shore.  Operator and subject1 agreed.  I asked them if they had any life jackets and operator said that they were in the boat.  Operator said they had no time to get them on.  They told me that they floated with the decoy bag and finally made it to shore.  Operator told me that they were in the middle of the river when it all began.  He also stated that the motor was not functioning properly and would only idle due to some throttle problem.  

     i asked him if he knew what was missing from the boat.  Operator told me his shotgun, a benelli super black eagle 2, serial number u454443p 12 gauge, along with two decoy bags and goose decoys.  Operator said the gun was not in a case at the time of the incident.   I told him the boat was downstream from the bicycle bridge on the west side.  He said that some of their stuff was possibly still in the boat.  I asked subject2 If he was missing anything and he said only his gun.  I later found that it was a beretta al390 12 gauge, serial number p11378e.  It was in a soft case.  Subject1 advised he was not missing anything.  I transported their wet clothes and miscellaneous equipment to the public access site in the bed of my truck while ems transported the three men there.  All of their items were placed in their possession and they left the access site.  

	at approximately 11:28 am sgt. arrived and we took a boat to check for the hunters missing items and to secure the boat.  We did not locate any missing gear but tied the boat to the west bank of the river.  Sgt. was able to read me the boat hin of xmr14941m73k.  

	on 1-26-20 i contacted operator to get more information from him.  He told me that the boat had a duck blind on it and that he had tried to remove the boat but the blind was stuck on something in the river.  I asked him if he had recovered any of his gear and he said he had retrieved some decoys and 2 decoy bags.  He also said that there was a dry box in the boat with the registration.  Operator said he had retrieved that as well when he tried to remove the boat on saturday.  He said that he could not remove the boat at that time and needed more ropes and straps but would try to remove it this week.  I asked him if he had contacted his insurance company and he said yes.  He told me that there was no insurance on the boat but his homeowners insurance was going to pay for the lost and damaged items.  He told me that the cameras they filmed with were nonfunctional and the guns and some other decoy items were still missing.  He told me that he was working on the boat crash report that i had given him as well.
	the boat was a 14 foot boat with low sides that had a moving dog and the largest passenger leaning over the edge to pick up a decoy.  The water current and motor trouble also were possible factors that caused it to take on water and capsize.


BARDID: IN-2020-0002
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2020-02-02 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 09:51:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Burns Ditch
NearestCityorTown: Portage
County: Porter
WaterConditions: Rough
Wind: Strong
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Flooding/swamping
AccidentEvent2: Capsizing
AccidentEvent3: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Hazardous waters
AccidentCause2: Weather
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
BOAT 1 WAS FACING SOUTH. WAVE WASHED OVER STERN. BOAT TURNED NORTHWEST INTO WAVES AND LOST POWER. OCCUPANTS MOVED TO BOW OF BOAT TO COUNTER BALANCE ADDED WEIGHT OF WATER. BOAT OVERTURNED AND CAPSIZED. OCCUPANTS RESCUED BY NEARBY BOATER. NO INJURIES SUSTAINED. P.F.D.S PRESENT AT TIME OF INCIDENT BUT NOT UTILIZED.


BARDID: IN-2020-0003
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2020-03-08 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 11:45:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake Maxinkuckee
NearestCityorTown: Culver
County: Marshall
WaterConditions: Rough
Wind: Strong
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with floating object
AccidentEvent2: Falls overboard
AccidentCause1: Operator inattention
AccidentCause2: Improper loading
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On march 8, 2020 i, indiana conservation officer (ico) received information from ico dispatch about a boat accident that occurred on lake maxinkuckee and the victim was transported to the hospital in plymouth in marshall county.  

At approximately 1432 hours i arrived at saint joseph regional medical center in plymouth and made contact with the victim, subject1.  Subject1 said at approximately 1145 hours he was fishing near the south end of lake maxinkuckee on his boat.  While he was fishing his fishing line got stuck in his boat propeller.  He was trying to get it unstuck when his fishing pole fell in to the water.  He reached for his fishing pole and lost his balance and fell in the water.  He tried to swim to the boat but was unsuccessful.  Subject1 said he went under water three times and inhaled water.  He heard a man's voice and was pulled out of the water by two men.  Subject1 said he did not lose consciousness but his vision became fuzzy.  Subject1 said he did not have a life jacket on but there was one located in the driver’s seat of the boat.  Subject1 was wear blue jeans sweatshirt, wind breaker jacket, wind breaker bibs, and muck boots when he fell into the water during the time of the incident.

Subject1 was transported by ambulance to saint joseph regional medical center in plymouth.  Subject1 complained about being cold and his vision becoming fuzzy at one point.  According to saint joseph regional medical center staff subject1 was hypothermic but had no other injuries.  

At approximately 1700 hours subject1 was released from the hospital.


BARDID: IN-2020-0004
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2020-04-06 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 22:30:00
CoordinatesConfidence: NC
NameOfBodyOfWater: Morse Reservoir
NearestCityorTown: Cicero
County: Hamilton
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Unknown
AccidentEvent1: Falls overboard
AccidentCause1: Alcohol
DayofWeek: Monday
RedactedNarrative:
VICTIM/OPERATOR WAS APPARENTLY REMOVING STERN LIGHT FROM BOAT WHEN HE FELL OVERBOARD.  BOAT WAS STILL IN GEAR AT THE TIME AND DROVE AWAY FROM HIM UNOCCUPIED.  VICTIM WAS NOT WEARING A LIFE JACKET AND DROWNED.  ALCOHOL WAS A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT AS BLOOD TOXICOLOGY INDICATED A BAC OF .256 AT TIME OF DEATH.


BARDID: IN-2020-0008
State: IN
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2020-05-01 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 18:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Deep River
NearestCityorTown: Lake Station
County: Lake
WaterConditions: Unknown
StrongCurrent: -1
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentEvent2: Flooding/swamping
AccidentEvent3: Sinking
AccidentCause1: Dam/lock
AccidentCause2: Hazardous waters
DayofWeek: Friday
RedactedNarrative:
On may 5, 2020, at approximately 6:54pm, i was advised by lake station pd of two kayakers that went over the low head dam along deep river at 29th street.  Both of the victims were transported to st. Mary's hospital in hobart.  At 7:30pm, i arrived to the low head dam along deep river to video the current condition of the river.  At 8:00pm,  i interviewed both victim's at st. Mary's hospital in hobart. 

