# ReleasableAccidentes

BARDID: KY-2018-0034
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-09-01 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 18:44:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: KENTUCKY
NearestCityorTown: BENTON
County: MARSHALL
WaterConditions: Choppy
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentEvent2: Fall in vessel
AccidentCause1: Operator inattention
AccidentCause2: Restricted vision
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
According to operator's and witness statements, Vessel 2 was pulling up anchor in the Malcolm Creek area of KY Lake when the accident occurred. Operator and witnesses aboard Vessel 2 stated they had just pulled up anchor on the front bow and saw Vessel 1 approaching from their port side. Those 4 people stated they yelled at Vessel 1 but Vessel 1 struck Vessel 2 in very front bow with its starboard toon. The anchor of Vessel 2 was in the full up position and had mud on it. 

According to operator and 8 witnesses aboard the Vessel 1, they were traveling on plane and into the sun when the forward toon struck the port bow of Vessel 2. Those on Vessel 1 stated they never saw Vessel 2 due to the sun being in their vision. 

V1 occupant1 was transported to Benton Medical Center by Marshall County EMS with back pain and a cut on front of her chest. V1 occupant1 was sitting on starboard front seat of Vessel 1 during collision. V1 occupant2 was transported to Benton Medical Center by Marshall County EMS with complaint of foot pain. V1 occupant2 was sitting on port front seat of Vessel 1 during collision. Upon inspection of Vessel 2, that vessel had damage consistent of being struck by Vessel 1 with a large chunk missing from centerline of bow just above waters edge. Upon inspection of Vessel 1, it had damage to the front seat upholstery, damage to outer bow railings, and damage to starboard toon. The starboard toon still had white gelcoat and fiberglass lodged into it. All damage appeared consistent with statements of witnesses. Photos and video were taken during investigation with nothing digitally altered and uploaded to KDFWR Evidence.com. 


BARDID: KY-2018-0035
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-12-23 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 21:51:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: LAKE BARKLEY
NearestCityorTown: CADIZ
County: TRIGG
WaterConditions: Very rough
HazardousWaters: -1
Wind: Strong
Visibility: Fair
AccidentEvent1: Flooding/swamping
AccidentCause1: Hazardous waters
AccidentCause2: Overloading
AccidentCause3: Operator inexperience
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
Vessel one was returning from duck hunting and tried to navigate across the main channel of Lake Barkley, when it took two large waves over the bow of the boat. The vessel started to sink and the occupants were hanging onto the side of the sinking vessel. Vessel two observed the sinking vessel from a distance with the occupants in the water and pulled up next to vessel. The occupants were loaded into boat number two along with a k-9. Vessel number two had a total of seven occupants, gear, and two k-9s. 
Vessel number made it about 50 or 70 yards from the sinking vessel, when their boat started taking on water from the stern of the boat. The occupants started jumping in the water and trying to hang onto to whatever they could to stay afloat on. One of the occupants had just purchased a new, water proof phone and called 911 for help. He also called a hunter for help, that was hunting not too far from where they hunted that morning. Vessel three arrived on scene and took his two occupants to the bank, so he could go back and get the rest of the occupants out of the water.

Vessel three had all the occupants hang to the side of his boat and he took them straight to the bank. Everyone walked to 512 blue river ln and the owners of the residence gave them clothes and blankets to dry off with until all Emergency Personnel arrived. No one was wearing any type of PFD’s, 7 guns, gear, 2 boats and one k-9 is missing. Parties of boat number one, returned back to bank area that night and retrieved on the guns in a floating case and some gear belonging to some of the hunters in boat number two. On 12-24-2019, I returned back to the area where the vessels went down and located vessel number two. Decoys were still attached to the vessel with the nose sticking out.

I took off as many decoys as I could and the vessel started to drift with the current toward the main channel. I called the owner of the vessel and he advised that he couldn’t make it get the boat out of the water until Wednesday. I had no way to pull the boat to the shallow part of the shallows and I marked the nose of the boat with a yellow throw cushion, so no one would run over it. The owner of vessel number with two of his friends located another gun and his vessel near Rockcastle Boat Ramp. He asked me if I had seen his dog and asked if I would give him a ride to the island where they hunted before the accident. I took them to the island and no luck on finding his missing k-9. He pulled his boat up onto the rocks and advised me that he was going to return with a trolling motor and battery to get it to the Rockcastle Boat Ramp, so he could put it back on the trailer.

On 12-26-2018, the owner called me and advised that he located his boat about one mile from where I located it on the 24th. He advised that the missing k-9 was under his boat tangled up in decoys. He notified the owner of boat number one about his dog and met him at Prizer Point Boat Ramp to pick it up. The guns that were in floating cases were retrieved and returned back to the owners and the rest of the guns are on the bottom of the lake.


BARDID: KY-2018-0036
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-09-05 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 09:36:00
CoordinatesConfidence: C
NameOfBodyOfWater: GREEN RIVER LAKE
NearestCityorTown: CAMPBELLSVILLE
County: TAYLOR
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: No wind
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with submerged object
AccidentEvent2: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Operator inattention
DayofWeek: Wednesday
RedactedNarrative:
On Wednesday, September 5, 2018, at 09:36 CST, (All times are CST), Kentucky State Police Post 15 in Columbia received a call from Campbellsville 911 center, that a boat in the Robinson Creek area of Green River Lake was operating unoccupied in a circular motion.
Subject stated that at 9:00 he was still fishing in Robinson Creek when Victim came trolling by in the Bass Tracker.  Subject stated that Victim was by himself and did not have a life jacket on.  Approximately thirty minutes later, Subject was operating in Robinson Creek, heading back to Smith Ridge Ramp, when he observed Victim's vessel going in circles, with no one on board of the vessel.  At that time, Subject called Taylor County 911 to report the unoccupied vessel.
At 16:59, Victim was located by Taylor County Dive Team at GPS location N37 17, 909 - W85 16, 665.
Victim was located in close proximity to where his vessel had been circling.
After examining Victim's body and his Bass Tracker vessel, along with statement given by Subject, it is believed that Victim was traveling in Robinson Creek when his vessel struck a floating or fixed object and ejected Victim from the starboard side.  Victim did not have a personal flotation device on, nor could he swim.   Damage to Victim's Bass Tracker, as shown with photos, had severe damage to the transom and starboard side.  
Victim was taken to Louisville, KY for an autopsy on Friday, September 7, 2018.  Conservation Officer was present during the conduction of the autopsy.  The pathologist's preliminary report states that Victim's death was consistent with drowning and with minor abrasions and contusions on lower extremeties.  However, Victim did have indications of some heart issues.  No foul play is suspected in the death.The estimated damage to the boat was calculated by the guide at the end of the BAR.


BARDID: KY-2018-0037
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-09-03 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 17:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: TAYLORSVILLE LAKE
NearestCityorTown: TAYLORSVILLE
County: SPENCER
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: No wind
Visibility: Unknown
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentCause1: Sharp turn
AccidentCause2: Operator inattention
AccidentCause3: Operator inexperience
DayofWeek: Monday
RedactedNarrative:
The operator of jetski #1 and passenger was traveling west on the main channel of taylorville lake in sight of the settlers trace marina and made an abrupt left hand turn to go back to the original point that they had departed. Jet ski #2 operator was traveling west in the main channel following jet ski #1 when it made the left hand turn and was unable to avoid colliding with it.  The bow of jetski #2 struck the port side of jetski #1.  Jetski #2 suffered a minor scuff to the bow paint. Jetski #1 suffered paint scuffs on the port side with a small crack / tear in the fiberglass hull.  The passenger on jetski #1 suffered bruising to her left leg. Ems was declined. 


BARDID: KY-2018-0038
State: KY
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2018-09-08 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 07:41:00
CoordinatesConfidence: C
NameOfBodyOfWater: SOUTH LICKING RIVER
NearestCityorTown: CYNTHIANA
County: HARRISON
WaterConditions: Choppy
HazardousWaters: -1
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with submerged object
AccidentEvent2: Flooding/swamping
AccidentEvent3: Capsizing
AccidentCause1: Operator inattention
AccidentCause2: Dam/lock
AccidentCause3: Hazardous waters
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On 09/08/2018, two people were participating in the River Road Bass Club Fishing Tournament on The South Licking River in Cynthiana, KY. They launched a 20 foot Shadow Bass Boat at the Cynthiana boat ramp at approximately 0700 hrs. At approximately 0730 they were fishing along the East river bank when their boat drifted and was getting too close to Terry Dam. Terry Dam is a low-head dam that creates a boil at its base. While the boat was not under power, it was getting pulled into the dam. Operator attempted to engage his Minn Kota 65 lbs. thrust trolling motor and in doing so, hit an underwater object and broke the shaft. Operator then attempted to engage the engine; however, his boat was already taking on water over the starboard side of the bow. Their vessel became swamped and capsized, sending both Operator and occupant overboard. Even though multiple PFD's were available, none were utilized by either man. Operator surfaced and survived by holding on to the motor lower unit.
Other bass tournament participants, were approximately 100 yards downstream from Terry Dam and witnessed the accident. They were able to attach a rope and throw a Type IV flotation device to Operator, allowing him to be pulled to safety. The capsized vessel was later recovered by Harrison County Search & Rescue (HCSR). At approximately 1400hrs HCSR Commander suspended recovery efforts due to inclement weather and rising water levels on the South Licking River. 
Occupant was recovered by HCSR on Thursday, September 13, 2018, approximately 2 miles down stream from Terry Dam. 
Kentucky Certificate of Death provided by Harrison County Coroner, states injury occurred by drowning .


BARDID: KY-2018-0039
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-08-05 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 15:15:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: ROUGH RIVER LAKE
NearestCityorTown: FALLS OF ROUGH
County: GRAYSON
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Person struck by propeller
AccidentCause1: Operator inattention
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
I received a phone call around Friday, September 14th from my Captain, asking for information about a boat accident that occurred on Rough River Lake in August. I was unaware of any reported incidents during that month. Capt.  requested that I look into this incident, and he forwarded me the information that he had through my email. In the email, the only information provided was the name of the vessel operator, and the name of a female who was struck by a propeller and her injuries were beyond first aid.
On Saturday, September 15th I went to Breckinridge County dispatch to gather more information, and they did have the 911 call, but did not have any CAD remarks in their system. The dispatcher referred me to the local EMS station that took the run, but was able to identify the date the incident occurred, which was on Sunday, August 5th 2018. After speaking to the Breckinridge County EMS staff, they were unable to obtain the records of the injured female, but stated that Air-Evac was called, due to the injuries, and they will have information on file due to their staff riding in the ambulance to the hospital. Air-Evac was unable to transport due to engine issues, and two staff members rode in the ambulance with the injured female to Louisville. 
Operator's, and other witnesses’ statements, stated that two people were tubing on Rough River Lake Sunday August 5th. Around 1500 EST, the two tubers fell off the tube and Operator turned the vessel around to pick up the girls. The girls were unable to get back up on the tube, so they were going to use the ladder on the vessel to climb up and get back onto the tube easier. Operator stated that when he got up from the driver’s seat, he believes that he knocked the shifter into reverse slightly. The shifter did not have a lock release, and could be pushed into reverse or forward with ease. 
As Operator made his way towards the rear of the vessel, Tuber1 was close to the stern of the vessel and waiting to climb onto the ladder, while Victim was located a few feet behind the vessels motor. Operator stated that he began to notice the vessel closing in on Victim, and realized that the vessel must be in reverse, but by that time Victim was pulled into the path of the motor and the prop hit her legs. Operator immediately ran to turn the motor off, while Tuber1 and others began to pull Victim out of the water. One of the passengers on the vessel was a nurse, and began to apply pressure to the wounds of Victim with towels and laid her on one of the seats of the vessel. Operator then called 911 and informed the Breckinridge County dispatcher to have an ambulance meet them at Laurel Branch boat ramp for a female who had been struck by a prop.
Operator drove the vessel to Laurel Branch boat ramp and met up with EMS, and once the EMS staff saw the injuries they called for Air-Evac to be transported to Louisville. It was stated that one of the prop hits cut a vital artery, and during ambulance transport to Air-Evac, the wound would not stop bleeding. Air-Evac was standing by at Mt. Zion Church in Harned, but when the helicopter tried to take off, it began to have engine issues and had to land. Victim was transported, by ambulance with staff of Air-Evac, to University of Louisville Hospital where she underwent surgery for her injuries.
On Saturday, September 22nd, I drove to Victim's residence to gather her statements of the incident and was able to obtain photos of the wounds during the first stages of surgery that she had taken with her phone. Victim's statement about the incident was the same as Operator's and other witnesses. She did state that Operator did not have any alcoholic beverages that day and Operator stated that there was alcohol on the vessel but he did not have any alcoholic beverages that day. Victim stated that she and Tuber1 have been friends for a while and this was the first time she was invited to come to their rental property on the lake, as well as the first time being on the lake.