At 4:00pm, the group of three launched their kayaks from veteran's bicentennial park in lake station. They continued floating downstream all stating they were unaware of the low head dam at 29th street in lake station. Operator1 and operator2 went over the dam and became trapped in the boil.  Neither victim was wearing a pfd.  Subject1 was able to paddle himself to shore prior to going over the dam and contacted 911.  

The rivers' current level was 15.3 feet in flood stage conditions and 52.2 degrees water temperature.  Operator2 was  struggling in the in the water for approximately 7 minutes.  Operator1 was struggling in the water for approximately 15 minutes.  Both victims were able prior self-rescue as ems arrived on-scene.  Both victims were transported to the hospital and treated for mild hypothermia.  Operator2 was released from the hospital soon after i interviewed him.  Operator1 was not being released at this time. 

On may 2, 2020, i observed both kayaks currently half underwater in the area between 29th and 27th street in deep river caught in a strainer.  The personal belongs of both kayakers, black and grey backpacks with personal wallets and cash, have not been located.  I left phone messages to both victims to advise them of their kayak locations. No return calls were received.   

On may 3, 2020,  i contacted subject1 for an interview.  He advised me he was unaware of the low head dam at 29th street.  He stated operator2 had been re-admitted into the hospital on may 2nd at porter regional memorial hospital.  I contacted an alternative number for operator2 and left a voice mail.   I contacted operator1, he advised he was still in the hospital.  He advised the hospital staff were concerned his liver and kidney levels.  Operator1 advised operator2 was having the same issues.    

On may 4, 2020, operator1 was release from st. Mary's hospital.

On may 5, 2020, operator2 was released from porter regional memorial hospital.

On may 19, 2020, i contacted operator2 for a follow-up interview.  Operator2 advised he and operator1 were both treated for rhabdomyolysis.  Rhabdomyolysis is the breakdown of skeletal muscle caused from extreme muscle strain.  They are both expected to fully recover. The kayaks nor backpacks have not been recovered from deep river at this time.

Written warnings were issued to operator1 and subject1 for failure to possess personal floatation device as required. Operator2 had a pfd in his possession but was unable to reach it inside his kayak.


BARDID: IN-2020-0009
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2020-05-02 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 18:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Morse Reservoir
NearestCityorTown: Noblesville
County: Hamilton
WaterConditions: Rough
Wind: Moderate
Visibility: Unknown
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentEvent2: Fall in vessel
AccidentCause1: Congested waters
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
Details of investigation/incident: 
On may 2nd, 2020, at approximately 6:00 pm i, indiana conservation officer and ico received a report of a boat crash that occurred at the morse reservoir marina in noblesville. Officer made contact with the complainant that evening via telephone and set up a meeting where we could discuss the events of the incident.

	on may 4th 2020, i met with Subject at his residence. Subject stated that he docked his boat on the right side of the marina gas pumps and went to retrieve his truck and trailer. Upon pulling down to the boat ramp, Subject was informed by his wife, that an individual later identified as Operator2, had struck their boat while attempting to trailer a yellow bass boat.  

Subject's wife is the registered owner of boat was sitting in it at the time of the incident. Subject’s wife stated that she was sitting in the boat with her daughter when they were thrown forward in the seat. Subject’s wife continued to state the boat that collided with her boat immediately continued to trailer, and left the ramp. 

A third party witness that observed the incident made contact with operator2 in the parking lot. Subject and operator2 then exchanged boat and insurance information for a report. Subject provided operator2's information to ico and myself.  Subject was instructed to consult with a repair shop and receive a formal estimate on the repairs. 

	ico spoke with operator2 over the telephone regarding the incident. Operator2 informed us that the boat ramp on the evening of may 2nd was extremely congested with boat traffic. Operator2 stated that there were boats on both sides of him and a heavy wake caused him to drift into Subject’s wife's boat. Operator2 further explained that he tried to avoid the collision, but was unable to reach the boat before the bow of his passenger side collided with Subject’s wife's boat.   Operator2 also stated that he was at idle speed at the time of the incident.


BARDID: IN-2020-0011
State: IN
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2020-05-23 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 15:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Brookville Reservoir
NearestCityorTown: Brookville
County: Franklin
WaterConditions: Unknown
Wind: Moderate
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Flooding/swamping
AccidentEvent2: Capsizing
AccidentEvent3: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Equipment failure
EquipmentFailure: Auxiliary
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On 5/23/20, i, indiana conservation officer along with corporal were working on brookville reservoir and received a call about a sunken boat at fairfield ramp. We responded to the area and were waived down by an individual standing on the dock.

The individual on the dock identified himself. Operator stated that he had been out throughout the weekend on his boat. He provided me with the registration number and i was able to get a return. The boat returned in his name to a 18' mariah pleasurecraft with registration. 

Operator stated that the boat had begun to take water on while he was north of the ramp. Furthermore he stated that his bilge pump was unable to keep up with the amount of water the boat was taking on. Upon entering the idle zone just out from the ramp, operator stated that the boat began to capsize and he exited the boat. I did not observed a boat but operator pointed in a direction nw of the ramp and stated his boat was located there. Operator pointed to an area less than 100 yards from the ramp. I asked operator if he had life jackets on board and he stated he did.  I gathered information from operator and a report was taken.

I was later informed that in the following week, operator's boat was removed from the water.


BARDID: IN-2020-0012
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2020-05-24 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 19:05:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Raccoon Lake
NearestCityorTown: Rockille
County: Parke
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Moderate
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with fixed object
AccidentEvent2: Person struck by vessel
AccidentCause1: Alcohol
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On may 24, 2020, at, or about 7:05 p.m. i was on patrol on raccoon lake in parke county.  I was flagged down by a passing boater who informed me of a crash that had injured a person at the walker boat ramp.  Upon arriving i saw a man lying on the boat ramp next to a full-size passenger van with a red pontoon boat on the trailer attached to the van.  The back of the van showed significant damage and the back window was broken.  The glass from the broken window was lying on the deck of the pontoon boat. I spoke to the passengers of the pontoon boat who were gathered around the man.

They informed me subject1 had been operating the pontoon throughout the day and had relinquished control to operator upon arriving at walker boat ramp.  Subject1 had retrieved the van and backed the boat trailer into the water before motioning the pontoon boat towards the trailer.  While operator was loading the boat she had accelerated quickly and crushed subject1 when striking the back of the van.  The impact had caused the damage i had observed.

I spoke with operator, who was still seated on the pontoon boat.  I also detected the odor of alcohol coming from her breath and person.   She confirmed all the information i had already gathered and admitted to me she had consumed four beers in the past few hours.  Operator also agreed to a series of field sobriety tests.