BARDID: KY-2018-0040
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-10-08 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 13:30:00
CoordinatesConfidence: C
NameOfBodyOfWater: ELKHORN CREEK
NearestCityorTown: FRANKFORT
County: FRANKLIN
WaterConditions: Rough
HazardousWaters: -1
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Capsizing
AccidentEvent2: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Dam/lock
AccidentCause2: Drug
AccidentCause3: Hazardous waters
DayofWeek: Monday
RedactedNarrative:
Victim was kayaking with another individual, both parties were putting in below the dam at Jim Beam, the victim was swept into the boil below the dam. The witness tried to help the victim by throwing a throw rope to him. The victim was able to catch the rope and hold on, but the current was to strong and the victim let go sweeping him into the boil of the dam. Victim was recovered wearing a life jacket down stream from the dam. The victim was recovered wearing a tee shirt and lifejacket, inside the lifejacket we recovered a small baggie consisting of what appeared to be marijuana.


BARDID: KY-2018-0041
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2018-11-06 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 10:53:00
CoordinatesConfidence: C
NameOfBodyOfWater: LAKE BESHEAR
NearestCityorTown: DAWSON SPRINGS
County: CALDWELL
WaterConditions: Choppy
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Falls overboard
AccidentCause1: Starting in gear
DayofWeek: Tuesday
RedactedNarrative:
Vessel 1 was inside a private boat slip owned by victim/operator. Operator stated the vessel would not initially start, and operator sat in operator position while victim worked on the motor. Operator stated victim was positioned on rear platform of the vessel while victim was working on the motor. Operator stated victim instructed operator to start the motor. Operator stated when key was turned to the start position, the motor started and the boat suddenly moved forward in the slip, casuing victim to fall into the water. Operator stated victim attempted to swim and stay above water, but was unable to do so. 
Operator stated victim was observed going under water, and that victim did not resurface. Victim was recovered at 1312 Hours by Princeton Fire Rescue.


BARDID: KY-2018-0042
State: KY
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2018-10-04 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 20:15:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: BARREN RIVER LAKE
NearestCityorTown: GLASCOW
County: BARREN
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Fair
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentCause1: Improper lookout
AccidentCause2: Restricted vision
DayofWeek: Thursday
RedactedNarrative:
On October 4th, 2018 I Officer was dispatched to a boating accident on Barren River Lake at the State Park Marina.  A bass boat had collided with a pontoon boat that was stationary in the main lake at the mouth of Peters Creek and about 20 yards from the State Park Marina wave break.  The bass boat was fishing in a restricted area which is behind the riprap on the main lake side an in the area of the State Park boat ramp (see map).  There was also another boat that was fishing this area and was also asked to leave prior to the collision.  When the witness that was told to leave from fishing the restricted area subject, he stated," that he caught a glimpse of the pontoon as he went by and did not see any navigational lights on."  However, he was not there to witness when the collision between the two boats happened and was away from the area when the accident did happen.  

	Before the two boats collided an employee of the State Dock Marina was walking from the office towards the docks that are at the mouth of Peters Creek and the main lake and stated that he saw the pontoon (vessel 2) at the location of where the accident took place and that he recalls seeing his white navigational facing towards his direction and that they were stationary in the water.

	Operator1 (vessel 1)  remained in the area and fished before idling out from the no wake zone towards the main lake and then turned his boat to head back to the lower end of the lake.  Operator1 stated that his boat had just come off plane and was gaining speed of about 35-40mph and this was within about 100 yards before colliding with the pontoon. The individuals on the pontoon heard the bass boat and then looked and noticed that it was heading directly for their boat and then jumped into the water to avoid being struck them self by the approaching boat.  Operator1 stated that he did not recall seeing the boat before the collision. 
	
	Severe damage was done to both the bass boat and pontoon, but no injuries were reported or noticed to any of the individuals. The accident happened approximately at 8:15pm CST.


BARDID: KY-2019-0001
State: KY
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2019-05-03 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 17:34:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: KY LAKE
NearestCityorTown: GILBERTSVILLE
County: MARSHALL
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: No wind
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with fixed object
AccidentEvent2: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Alcohol
DayofWeek: Friday
RedactedNarrative:
Dispatched to a boating accident by Post 1 on 5/3/2019 at 1556 Steamboat Road in Gilbertsville, KY on KY Lake.  I stopped at East Marshall Fire Department where a landing zone was created for the victim and was airlifted by Airvac to Nashville.  Upon victim arrival, I could tell he had multiple lacerations to face and legs but was mostly covered by dressings.  Several Fire Department members stated upon arrival at scene, multiple juveniles were leaving the scene and there were numerous bottles of alcohol at the scene.

At the scene several minutes later, 8 people from ages 17-19 were still on scene.  The stated that victim had drank a fifth of Admirals Nelson before getting on PWC.  Witnesses stated they did not know where alcohol came from.  Witnesses stated that it was Senior Skip day and they had all been on a pontoon earlier and most had been drinking.  They also stated that victim had gotten on PWC, was traveling extremely fast, ran head first into corner of dock and was ejected onto the dock.  They stated he was traveling around 30 mph and attempted to splash friends on dock but could not turn PWC in time.

Upon inspection of PWC, it had severe damage to front and damage was consistent to statements about collision with dock.  A blue PFD was located on dock.  Lanyard safety cutoff switch was not found and witnesses stated they did not remember victim wearing it.

Consent to search vehicles was obtained and inside a Jeep, we located a fifth of Admirals Nelson and an empty Bud Light can.  On the side walk was several bottles of beer.  Inside and on the very top of dumpster at scene were multiple cans of beer that were still cold.  On dock, there was a white cooler located that smelled of an alcoholic beverages.  Witnesses stated it was hooch.


BARDID: KY-2019-0002
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-05-25 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 16:39:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: LAUREL RIVER LAKE
NearestCityorTown: LONDON
County: LAUREL
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentEvent2: Person struck by vessel
AccidentEvent3: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Operator inattention
AccidentCause2: Operator inexperience
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On 5/25/19 at 1642 Hrs, KSP post 11 dispatched me to a boat vs jet ski accident on Laurel River Lake in the Indian Camp Creek area. Upon arrival to the area at 1657 Hrs, I, officer, first came into contact with the operator of the jet ski, vessel #2, Operator2 and asked if he was injured or needed EMS. Operator2 stated that he did not need any assistance. I then proceeded to the other vessel and made contact with the occupants on board. The vessel, vessel #1, was a 2015 Malibu with registration of KY 0732 MZ that was operated by Operator1. Also on board was V1 subject and a V1 subject2. I asked if anyone needed any medical assistance. 

V1 subject stated that her husband, V1 subject2 had been struck by the jet ski. I immediately informed KSP dispatch that I needed EMS and they advised that Laurel Co. EMS was already standing by at the Marsh Branch boat ramp. At first, V1 subject2 was hesitant for any first aid but V1 subject convinced him to be checked out by EMS. I then had V1 subject2 get on board my vessel and as we were about to depart, Laurel Co EMS had arrived on scene in a private vessel. The two medical personnel then boarded my vessel and began to evaluate V1 subject2. It appeared that V1 subject2 had a laceration in the top of his head. I then transported the EMS personnel and V1 subject2 to the Marsh Branch boat ramp. I instructed V1 subject and Operator1 that I would return to continue my investigation. I instructed them that if V1 subject2 refused transport to a hospital that I would return him to their vessel. The EMS personnel were from from the Ambulance Inc of Laurel County and the incident number was1904660.

Prior to my departure to the Marsh Branch boat ramp, Officer had arrived on scene. I instructed him to make contact with the operator of the jet ski and any witnesses associated with his party. I asked him to get their info and any statements they might have.

At 1726 hrs, I arrived at the Marsh Branch boat ramp. The EMS personnel took V1 subject2 to an ambulance. I waited at the dock and at 1733 hrs, V1 subject2 came back to my vessel and stated that he refused to be transported to a hospital. I then proceeded back to the accident scene. At arrival of the Operator1, I had V1 subject2 board his vessel and I continued my investigation of the accident.

I first spoke with the operator of vessel #1, Operator1.  Operator1 stated that he was traveling up Indian Camp Creek while his father, V1 subject2 was wake surfing behind the vessel on the right side. Operator1 stated that V1 subject2 was approximately 7 to 10 feet from the rear of their vessel. Operator1 stated that the vessel was operating at 11 mph. Operator1 stated that his mother, V1 subject was the lookout and that she alerted to him that a jet ski was approaching from the rear. V1 subject said she immediately went to the left rear of the boat and began to wave her arms to attempt to get the attention of the operator of the jet ski. V1 subject stated that it was seconds from the time she first saw the jet ski till the time that the jet ski became airborne from the wake of their vessel until if first struck V1 subject2. Both, Operator1 and V1 subject stated the jet ski's first contact was with V1 subject2 and that the jet ski continued in the air and struck the right rear of their vessel. After impact, V1 subject stated that Operator1 jumped into to retrieve V1 subject2 and bring him back on board their vessel. During the course of the interviews with the occupants of the vessel, no intoxicants of any occupant on board vessel #1 was detected.

The damage that was visible to the 2015 Malibu with KY registration of KY 0732 MZ on the day of the accident were black marks on top of the right rear gunwale, an area of disturbed fiberglass on the right rear corner, the rub rail around the right rear corner was dislocated and there was an indention on the right side of the rear swim platform. I also revisited the vessel on 5/27/19 while it was on it's lift at Holly Bay Marina and observed the same damage. During the accident investigation on scene, Officer took the statement from the operator of the vessel #2. A 2012 Bombardier jet ski with Kentucky registration of KY 0646 LN that was being operated by Operator2. The owner was not at the scene of the time of the accident. 

According to the statement from the operator of vessel #2, Operator2, stated that he was operating his jet ski at 50 mph and was going around a curve in the direction that vessel #1 was traveling. Operator2 stated that when he was at approximately 30 yards behind vessel #1, his jet ski hit a wake from vessel #1 causing the jet ski to be pulled toward the rear of vessel #1. Operator2 stated that he applied the brakes to vessel #2 and attempted to swerve to the right. Operator2 stated that his vessel struck the right rear of vessel #1 and he was ejected off the jet ski. Operator2 stated that both him and the jet ski came to rest to the right of vessel #1.

Officer conducted field sobriety tests on the operator of vessel #2, Operator2 and determined that there were no intoxicants present. The PBT reading of the operator of vessel #2,Operator2 is shown in BA Photo Tab #7, page 17.


BARDID: KY-2019-0003
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-05-25 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 09:15:00
CoordinatesConfidence: C
NameOfBodyOfWater: ROCKCASTLE RIVER
NearestCityorTown: LIVINGSTON
County: ROCKCASTLE
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: No wind
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Capsizing
AccidentEvent2: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Sudden medical condition
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On Saturday, May 25, 2019, I received a phone call from Lt., with Ky Fish and Wildlife, in regards to a possible drowning on the Rockcastle River.  Lt. was the first Fish and Wildlife officer to arrive on scene at 11:51 am.  The victim had already been removed from the water and transported to St. Joseph in London, KY by EMS.  Officer, with KY Fish and Wildlife, went directly to the hospital where he was able to speak with a couple of kayakers that were part of the group.  I arrived on scene at 12:25 pm. Lt. and KSO trooper were already on scene and began conducting interviews with possible witnesses.

Approximately 8:30 am. a group of kayakers arrived at the Rockcastle River off of Lower River Road under the I75 bridge.  The group of kayakers had 10-15 people in their party including the victim.  According to several in the group they started launching in groups of 3-4.  The smaller groups would float down the river a little way and the next group would launch.  Victim was in the last group to launch around 9:15 am.

According to subject, Victim was the last kayak of the last group to launch.  Subject stated that Victim started down the river and traveled approximately 200 yards.  Subject stated Victim pulled over to the north side of the river next to a sandbar.  Subject stated he assumed Victim was pulling over to use the restroom.  He decided to float on down the river to give him privacy.  He remembers looking at the time and it being 9:30 am.  He was going to give him a little time.  Subject stated at 9:38 he looked at the time and thought he had been gone a little long.  At that time he turned around to go check on Victim.  When he came back into eyesight of the sandbar Victim pulled over to there were 3 other individuals performing CPR on someone.  He paddled back and when he arrived he contacted more individuals in his group as to what was going on.  Three returned to the sandbar where Victim was.  The group continued alternating giving CPR until EMS arrived and took over.

Three were part of the 3 man group that launched just after Victim.  Subject1 stated that they were going to do some fishing so they decided to wait and let the previous group float down the river before they launched.  Once they launched, the group floated approximately 200 yards and noticed a kayak was overturned next to a small sandbar.  Subject1 stated they noticed the kayak and paddled over to check on it and noticed a person floating in the water face down.  They paddled over and pulled Victim out of the water and began performing CPR.  Once the majority of the group had returned to the sandbar where Victim was, Subject1 and his group proceeded on down the river.