I performed a horizontal gaze nystagmus test on operator, whose eyes showed a distinct and sustained nystagmus both at maximum deviation, and prior to 45 degrees in both eyes.  Operator's eyes also lacked smooth pursuit while tracking.  Operator could not correctly complete the palm-pat test.  She rolled her hands, chopped her hands, and did not speed up until reminded to do so.  Operator could not correctly complete the hand coordination test.  She started the test without being told, failed to move her fists backwards in a stair-step fashion and failed to put her hands in her lap when she finished.  Operator took a portable breath test which measured .113 grams of alcohol per 210 liters of breath. 

Parke county deputy advised operator of the implied consent law, and she agreed to submit to a chemical test for intoxication.  Parke county deputy transported operator to the parke county jail.  Operator submitted to the chemical test using the intox ec/ir-ii.  The results of operator's test showed .097 grams of alcohol per 210 liters of breath.  Operator was placed under arrest for operating a motorboat while intoxicated causing serious bodily injury. 

On may 26, 2020 i stopped at regional hospital in terre haute to check on subject1's condition.  Subject1 had five fractured ribs and was also being treated for internal injuries and an aortic aneurism.  I obtained records of a blood draw completed by the doctor upon subject1's arrival at the emergency room which showed 84.0 milligrams of alcohol per deciliter of blood.


BARDID: IN-2020-0015
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2020-05-29 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 20:15:00
CoordinatesConfidence: NC
NameOfBodyOfWater: Wampler Lake
NearestCityorTown: Dugger
County: Green
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Falls overboard
AccidentCause1: Sudden medical condition
DayofWeek: Friday
RedactedNarrative:
The operator and the victim were fishing from the boat. The victim fell overboard and the operator attempted to assist him back into the boat.  The victim struggled to board the boat but was unsuccessful. 

The operator was able to get to the shore and pull the victim on to the shore. The victim went unconscious and the operator started cpr. The operator then called 911 and met with first responders to lead them to the victim. The victim was transported to the greene county general hospital in linton and then transferred to regional hospital in terre haute. The victim suffered an additional cardiac arrest once at regional hospital. The victim passed away.

A few hours later. An autopsy was conducted and the cause of death was ischemic heart disease associated with hypoglycemia and near drowning and the manner of death was accidental.


BARDID: IN-2020-0016
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2020-06-02 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 13:30:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Cedar Lake
NearestCityorTown: Cedar Lakeq
County: Lake
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Falls overboard
AccidentEvent2: Person struck by propeller
AccidentCause1: Other
OtherAccidentCause: Passenger/skier behavior
DayofWeek: Tuesday
RedactedNarrative:
On june 2, 2020, operator was operating the vessel while the victim was wake surfing. The operator put the vessel in neutral to assist the victim when finished surfing with his lifejacket and rope.  

The victim stepped backwards and slipped off the swim platform between the platform and the extended surf tab on the port side of the vessel.  According to the operator the vessel was still in "surf mode" where the surf tab was fully extended and submerged underwater from the full ballasts.  

The victim resurfaced screaming in pain. The victim pulled himself from the water and first aid was rendered by the operator and passenger.  Ems responded to the operator's residence on the lake and the victim was transported to st anthony's hospital in crown point, in.  There was no damage to the vessel nor drugs or alcohol were determined a factor in the accident.  

The victim suffered a golf ball size puncture wound to his left side below his rib cage.  The victim received several internal and external stiches. No broken bones or internal injuries.


BARDID: IN-2020-0017
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2020-06-05 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 20:38:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Morse Reservoir
NearestCityorTown: Noblesville
County: Hamilton
WaterConditions: Very rough
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with fixed object
AccidentCause1: Unknown
DayofWeek: Friday
RedactedNarrative:
On 6/5/20 at 2038 hrs, i (cpl) was advised by ico dispatch of a boat accident at mallards point condominiums on morse reservoir.  I was informed the boat had ramped onto the dock and was stuck.  At 2041 hrs, noblesville officer and i arrived at the condominiums and spoke with subject.  Subject met us in the parking lot and informed us he was the one who made the 911 call.  Subject also directed us to where the boat and operator where.

Officer and i walked to the docks in front of the condominiums and spoke with Operator.  Operator was in the process of putting the cover on the boat after docking and raising it out of the water.  I explained to operator why we were there and he stated he was the one who had struck the dock with the boat.  While speaking with operator, i observed damage to the underside of the boat and later took photographs.  I asked operator to walk us to where he struck the dock and he agreed to do so.  I observed the damage to the dock and later photographed it. 

When asked what happened, operator stated he was in the process of returning to the dock from the main body of the reservoir.  As he approached the 200' from shore buoy, he pulled the throttle back and the throttle did not respond.  The boat then struck the dock and became stuck on top of it.  A passerby in a pontoon boat assisted operator with pulling the boat off the dock.  When asked how he was able to get the boat to his dock, he stated the throttle worked fine after the boat was removed from the dock.  Operator continued by stating the boat belongs to his father and they have had nothing but trouble with the boat.

A check of operator's driver's license revealed his license is suspended and he is htv for life.  Operator was issued a citation for operating with a suspended/revoked license.  Operator was also provided a copy of the indiana operator's boating accident report.

I also spoke with subject2.  Subject stated he observed the boat veering slightly starboard heading towards the docks while on plane.  Upon approaching the buoys, the boat never slowed, never changed course, and ran into the docks.  The boat ended up teetering on the dock as was later pulled off by an individual in a pontoon boat.


On 6/8/20, i spoke with operator’s father via telephone.  Operator stated his boat is insured thru erie insurance.  


BARDID: IN-2020-0019
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2020-06-06 00:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Cararact Lake
NearestCityorTown: Cloverdale
County: Putnam
WaterConditions: Rough
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Fall in vessel
AccidentEvent2: Falls overboard
AccidentCause1: Operator inexperience
AccidentCause2: Force of wake/wave
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On saturday june 6, 2020, i contacted by putnam county sherriff's dispatch and dispatched to a boat accident at cataract lake.  Dispatch advised me that a boater had sustained a broken ankle from a pwc crash and was being transported to the lieber sra boat ramp via a pontoon boat that had picked him up.  They advised me that they had already contacted ems and that they were in route. 