Once EMS arrived the group assisted EMS with transported Victim to the road.  There EMS transported Victim to St. Joseph in London.  Victim was at St. Joseph for a short period and then air lifted to UK Healthcare in Lexington.  On Sunday Victim passed away.  The Fayette Coroner was notified.  The cause of death is anoxic brain injury due to drowning.  Coroner noted Victim had a history of seizures.

While speaking with Subject, he stated that Victim did not appear to be having any problems.  He stated they had eaten breakfast earlier that morning.  Victim had not consumed any drugs or alcohol to his knowledge and was in a very happy mood the morning of the incident.  Subject stated that Victim had very little experience with the kayak he was operating.  Upon inspection of the kayak there appeared to be zero damage.  The vessel did not have a PFD on board nor was Victim wearing one at the time of the accident.

Upon inspection of the accident site.  There was a very small sandbar toward the north side of the river.  Between the sandbar and the bank there was a small eddy of water approximately 2 feet deep.  The wind was calm and there was no current where Victim was found.


BARDID: KY-2019-0004
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-05-23 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 07:48:00
CoordinatesConfidence: NC
NameOfBodyOfWater: CARR CREEK LAKE
NearestCityorTown: LITTCARR
County: KNOTT
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
Wind: No wind
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Falls overboard
AccidentCause1: People on gunwale, bow, or transom
DayofWeek: Thursday
RedactedNarrative:
On 05/23/2019 at 0745 I, Sgt., received a phone call from US Army Corp of Engineers Park Manager.  He told me that subject1 had just come into his office to report that his son went fishing on a boat on Carr Creek Lake the night before, but never returned home.  While we were on the phone, Park Ranger informed us that he had just found a pontoon floating with no one on it, near the Highway 160 fishing pulloff.  

I told Subject that I would be enroute to the lake to assist.  Subject called KSP Dispatch a few minutes later to let them know that Ranger had just located a body floating the lake, directly across the lake from the pontoon.  KSP dispatch also notified the Knott County Coroner.  I arrived at Carr Creek Lake at 0829 and met the Coroner so we could board our patrol boat.  We found Victim floating facedown against a fallen tree in the water. He was on the side of the lake opposite of Highway 160.  I noted that he was wearing a red t-shirt, blue jeans and shoes.  I did not see any injury marks anywhere on him.  Next, we examined his pontoon, which was floating near the bank, just up from the Highway 160 pull off.  The front gate of the vessel was open and Victim's crutches were on board the boat.  I did not see anything that indicated any type of vessel collision.  The motor would not start due to a dead battery.  There were numerous life jackets lying inside the vessel, but Victim was not wearing one. 
      Trooper initially spoke to victim’s father.  Victim’s father indicated that Victim could not swim, but refused to wear a life jacket.  He also told Trooper that Victim had a stroke about 10 years prior which affected his balance and he used a cane or crutches to walk. I also spoke to Victim’s father  and he told me that Victim had gone fishing on Carr Creek Lake the day prior, but had not returned home, which was very unusual for him.  He said the boat motor had not worked in several months and that Victim used the trolling motor to float around to fish.  I also spoke with retired Kentucky Conservation Officer, who had fished with Victim in the past.  He had actually had seen Victim on the pontoon at Carr Creek Lake around 1500 on 05/22/2019. Subject2 said that he spoke with Victim and everything seemed fine and that Victim was happy.  When he spoke with Victim, the vessel was near the Hwy 160 bridge, just up from the Littcarr Boat Ramp.
      From the evidence that we found at the scene, I believe that Victim was near the front of the vessel at the gate when he fell in the water.  It is possible that he was operating the trolling motor since the main engine battery was dead.  Because he was unable to swim and not wearing a life jacket, he succumbed to his injuries and drowned.  Not autopsy was performed at the request of Victim's mother and the toxicology report showed no evidence of alcohol or illegal drugs in his body.


BARDID: KY-2019-0005
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-05-18 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 18:54:00
CoordinatesConfidence: NC
NameOfBodyOfWater: Ohio River
NearestCityorTown: COVINGTON
County: KENTON
WaterConditions: Unknown
CongestedWaters: -1
Wind: Unknown
Visibility: Unknown
AccidentEvent1: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Excessive speed
AccidentCause2: Force of wake/wave
AccidentCause3: People on gunwale, bow, or transom
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
According to a news article, two people were onboard a vessel.  The operator was operating recklessly allowing the passenger to stand at the bow of the boat waving to people.  The vessel hit a wake and the passenger was ejected overboard.  She was recovered, drowned.  Alcohol may have been involved.


BARDID: KY-2019-0006
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-08-10 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 20:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: CUMBERLAND RIVER
NearestCityorTown: SMITHLAND
County: LIVINGSTON
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Poor
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentEvent2: Person struck by propeller
AccidentCause1: Restricted vision
AccidentCause2: Operator inattention
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
Just before 9:00 PM on August 10, 2019 a boating collision between two vessels occurred on the Cumberland River at the Smithland, KY riverfront. Both vessels were from Illinois and both vessels had 4 occupants; according to interviews, all individuals were friends and had decided to spend the evening boating together. The collision occurred on their way back from Lake Barkley as they were trying to return to Paducah riverfront where they had launched their boats. 

Vessel #1, a 2018 26' Four Winns powered by a 300 HP Yamaha 4-stroke outboard, was being operated at the time of the accident. Vessel #2, a 2004 20' Caravelle powered by a 240 HP Inboard/Outboard Mercury, was being operated. According to interviews and witness statements, both parties had been unexpectedly held up while trying to lock thru Barkley Dam resulting in after-sunset navigation thru darkness back to Paducah. 
	
	At the time of the accident, Vessel #2 was the lead vessel being operated by Operator2. According to witness statements and interviews, they had stopped their boat just downstream of the Smithland boat ramp to "put the front cover on." (Witness Statement) When Vessel #2 had slowed down off plane enough for the occupants to begin moving within the boat, they immediately noticed Vessel #1 approaching at a high rate of speed and at a very short distance from behind them. Vessel #1 struck Vessel #2 at the swim deck on the starboard side. The keel of the 26' Four Winns continued to travel straight forward and just inside the starboard gunwhale directly at operator of Vessel #2. 
Vessel #1 struck Operator2 who was sitting down in the operator's seat, inflicting serious physical injury. It then continued through the windshield of the Caravelle before veering off to the right and breaking contact where it finally drifted into the bank of the nearby Cumberland Island. As a result of the collision, Vessel #2 continued to drift downriver while Vessel #1 was unable to start its outboard engine. In the immediate aftermath, both parties were briefly able to communicate via Marine Radio 13 and the victim was discovered to have sustained life-threatening injuries. Individuals from both vessels called 911 starting the Emergency Response process. (See attached Dispatch Cads in "Attachments")

	Follow up interviews with Operator1, as well as witness statements from occupants in Vessel #1 indicated that Vessel #2 did not have a brightly lit anchor light. Operator1 described the other vessel's light as "very dim" & unable to be seen beyond a short distance away.  On a follow-up interview with an occupant in Vessel #2, it was stated that the anchor light was working properly as it always has. 

	While responding officers with KDFWR were not able to see the victim's injuries firsthand, EMS described them as severe lacerations to his lower back region and left of the spine consistent with suspected propeller damage resulting in high amounts of blood loss, injury to various vertebrae and ribs as well as internal organs (intestine) actually falling out of the abdominal cavity. High amounts of muscle and tissue damage were present as well. Post-accident investigation of the two vessels involved did indicate to officers that most injuries sustained by Operator2 were likely from the stainless propeller from Vessel #1. The last inquiry made as to the condition of Operator2 was on 8/18. As of that date, Operator2 had made remarkable progress after undergoing multiple surgeries and was expected to be released from the hospital in due time. 

	Vessel #2 sustained significant and heavy damages from the impact; mainly along its starboard side from the swim deck thru the front windshield and along the starboard gunwhale. The steering console area saw a high concentration of damage. Vessel #1 saw relatively minor damage, most of which was along the port side slightly below and behind the registration number as well as some visible loss of gelcoat along and around its keel. Paint transfer was evident on both vessels in the areas of contact and especially evident on the lower unit of Vessel #1's outboard engine just in front of the propeller. However, there was no visible damage to the stainless steel propeller itself.


BARDID: KY-2019-0007
State: KY
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2019-06-20 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 23:15:00
CoordinatesConfidence: C
NameOfBodyOfWater: OHIO RIVER
NearestCityorTown: ROSICLARE, IL
County: CRITTENDEN
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Poor
AccidentEvent1: Flooding/swamping
AccidentEvent2: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Overloading
AccidentCause2: Hazardous waters
DayofWeek: Thursday
RedactedNarrative:
On the evening of June 20, 2019 at approximately 11:00 PM, Operator and four other individuals decided to go out on the Ohio River from Rosiclare, IL for a night of bowfishing. The boat all 5 men were in was a very small aluminum jon boat which did not exceed 16' in length and was, according to interview, known to be rather narrow in width around 54". According to Operator, the boat was manufactured in 1962 and the Mercury outboard was 35hp and was manufactured in 1985. The boat also supposedly had an elevated bow platform to aid in bowfishing that was made from scaffolding. 

	According to in-person interviews and witness statements obtained by Hardin County Illinois Sheriff's Department, the boat with these 5 men had just launched and traveled across the majority of the river to the Kentucky side when the accident occurred. The operator told officers with KDFWR that he had just began a left-hand turn to travel up river and parallel with the KY bank at a distance of no more than "50 yards or so" from the bank. At this time, Operator said that it felt like their boat entered very swift current or an "eddie" causing the bow to abruptly go under, consequently sinking the jon boat. It should also be noted that the OH River at this time on 6/20 was very high and producing abnormally swift current. 

	All 5 men entered the swift current without life jackets as only a small portion of the jon boat remained visible above the water line. As recounted the missing individual began to swim toward the KY bank. Subject3 started to swim toward the farthest bank in Illinois until he was told by Operator to reverse his direction and swim to the KY bank. Once Operator successfully got Subject3 to the bank, he swam back out and grabbed a length of rope still attached to the mostly submerged boat and went after Subject4. He was successful in finding Subject4 as the two men held onto the boat as a flotation device. As they continued drifting downriver in the darkness, they drifted somewhat closer to the bank prompting Operator to try and swim to shore pulling the boat and Subject4 with him. Operator told officers it was at this point that an unknown jolt pulled the rope from his hands leaving Subject4 continuing to float downriver with instructions from operator to wait for search and rescue. Operator made it to shore. Moments earlier during the float downriver with the boat, they began to yell for their 3 friends. Two others were able to respond and yell back, victim did not. Witness accounts however recall hearing "hard panting" believed to be the missing individual. 

	By the time rescue did arrive for Operator, the other 3 survivors were already on the boat. The victim was still missing however. 


BARDID: KY-2019-0008
State: KY
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2019-05-26 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 15:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: GREEN RIVER LAKE
NearestCityorTown: CAMPBELLSVILLE
County: TAYLOR
WaterConditions: Choppy
StrongCurrent: 0
Wind: Moderate
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Flooding/swamping
AccidentEvent2: Capsizing
AccidentEvent3: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Hull failure
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On May 26th of 2019, I Conservation Officer received a call from KSP Post 15 at 15:31 CST that a vessel had capsized at Lone Valley close to the State Park campground. I arrived on scene at 15:33 CST at Lone Valley directly in front of the playground where myself and Officer observed the vessel that had been reported to be capsized, which was Kentucky registration number 0380 ZX, a 1977 24 foot SeaRay Cabin cruiser. Once arriving on scene I contacted Subject1 who was standing on the capsized vessel with a PFD on. I then asked him if everyone was okay and he stated, yes, that there was only two people on the vessel when it over turned and that they were both accounted for. 
 
	Once on shore I then was able to speak with the operator of the vessel and owner. I asked Operator1 what had happened, and he stated that he had put the vessel in at the Lone Valley ramp around 1400 CST, and then drove around Lone Valley point toward the beach area at Ramp One. 

Operator1's father, Subject1, observed him passing and called to advise he had noticed that the vessel was sitting low in the water. Operator1 stated he then opened the back hatch of the boat that revealed the motor and saw that his vessel was taking on water. He stated he tried to drive toward shore but the motor wouldn't start. He then stated that he used the air horn on his boat to signal for help until it ran out. 

Subject1, who was operating a Rinker vessel with Kentucky registration 0613 BS, made his way toward the Operator1's sinking vessel. Operator1 advised he was approximately 60-70 ft off shore when his father and Subject2 started operating toward his vessel. Operator1 said that once they were about 20-30 feet off the shore is when the boat started to flip over with him and Subject1 on board. Operator1 stated that he was on the back left corner of the SeaRay with the tow rope in one hand and the vessel in the other when it started to capsize. Both then climbed onto the top of the boat once it had capsized, and continued to have Subject2, the operator of the Rinker, pull Operator1's 1977 SeaRay until it bottomed out close to shore.