I arrived at the ramp a short time later.  When i arrived at the ramp, there was a pontoon boat docked at the courtesy dock.  The occupants of the pontoon boat waved me down to their location.  The driver of the pontoon boat advised me that the victim was sitting on the back on his pontoon boat.  Subject advised me that he did not see the accident.  He stated victim was in the water and waved for help.  They assisted victim into his boat, called 911, and then transported him to the ramp.  

Victim was sitting in the back of the pontoon boat when i was speaking with him.  His right ankle was deformed and obviously broken.  Victim stated that he was operating his grandfather's jet ski when he jumped a wave.  When he jumped the wave, his feet came off of the machine and when he landed his ankle snapped.  He fell off of the pwc and could not get back on it so he waved for help.  That is when subject came, picked him up, and transported him to the dock.  

Putnam county operation life arrived and with the help of subject and a few other bystanders, we were able to get victim out of the boat and up to the ambulance. He was transported to union hospital in terre haute for treatment.


BARDID: IN-2020-0022
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2020-06-07 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 17:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: BRookville Reservoir
NearestCityorTown: Liberty
County: Union
WaterConditions: Rough
Wind: Strong
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Falls overboard
AccidentEvent2: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentCause1: Navigation rules violation
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
Vessel 1 was docked with no occupants inside. Vessel 2 was being operated by operator 2 with multiple occupants on board. Vessel 2 was being operated in reverse and the operator stated that a boat was approaching from the rear. Operator 2 placed the vessel in forward, which caused a passenger to be thrown overboard from the back of the boat. Operator 2 stated that he did collide with vessel 1 when going forward but did not observe any damage after inspection. 

The passenger thrown overboard had not been wearing a pfd was removed safely from the water. 
Operator 2 stated the water was rough, and the wind was high when this occurred.


BARDID: IN-2020-0023
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2020-06-14 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 15:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake Michigan
NearestCityorTown: Whiting
County: Lake
WaterConditions: Very rough
Wind: Moderate
Visibility: Unknown
AccidentEvent1: Falls overboard
AccidentEvent2: Grounding
AccidentCause1: Hazardous waters
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On sunday, june 14, 2020, at approximately 1500 hours, operator was operating his pwc just outside the entrance to whihala beach park. Operator noticed another pwc whose operator fell off. Operator noticed that the other pwc was starting to drift away from the other operator. 

Operator attempted to assist other operator but fell off his pwc. The other operator was able to board his pwc and start it up. 

Operator became separated from his pwc. Due to waves 2-3 foot, the pwc was drifted under an overlook observation deck and became wedged in the rock breakwall. Operator was able to self rescue by climbing onto the rock breakwall to shore. The pwc could not be removed at that time due to hazardous water conditions.


BARDID: IN-2020-0024
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2020-06-16 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 12:00:00
CoordinatesConfidence: NC
NameOfBodyOfWater: Geist Reservoir
NearestCityorTown: Fishers
County: Hamilton
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Fair
AccidentEvent1: Capsizing
AccidentCause1: Sudden medical condition
DayofWeek: Tuesday
RedactedNarrative:
VICTIM WAS LOCATED DECEASED BY FISHERS POLICE STILL INSIDE KAYAK INVERTED ALONG COMMUNITY DOCKS AT CANAL PLACE.  

HE HAD BEEN REPORTED MISSING BY HIS WIFE THE NIGHT BEFORE.  HE WAS WEARING A LIFE JACKET.  

THE 17' WOOD KAYAK WAS HOMEMADE.  THE VICTIM'S WIFE SAID HE HAD EXTENSIVE PADDLING EXPERIENCE AND WAS AN INSTRUCTOR AND KNEW HOW TO RIGHT HIMSELF IF INVERTED.  AN AUTOPSY DETERMINED THE VICTIM HAD A HEART ATTACK PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT.  ALCOHOL WAS NOT A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT.


BARDID: IN-2020-0025
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2020-06-17 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 14:30:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Brookville Reservoir
NearestCityorTown: Brookville
County: Franklin
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Skier mishap
AccidentCause1: Other
OtherAccidentCause: Passenger/skier behavior
DayofWeek: Wednesday
RedactedNarrative:
On 6/17/20 at approximately 1430 hours, subject was being towed behind rinker captiva boat.  Subject was new to wake boarding and on his second attempt to get up he fell off the board into the water screaming in pain.  Boat owner and operator and two other passengers helped subject into the boat and they transported him to kent's harbor marina boat.  Shortly after their arrival at kent's harbor, spirit medical transport (ems) arrived to assess subject's right leg injury.  Liberty fire department and ems stabilized subject's right leg and placed him on a back board to lift him from the boat.  Subject was then transported to reid hospital by spirit medical transport (ems).

Operator advised that subject received a broken right femur and required surgery that day and was released from reid hospital the next day.


BARDID: IN-2020-0027
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2020-06-20 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 21:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Jimmerson Lake
NearestCityorTown: Angola
County: Steuben
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentCause1: Improper lookout
AccidentCause2: Navigation rules violation
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
Prelude:

On saturday june 20, 2020 at approximately 9:00 pm, a boat struck a stationary pwc on jimmerson lake in steuben county, and both vessels left the scene; one boat was pulling the other. Operator1 was operating the black boat that made impact with the stationary personal watercraft operated by operator2 and occupant. Both operator2 and v2 occupant were able to make it off the pwc before impact, and no personal injury was reported. Operator2 father was issued a citation for permitting unlawful operation, ic 14-15-3-28. Operator2 was issued a written warning for operating without a valid license motorboat operating authority, ic 14-15-11-9. Operator1 was issued a citation for imprudent operation ic 14-15-3-3.

Details of the investigation/incident:

On saturday june 20, 2020 at approximately 9:15 pm, indiana conservation officer (ico) responded to a reported boat accident that occurred on jimmerson lake in steuben county. ICO1 and i were on boat patrol on the lake james lake chain in steuben county when steuben county dispatch informed us of a 911 call from a witness who saw a boat run into a personal watercraft (pwc). The witness stated at approximately 9:00 pm, a boat struck a stationary pwc, and both vessels left the scene; one boat was pulling the other. 

On jimmerson lake, ICO1 and i saw a black boat towing a pwc heading west across the lake. As we approached, we could see operator1 operating the black boat with registration pulling the pwc with operator2 and occupant2 sitting on the seat of the pwc. Both of the girls had uscg approved pfd's on them. 

ICO1 asked the 6 young men on the boat if they were injured, they advised everyone was fine with no injuries. ICO1 then asked to see a uscg approved pfd, to which they held up more than enough for everyone on board. I asked the girls on the pwc if they were okay, they said yes. 