	 I then spoke with Subject1 the owner of the Rinker who stated when he saw his son waving his arms and yelling for help that he and Subject2 got into his vessel and went to help Operator1. Subject1 stated that they hooked a rope to the sinking vessel and started to tow the sinking vessel toward shore. Subject1 stated that he was on the right side of the SeaRay when the vessel started to flip. I then asked Subject1 if he was wearing a PFD at the time the vessel capsized and he stated, "yes". 

	I also spoke with Subject2, who stated that when he saw his brother waving his arms and screaming for help that he got into the Rinker because he noticed that it was too far to swim. Subject2 and Subject1 took the Rinker out to the sinking SeaRay about 70 feet of the shore line. Subject2 stated that once they got the SeaRay hooked up that he started towing the vessel toward shore since his father Subject1 had gotten onto the other vessel with Operator1. Subject2 also stated that he had never operated a vessel before that day. Subject2 said that once they had the SeaRay about 50- 60 feet off the shore that it started to capsize, but he continued to pull the vessel until it complete capsized about 20-30 feet of the shore line. He also stated that after the vessel capsized and he seen his brother and father was okay, that he continued to pull the vessel until it hit bottom about 20 feet of the shore (more specifically was GPS coordinates Lat: N37,16.275 and Long: W085, 18.736).

	The 1977 SeaRay vessel was pulled from the water by D&D towing, where I observed a hole at the transom of the vessel. Further investigation of the vessel led me to believe that the integrity of the hull was compromised due to the age of the vessel and the inner supports of the vessel being weak. The hole that was in the transom of the boat was caused by the vessel traveling in a forward position, which put too much pressure on the transom; causing the lower unit be pushed into the engine compartment of the vessel,  the vessel to have a major hole in the transom, and to take on large amounts of water. According to the vessel owner, Operator1, he stated that the hull of the vessel was a loss, but some parts off the vessel could be salvaged. The owner stated that he did not have insurance on the SeaRay. 

*** No Injuries/ Individuals declined medical attention. 
*** Only one individual was wearing a PFD at the time of the vessel capsizing.


BARDID: KY-2019-0009
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-06-01 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 18:04:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: LAKE BARKLEY
NearestCityorTown: KATTAWA
County: LYON
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Falls overboard
AccidentEvent2: Person struck by propeller
AccidentCause1: Alcohol
AccidentCause2: Operator inattention
AccidentCause3: Navigation rules violation
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
I arrived at Buzzard Rock Marina to take statements and investigate boating accident.  I came to the conclusion after interviewing and receiving statements from passengers on Operator1's boat.  Operator1 was trying to moor to another boat at Carmack Bay,  when victim stood up on back of boat to urinate.  According to the statements Victim fell from the boat and was struck by the prop.  Victim had cuts from the propeller to both legs.  Victim was transported to Deaconess hospital in Evansville IN. According to Lyon County Sheriff Deputy Victim had been drinking Alcohol.  The scene was cleared by arresting operator for alcohol intoxication in a public place.   


BARDID: KY-2019-0010
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-09-21 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 16:55:00
CoordinatesConfidence: C
NameOfBodyOfWater: LAKE CUMBERLAND
NearestCityorTown: SOMERSET
County: PULASKI
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Person struck by propeller
AccidentCause1: Operator inattention
AccidentCause2: Improper lookout
AccidentCause3: Navigation rules violation
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On September 21st 2019 at around 17:05 hours I was dispatched to a possible missing persons call on Lake Cumberland in the area of Old Waitsboro Ramp.  I was told by dispatch that a female had called Pulaski County Dispatch and reported her husband was missing.  She had told them she was backing the boat up and lost sight of him.  

I responded from Conley Bottom Marina to the area of Old Waitsboro Ramp in Pulaski County Kentucky.  Just prior to arriving to the ramp I noticed a couple boats in the area and was waved over by an occupant on one of the boats.  As I pulled in I was met at the rear of maroon and white cruiser with Kentucky registration numbers KY 0776 RU, vessel 1 for reporting purposes.  

Operator appeared confused and in a state of shock.  Subject1 came to the rear of the vessel and told me the female on board waved him over and told him her husband had been swimming with a buoy and had disappeared.  Subject1 had been in his own boat and had exited it to assist Operator.  Subject1 also told me had had been looking for an anchor on Operator's boat to drop and could not locate one.  

I gathered Subject1 contact information thanked him for his help and allowed him to leave the area as his family was awaiting him in his boat.  I then began speaking to Operator and received essentially the same information.  She stated that she had been laying on the front deck in the sun and had gotten up to reposition the boat into the sun.  

She said she wasn't sure where her husband had been at that point.  She then pointed to a white buoy floating down the lake and said that was the last place she could remember her husband being.  She claimed he had been hanging onto that buoy.  I pushed my patrol boat out away from Operator's vessel and began to pull toward the buoy to obtain a gps coordinate as the buoy appeared to be moving.  

As I disengaged from her vessel I witnessed a subject located near the lower unit of Vessel 1.  I radioed to other units enroute to the scene that it appeared a victim was in the water near the lower unit of the vessel 1 and that I would be entering the water to attempt to rescue him.  I entered the water and dove under and was able to reach the victim.  

As I began to pull the victim to the surface I felt the leg was severed and cut my hand on the exposed bones.  About that time an off duty fireman and deputy sheriff arrived on scene and dove in to assist.  We were unable to pull the victim from the water due to entanglement in the lower unit.  However, I did retrieve a mooring line and it was securely affixed to the victim to keep from potentially losing the victim if he was freed from the lower unit.  

Lt. arrived on scene with the Pulaski County Rescue Squad and Trooper with KSP.  Lt. dove into the water to assist with recovery upon his arrival as well.  Once it became apparent that the victim was deceased and that we could not remove him from the lower unit Lt. and I boarded my patrol boat and began speaking with Operator. 

During the interview with Operator, I observed the odor of marijuana coming from Operator's vessel and noticed a pipe sitting on the dash of her boat.  She admitted to having consumed a small amount of alcoholic beverages throughout the evening but was adamant the marijuana pipe belonged to the victim.  

Operator then consented to seated standardized field sobriety testing while still on her vessel.  She also gave a Portable Breath Test which showed presumption of no impairment.  She also consented to further sobriety testing on the shore that was administered by Trooper.  Operator then volunteered to a blood test.  

Operator was moved from her vessel to shoreline by Lt. and Trooper as the victim was having to be removed from the lower unit of the vessel by divers with the Rescue Squad.  Prior to her leaving her vessel she told me to do whatever I needed to with the vessel.  I explained to her that it would be removed from the water by Marine Assist Tow Service as we could not leave it adrift once the victim was removed.  Lt. then drove Operator to the Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital where she consented to having her blood drawn.  