ICO1 and i asked the boat to tell us what happened. The young men had been out on the lake that day wakeboarding behind the boat. They were heading northeast on the northeast corner of the lake when they felt the boat strike something in the water and realized they had driven over a pwc. They turned the boat around to see the girls in the water and a grey pwc sitting broken in the water. Operator1 drove the boat to them to make sure they were o.k. and offer assistance. 

The girls stated they were fine and had managed to jump off the pwc before impact. Operator1 called his father, the owner of the boat, and advised what happened. V1 owner said he was on his way. Operator1 decided to pull the pwc to operator2's grandmother's residence at that time. 

I asked operator2 and v2 occupant how things happened from their point of view. They told me they were on the water for a few hours that day and had stopped on the northeast corner of the lake to swim for a bit. They had just gotten back on the pwc which was facing southeast, when a black boat was coming toward them. They told me they yelled, screamed, and waved their arms but the boat didn't slow down. The girls jumped off the pwc just before impact and managed to avoid personal injury. They said the boat made impact on the right side of their pwc. 

Operator2 and v2 occupant said the boat turned and came back to them and the young men asked if the girls were ok. The girls said yes, they were ok. The young men discussed options with the girls agreed to tow the pwc to operator2's grandmother's house, were operator2's father was at. 

I released the boat. I towed the pwc with operator2 and v2 occupant to her grandmother's house on the west side of jimmerson. I spoke to Operator2 father, the owner of the pwc and told him about the laws. He is clear on the motorboat law and legal age to operate a motorboat. 

I spoke to v2 occupant's stepfather on the phone and he informed me that v2 occupant had a sore left jaw and a sore back the day after the accident but it had since gone away. He does not believe it was caused by any impact between v2 occupant and the boat operated by operator1. 
Operator2 father was issued a citation for permitting unlawful operation, ic 14-15-3-28. Operator2 was issued a written warning for operating without a valid license motorboat operating authority, ic 14-15-11-9. Operator1 was issued a citation for imprudent operation ic 14-15-3-3.


BARDID: IN-2020-0028
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2020-06-20 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 18:34:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake James
NearestCityorTown: Angola
County: Steuben
WaterConditions: Rough
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentCause1: Restricted vision
AccidentCause2: Improper lookout
AccidentCause3: Navigation rules violation
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On saturday june 20th 2020 at approximately 7:30 pm, i was notified by steuben county dispatch that they had just received a call regarding a boat accident that had occurred on lake james.  Dispatch advised that the owners had already exchanged information but the operator of one of the boats involved (a pontoon) was possibly intoxicated.  

Officer1 and i advised we would be in route to investigate further.  I first made a phone call to the reporting party. I spoke over the phone with operator2 who advised that he was at his cottage.  Officer1 and i drove to meet with operator2 and arrived at his house at approximately 7:45 pm.  I asked operator2 to explain what had happened.  

Operator2 stated some passengers inside his boat had just finished swimming and had re-boarded his boat.  They were sitting stationary when they noticed a pontoon headed straight in their direction.  At the last second before impact, the pontoon turned left to try to avoid a collision; however, the starboard side of the pontoon struck the starboard side of operator2's boat.  

Operator2 stated the pontoon stopped and they had exchanged information.  Operator2 stated that he believed the operator of the pontoon was possibly intoxicated because they noticed open containers of alcohol on the boat.  Operator2 also stated that he spoke with a woman on the boat who identified herself as boat owner.  Operator2 said that as they spoke, the driver of the boat (a man) never said a word but allowed v2 owner to speak on his behalf.  Operator2 advised us that he was trading in his boat for a new one and had already made an agreement for trade in value.  Operator2 stated the damage appeared minimal, however, he would like it documented with a report.  Officer1 took photographs of the damage to the starboard side of operator2s boat.  There appeared to be two large scuffs marks in the paint.  The photographs are attached to this report.  

Next, we went to speak with the operator of the pontoon.  We arrived and saw two men and two women sitting on the front deck overlooking lake james eating dinner.  I approached the group and explained that we were doing some follow up on a report of a boat accident.  I asked who was at driving the boat at the time of the accident and a man stated he was.  I asked operator1 what had happened and he said that he was operating his pontoon near the northwest corner of lake james just before the incident occurred.  He stated that the nose of his pontoon was raised making it difficult to see over.  

Operator1 stated, as he got closer, he saw operator2's boat and attempted to turn to avoid a collision.  The starboard side of operator1's pontoon struck the starboard side of operator2s boat.  Officer1 asked operator1 if he had been drinking any alcohol and he stated no, he does not drink alcohol at all.  Based on our personal contact, we did not observe any indicators that operator1 had been drinking.  We did not notice any odor of alcoholic beverages coming from his breath, his balance and speech appeared normal.  We asked operator1 to show us the damage to his pontoon.  We noticed a significant dent in the front portion of the right pontoon as well as scrape marks down nearly the entire right side of his boat.  Officer1 documented the damage by taking photographs, which were consistent with the account of what had happened from both parties.

We cleared from operator1's residence at approximately 8:25 pm


BARDID: IN-2020-0029
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2020-06-20 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 20:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Cedar Lake
NearestCityorTown: Cedar Lake
County: Lake
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Flooding/swamping
AccidentCause1: Unknown
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
The boat was underway with 7 people on board and one being towed for skiing. They had been operating most of the day and at approximately 8:00 p.m. the boat started taking water on in the stern area. The passengers quickly pulled the skier in and everyone went to the front of the boat. Life jackets were pulled out and worn. They attempted to travel back to shore but it sank to the bottom approximately 300 feet out from shore. The passengers all jumped out of the boat in attempt to get it to float.  The boat remained under the water. It rested on bottom in approximately 3.5 to 4 feet of water and was not fully submerged but was up to the windshield area with the gunwhales just out of the water. The following day the water was bailed out and it floated once again. The owner stated he recently had a cooling hose replaced on the motor.  The hose could have been the source of the leak.  A survey of the interior of the boat did not show anything loose or not attached. I was unable to determine the exact location of the leak.


BARDID: IN-2020-0030
State: IN
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2020-06-21 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 14:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Mississinewa
NearestCityorTown: Peru
County: Wabash
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with submerged object
AccidentEvent2: Flooding/swamping
AccidentCause1: Other
OtherAccidentCause: Unseen water hazard
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
Details of investigation/incident:
((6/21/2020 @ 1400hrs)

I corporal was working as an indiana conservation officer in the area of wabash county. I was dispatched to a sinking boat at mississinewa lake. The area was called 12 mile located between 300 and 400 west on the south shore line. 

We launched our boat and headed to the scene. Officer2 had arrived just before we did. The boat the victims were in was taking on water. I noticed the occupants were attempting to load items on to officer2’s boat. I noticed the boat had taken on even more water and started to roll backwards away from officer2’s boat. I yelled at the passengers to jump onto officer2’s boat. 

They did just in time preventing the boat from rolling all the way over. After the passengers were secured on officer2 boat the boat stayed lodged on a stump that was just barely submerged beneath the surface. It was later determined that the stump that it was on caused the damage and water to enter the boat initially. This stump was partially impaling the hull of the watercraft. 

I called for officer 3 to respond with his lift bag system normally used to lift a car or boat from the bottom of the lake. Officer2 transported the two occupants of the sinking boat back to red bridge ramp where their vehicle was located. Officer and i returned to the pearson's mill boat ramp.  

At the ramp we loaded the boat on the trailer that was brought to the boat ramp by the occupants of the boat. 

The scene and damage was documented by photographs. Verbal statements were both obtained. Both operator and occupant stated that they had just finished a day of fishing. They were trolling out of an area that they knew had a lot of stickup stumps. As they were leaving they ran up on one of the stumps that was submerged just below the surface. Both operator and occupant said they tried to free the boat by starting the outboard motor and thrust off of the stump. They could not free the boat and noticed it was taking on water. They called 911 and donned their life vest and waited for us. 


BARDID: IN-2020-0032
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2020-06-28 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 15:55:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Sylvan Lake
NearestCityorTown: Rome City
County: Noble
WaterConditions: Rough
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Fire/explosion (non-fuel)
AccidentCause1: Machinery failure
MachineryFailure: Engine
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
Prelude:   

On 6/28/20 a pontoon with 3 passengers was idling near the narrows of sylvan lake.   After the engine bogged, it was shut off and upon re-start, exploded the cowling and started to burn.   Passengers and operator jumped to safety and were picked up by other boaters.   The fire was also extinguished by other boaters.  

Details of investigation/incident:  

On 6/28/20 i was on duty and was contacted by ico dispatch and advised of a boat fire on sylvan lake.   Upon arrival at 935 lions drive in rome city i found the boat already tied to the dock and all 3 passengers present on the deck near the water.  


Operator stated she was the operator of the boat and told me she had been idling near the narrows (see attached location) when the outboard engine began to "run rough" like it had weeds on it.   She described the motor to be struggling or bogging down and she shut the engine off.  After waiting a short period of time she attempted to re-start the engine and told me the engine "blew up" and told me the cover (cowling) was shattered and the outboard engine caught fire.  

Her description of the events were that passers-by (unknown) were able to use fire extinguishers, water, and wet towels to extinguish/smother the fire burning in the engine.  

During this time passer-by also threw life jackets for the three boat occupants and they jumped from the boat and were picked up by nearby boaters.  They jumped from the boat in fear the fire may spread or cause an explosion.   

After the occupants were removed from the water, the boat was returned to its dock at 935 lions driver where i found it.     I photographed the boat interior, outboard motor, registration, gauges, nearby fire extinguisher, and the pfd on the seat.  Dispatch information stated there was an oil spill however i saw no evidence of such.  I saw no leaking oil upon my examination and found no sheen on the water. 

Operator stated she only had a small cut (scratch) on her right leg.  I saw a scratch on the outside of her right calf that was already scabbed over.  Operator told me she thought the cut occurred not from the crash itself but was from either jumping into the water or climbing out. 

She stated the only life jackets used were the jackets thrown to them by the passers-by.  She stated she had taken boater education in school at approximately 13 years old.  The fire extinguisher was found on board but was not used.   


BARDID: IN-2020-0033
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2020-07-01 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 13:36:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Monroe Reservoir
NearestCityorTown: Bloomington
County: Monroe
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Other
OtherAccidentEvent: limb tangled in activity equip
AccidentCause1: Other
AccidentCause2: Force of wake/wave
OtherAccidentCause: Passenger/skier behavior
DayofWeek: Wednesday
RedactedNarrative:
I, indiana conservation officer (ico) cpl. on july 1, 2020 at or about 1334 hours received a dispatch of a boat accident from ico central dispatch at the boat rental at paynetown.  I responded and arrived at or about 1350 hours.

I observed an individual later identified as the victim conscious and alert with a tunicate on his left arm below his shoulder and had his hand wrapped in a shirt and elevated.  Victim advised he was on the back of a rental boat pulling in a blue nylon tow rope with a pull behind airhead slice tube on the end. The tube had two people hall on it.  

Victim advised the boat was in neutral and as he was pulling in the tube a large wave hit their boat and tube and caused the rope to tighten.  Victim's middle three fingers were caught in the rope and caused the top portion of his pointer finger and ring finger to be severed off.  The top portion of his middle finger was also severed but was still attached by a small piece of skin. 

 i spoke with operator who was the operator of the rental boat.  She advised the boat was in neutral when the incident occurred.  She concurred what victim had stated.  Operator had not consumed any alcohol at the time of the incident and advised she had over 100 hours of operating experience on watercraft.  

Victim was transported to iu health bloomington hospital by ambulance for treatment.  
I swear and affirm the foregoing facts are true and accurate under penalty of law.


BARDID: IN-2020-0035
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2020-07-04 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 17:10:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Cedar Lake
NearestCityorTown: Cedar Lake
County: Lake
WaterConditions: Rough
Wind: Light
Visibility: Unknown
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentEvent2: Fall in vessel
AccidentCause1: Excessive speed
AccidentCause2: Operator inexperience
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On july 4, 2020, at approximately 5:10pm two personal watercraft were operating near each other in front of pine crest marina about 400 feet from shore.  Operator 1 steered toward operator 2 and stuck operator 2 with the bow of his pwc.  

Operator 2 fell off the pwc and landed in the water near her vessel.  Operator 1 circled back and assisted operator 2 while in the water.  The victim, operator 2, was transported to st. Anthony's hospital in crown point.  Operator 2 sustained two broken ribs on her right side from the accident.  Both operators had minimal experience on the pwc's and had recently purchased them. 

Alcohol nor drugs were at factor in the accident.


BARDID: IN-2020-0036
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2020-07-05 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 15:26:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Brookville Reservoir
NearestCityorTown: Brookville
County: Franklin
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Fall in vessel
AccidentCause1: Operator inattention
AccidentCause2: Other
OtherAccidentCause: Unsecured equipment
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On sunday july 5, 2020 at approximately 15:25 hours franklin county dispatch received a 911 call advising there was a boat accident on brookville reservoir and one individual had head injuries. Franklin county dispatch advised they were at garr hill boat ramp. I, indiana conservation officer arrived on scene of the accident at approximately 15:30 hours. When i arrived cpl. and franklin county ems had already arrived on scene. Franklin county ems was rendering first aid when i arrived. The injured individual was later identified. 

Victim had a cut on the back her head and abrasions on the left side of her face. Victim stated she had drank two michelob ultras earlier in the day.

I spoke with witness about the incident that took place on brookville reservoir. Witness stated there was a tube laying across the back seat of the boat and victim was sitting next to it. She stated when operator accelerated the boat the tube flew up and hit victim in the side of the head. It caused victim to hit her head on the gunwale of the boat on the starboard (right) side.  

Victim was transported by ambulance to mccullough-hyde memorial hospital in oxford, ohio for head injuries.


BARDID: IN-2020-0039
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2020-07-08 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 17:10:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Monroe Reservoir
NearestCityorTown: Bloomington
County: Monroe
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Fire/explosion (non-fuel)
AccidentCause1: Machinery failure
MachineryFailure: Engine
DayofWeek: Wednesday
RedactedNarrative:
I, indiana conservation officer (ico) cpl. on july 8, 2020 at or about 1710 hours was patrolling in the area fairfax sra in monroe county.  I was notified by fourwinds employees in the slip leasing department that one of their members just called them and advised their boat was on fire in the middle of monroe reseroir by paynetown. I called subject and he advised they were almost back to fourwinds and i could meet him there.  

I met subject at fourwinds.  He advised they took the boat out on the water and got to the area by paynetown when they started seeing smoke from the engine compartment.  They stopped the boat and used two fire extinguishers to try to extinguish the fire.  Another boat approached them and gave them two more fire extinguishers which they also used.  They were able to extinguish the fire and all three occupants were able to get off of the boat safely.  

The boat registration was returned to a 1998 glastron white and green in color.  They all were wearing coast guard approved pfd's when they abandoned the boat.  

The dam boat house towed the boat back to fourwinds.  The damage was isolated to the engine compartment.  
I swear and affirm the foregoing facts are true and accurate under penalty of law.


BARDID: IN-2020-0040
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2020-07-09 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 15:30:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Cedar Lake
NearestCityorTown: Cedar Lake
County: Lake
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentEvent2: Flooding/swamping
AccidentCause1: Alcohol
AccidentCause2: Excessive speed
DayofWeek: Thursday
RedactedNarrative:
At around 1530 hours, vessel one was riding behind vessel two at approximately 30 miles per hour. Vessel one increased it's speed and approached vessel two from behind. Operator one swerved sharply while approaching vessel two to splash operator two.

 at the sime time, operator two turned to the left, without seeing vessel one. Vessel one's front right section of the bow struck vessel two's left rear corner. The impact caused a large hole in the left rear portion of the hull and a crack along the entire length of the left side of the hull of vessel two. Vessel two began to sink and had to be towed to shore. 

There were no injuries. Alcohol is believed to be a contributing factor to the crash.


BARDID: IN-2020-0041
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2020-07-11 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 12:11:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake Shafer
NearestCityorTown: Buffalo
County: White
WaterConditions: Rough
Wind: Moderate
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with fixed object
AccidentEvent2: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentCause1: Excessive speed
AccidentCause2: Operator inattention
AccidentCause3: Operator inexperience
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
OPERATOR 1 RENTED PWC FROM SHAFER SHORE RENTALS AND WAS OPERATING THE PWC TOO CLOSE TO THE SHORE.  OPERATOR 1 CLIPPED A BOAT LIFT OWNED .  OPERATOR 1 THAN CONTINUED DOWNSTREAM AND HIT THE THROTTLE AND WAVE AT THE SAME TIME AND HIT A PONTOON BOAT SITTING ON A BOAT LIFT.


BARDID: IN-2020-0042
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2020-07-17 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 18:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake Michigan
NearestCityorTown: Hammond
County: Lake
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentCause1: Operator inattention
DayofWeek: Friday
RedactedNarrative:
It was determined, boat 1 was in slip and tied off. Boat 1 was not under power or in motion. Boat 1's owner was inside the cabin at the time of the incident. At around 1800 hours boat 2 was leaving slip b13. Boat 2 was under power and reversing out of slip to the north. Boat 2 made a turn to the west/northwest. Boat 2's stern then collided with boat 1's bow. Boat 1 sustained damage to its anchor support and gelcoat. Boat 2 then turned and left the area. Boat 1 owner contacted the marina, and an incident report was completed. Boat 2 never attempted to contact the authorities. Personal flotation devices were not used in this incident.


BARDID: IN-2020-0043
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2020-07-18 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 15:15:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake Shafer
NearestCityorTown: Monticello
County: White
WaterConditions: Rough
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentCause1: Excessive speed
AccidentCause2: Force of wake/wave
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
OPERATOR 1 WAS PERFORMING CIRCLES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LAKE AND OPERATOR 2 WENT TOO CLOSE TO OPERATOR 1.  OPERATOR 2 CAUGHT A WAVE AND RAN INTO THE RIGHT FRONT OF OPERATOR 1 PWC.  DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT FRONT FIBERGLASS, RUB RAIL AND THE HOOD WAS BROKEN OFF AND LOST IN THE LAKE ON OPERATOR 1.  THERE WAS NO VISIBLE DAMAGE TO OPERATOR 2'S PWC.


BARDID: IN-2020-0044
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2020-07-18 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 12:30:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake Michigan
NearestCityorTown: Michign City
County: LaPorte
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Operator inexperience
AccidentCause2: Force of wake/wave
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
VESSEL 1 WAS BEING OPERATED BY OPERATOR 1 WITH A PASSENGER AT APPROX. 20 MPH WHEN VESSEL 1 STRUCK A WAVE CAUSING BOTH OPERATOR 1 AND THE PASSENGER TO BE THROWN BACKWARDS OFF THE STERN OF VESSEL 1.  WHILE BOTH OPERATOR 1 AND THE PASSENGER WERE THROWN OFF THE BACK OF OPERATOR 1 HEAD STRUCK THE FACE OF THE PASSENGER CAUSING INJURY.  THE PASSENGER WASS TRANSPORTED BACK TO SHORE BY OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS AND THEN TRANSPORTED TO FRANCISCAN HOSPITAL IN MICHIGAN CITY, IN.

   BOTH THE OPERATOR AND PASSENGER WERE WEARING PFD'S AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.  THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF DRUGS OR ALCOHOL INVOLVEMENT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.


BARDID: IN-2020-0046
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2020-08-04 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 16:15:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Wildcat Creek
NearestCityorTown: Greentown
County: Howard
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Moderate
Visibility: Poor
AccidentEvent1: Collision with submerged object
AccidentEvent2: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Other
OtherAccidentCause: Unseen water hazard
DayofWeek: Tuesday
RedactedNarrative:
Operator was operating the watercraft with subject sitting in the front swivel seat on the front platform of the boat. They were traveling northbound on the wildcat creek from cr 50 n. Neither are familiar with the body of water and the water clarity is very poor. 

The watercraft collided with an unknown hard object under the water and subject lunged forward upon impact. Subject attempted to grab the front navigation light to keep himself from going overboard but the light broke off causing subject to fall over the bow of the boat. Subject then hit his head on another unknown hard object under the water. 

Operator then jumped overboard and held subject above water until first responders could arrive on scene. Subject is in critical condition at st. Vincent's hospital in indianapolis, indiana. His injuries consist of his 1 &2 vertebra being popped out of socket in his neck and fluid on his vertebra in his back. He has lost feeling in his left arm.


BARDID: IN-2020-0047
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2020-08-02 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 14:35:00
CoordinatesConfidence: NC
NameOfBodyOfWater: Westwood Lake
NearestCityorTown: New Castle
County: Henry
WaterConditions: Rough
Wind: Moderate
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Falls overboard
AccidentCause1: Improper loading
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
According to the only witness to the incident, he and operator were out fishing at westwood lake in henry county. At approximately 1415 hours operator was operating the boat using the electric trolling motor. They were headed east bound approximately 75 yards from the south shore that was just east of the dam to the lake. 

Occupant stated that operator leaned to the right which caused the boat to rock. This motion caused occupant and operator to be ejected from the boat. 

Occupant stated that he saw that operator was hanging on to a floatation seat which i assume is the blue type iv personal floatation device that was found at scene but, it could have been chairs to the boat. Occupant said that he told operator to hang on and he would get the boat. Occupant swam to the boat and started swimming it back to operator. When occupant got approximately ten to fifteen from operator he looked and didn't see him. Occupant stated that he looked for a couple of minutes before going to another boat to get someone to call for help because his cell phone no longer worked. I did not observe any wearable pfd's at the scene.


BARDID: IN-2020-0048
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2020-07-08 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 15:00:00
CoordinatesConfidence: NC
NameOfBodyOfWater: Eagle Creek Reservoir
NearestCityorTown: Indianapolis
County: Marion
WaterConditions: Rough
Wind: Strong
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Falls overboard
AccidentCause1: Weather
AccidentCause2: Hazardous waters
DayofWeek: Wednesday
RedactedNarrative:
On july 10, 2020 at approximately 0800 hours i, indiana conservation officer, along with ico, arrived on scene at eagle creek reservoir after we were notified that a body had been recovered in the area where a subject was believed to have drowned two days prior. At the scene, myself and ico gathered information from indianapolis metropolitan police department, park rangers and pike township firefighters to learn what had happened leading up the body being found. 

According to pike fire department and the impd park rangers on scene, on july 8, 2020 at approximately 1530 hours, they responded to a drowning at 7602 walnut point road at eagle creek reservoir. It was learned that a male subject had fallen off of a paddle boat and had drowned. A female subject was also on the paddle boat with victim at the time he fell in. Subject1 dove into the water to help victim, but she was unsuccessful. Four others were all present as well but were not on the boat with victim and subject1 when victim fell in. 

Pike township fire department and indiana conservation officers searched the reservoir that evening until 2030 hours. The following morning, july 9, 2020, pike fire department and ico’s searched eagle creek reservoir but did not find any sign of victim. 

On july 10, 2020 at 0545 hours, pike firefighters located a body floating in the reservoir near the bank of the dam about 500 yards northeast of the area where victim fell in. The water temperature was 90 degrees at the surface and 83 degrees on the bottom at a depth of 8-12 feet. The body was then brought back to the marina.

	ico and i then arrived on scene and shortly after, marion county coroner’s office personnel informed us that they were unable to id the body that was recovered because it did not fit all descriptions given by friends and family. They were also unable to get fingerprints at that time. There were no external injuries or signs or trauma on the body. Victim’s father agreed to give dna so that the coroner’s office could confirm if the recovered subject was victim. 

	three days later, the dna results showed that the body was in fact victim. According to two people, victim had been on the paddle boat for over three hours and was peddling the entire time. Their group of friends arrived at the reservoir between 1200 and 1300 hours. Around 1500 hours that day, high winds from a storm that had moved into the area made the water conditions choppy and waves began rocking the boat. 

Subject1 and subject2 then stated that shortly after this, victim fell in. He was not wearing a lifejacket and the winds quickly blew the boat away from where he had fallen into the water. Subjectsboth believed that victim was tired from peddling on the boat for several hours that afternoon. Their accounts of how victim drowned was very similar to what other witnesses told the impd park rangers as well.


BARDID: IN-2020-0049
State: IN
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2020-07-25 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 09:30:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Cedar Lake
NearestCityorTown: Cedar Lake
County: Lake
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Flooding/swamping
AccidentCause1: Machinery failure
MachineryFailure: Engine
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
Details of the investigation:
On saturday, july 25, 2020 at approximately 0930 hours i, indiana conservation officer, responded to a call from the cedar lake fire department of a sunken boat on cedar lake near the south shore country club. I was advised that there were no injuries and everyone was out of the water. 

I arrived on scene with cedar lake fire and lake dale fire and observed a boat mostly submerged under water. The boat was leaking a small amount of fuel into the water. I then spoke with the boat owner. Owner provided me with paperwork from his boat. His boat was identified as a 1995 hurricane sd185 with indiana registration numbers. 

Owner advised he launched his boat the night before on 7/24 and used it for several hours. Owner advised he left the boat at anchor in this location overnight. Owner stated his son checked on the boat around midnight, and it was above water. Owner stated he arrived to go on the boat, and observed it under water. Owner stated his boat just had repairs completed to the bellows. Owner had already made contact with sunrise piers to come and raise his boat.

The cedar lake and lake dale fire departments contained the leaking fuel and cleaned it up. Sunrise piers was able to lift and tow the boat back to the shore.