She was met there by her parents and allowed to leave with them.  The victim was removed from the lower unit and pronounced deceased on scene by a deputy coroner who was also on the Rescue Squad.  The vessel was in reverse gear and not running upon my arrival.  At one point the lower unit was attempted to be raised to allow for better access to the victim however the trim was not able to be utilized.  After removal of the victim, Marine Assist was able to raise the lower unit to remove the vessel from the water.  Photographs were taken as the vessel was loaded.  

I went to Marine Assists facility and gathered the needed information from the Vessel 1.  I also photographed the vessel as well as the vantage point from anyone operating the vessel.  Damage witnessed on the  vessel was also photographed.  A cooler left from the outing was still on board that held both alcoholic and non alcoholic beverages.  No other drugs or paraphernalia was observed.  The interior of the vessel also did not appear to be damaged or disturbed.  No signs of any struggle on board were present.  Upon getting the print out of the vessel's registration it was noted that only Victim's name was on the registration.  Operator was notified that we had no hold on the vessel other than proof of ownership.  Operator was able to pick the vessel up from Marine Assist on October 16th 2019.  

On September 24th I began to receive calls from several different persons associated with the subjects.  These included family members and family friends and coworkers.  Some wanted to make sure that the case was being looked into and wasn't just going to be listed as an accident without investigation.  I assured them that we would be following through with the case as we do with all others as well.  I also told the callers that we would be awaiting toxicology and autopsy reports prior to completing our investigation.  All callers were interviewed and asked for anything that could assist in the investigation.  The legal process was also explained to them with the ultimate decision being that of the Commonwealth Attorney's Office.  

The autopsy for Victim was picked up from the Pulaski County Coroner's Office and reviewed.  The analysis by the medical examiner listed chop wounds and possible drowning leading to the death of Victim.  Victim's toxicology included presence of THC, THC-COOH, Ethanol, Methamphetamine and Hydrocodone.  THC present.  No other drug use was indicated from anyone interviewed.  The cause of death was listed as accident on the medical examiner's report.  

Damage Assessment  
While examining the vessel involved in the Victim's death damage was observed.  Operator, (family friend) and Marine Assist all mentioned that the shifter was difficult to use.  Based on interviews this was the case prior to the accident.  Multiple people familiar with the vessel reported it being difficult to place into reverse gear.  

I also observed multiple scratched on the lower unit gear case.  The scratches on the lower unit appeared to be fresh and are in the area of Victim's entanglement.  While recovering Victim from the lower unit the Rescue Squad had to utilize knives to cut his swimming trunks.  

This may have led to the scratching of the drive.  The water depth in the area of the accident was deep enough to not allow the lower unit to make contact with the ground.  The skeg on the bottom of the torpedo was also broken off of Vessel 1.  


BARDID: KY-2019-0012
State: KY
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2019-06-19 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 15:26:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: BARREN RIVER LAKE
NearestCityorTown: GLASCOW
County: BARREN
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Unknown
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentEvent2: Fall in vessel
AccidentEvent3: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Operator inexperience
AccidentCause2: Operator inattention
AccidentCause3: Navigation rules violation
DayofWeek: Wednesday
RedactedNarrative:
On June 19th at approx. 15:26 CST, Operator1 and Subject1 were operating two different vessels on Barren River Lake and were jumping each other’s wakes.  Operator1 who was operating vessel number one returned to the dock to exchange passengers and Subject2 exchanged positions as the operator with Operator2.  Operator2 would now be the operator of vessel number two.  Operator1 returned to the lake unaware that Operator2 was now operating vessel number two, and headed toward operator2 with intentions to jump her wake.  Operator2 was unaware of Operator1’s intentions and got scared.  

Operator2 turned her vessel sharply to the right as did Operator1 causing both vessels to run directly into each other, while on plane.  Operator1 had 7 passengers aboard his vessel, and Operator2 had 8 passengers aboard her vessel at the time of the incident.  The collision caused three passengers to be thrown into the water.  Boaters in the area assisted Operator1 and Operator2 with the damaged vessels and injured passengers.     Three injured passengers were taken to T.J. Samson hospital in Glasgow by Barren Co. EMS.  

Officer was dispatched to the accident at approx. 15:30 CST and responded to the lake to provide aid, but all parties were gone.  I was notified by Lt. at approx. 15:42 CST and responded to T. J. Samson Hospital to conduct interviews.  I interviewed Operator1 operator of vessel one and Operator2 operator of vessel two, and I also spoke with the doctors about the injured passengers.  Subject4 did not have any visible injuries but was complaining of back pain.  Victim2 suffered a laceration to the back of her head and her left big toe.  Victim3 suffered a laceration to her forehead just above her right eye, and lacerations on her right thigh and ankle.  I departed the hospital at approx. 19:00 and traveled to Barren River Boat Shop to document the damage on both vessels, but could not due to inclement weather. 

I returned to Barren River State Park the next day, June 20th, at approx. 10:15 CST and re-interviewed all parties involved in the incident.   Operator1, operator of vessel one, stated he had very little experience operating any vessel and had only operated the vessel yesterday for approx. 3 hours.  Operator2, the operator of vessel two, had never operated a vessel before and had only operated yesterday for a few minutes prior to the incident.  Neither operators have had any type of boater education.  I completed my interviews and left the lodge at approx. 13:30 CST and returned to the boat shop to document the damage to the vessels. 

It is this officer’s opinion that the cause of this vessel incident was the result of operator inexperience, inattention, and reckless operation by both vessel operators. Not all of the required information is complete due to juveniles being involved, distance covered to conduct interviews, and a language barrier. 

*All times are Central Standard Time


BARDID: KY-2019-0013
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-07-04 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 14:21:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: LAKE CUMBERLAND
NearestCityorTown: ALBANY
County: CLINTON
WaterConditions: Choppy
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentCause1: Operator inattention
AccidentCause2: Improper lookout
AccidentCause3: Navigation rules violation
DayofWeek: Thursday
RedactedNarrative:
On July 4, 2019 at 14:21 hours, I, Officer responded to a vessel non-injury accident involving two boats in the Indian Creek area of Lake Cumberland. Heading to the complaint, I was advised that the individuals involved were heading back to Grider Hill Marina. 

The pontoon is a 22ft South Bay pontoon with registration number KY-0825-FN. the owners were her daughter and son-in-law and they were not present at the time of the accident. When I asked what had happened, Subject and the other passengers stated they were heading back to Grider Hill Marina, but decided to stop and were thinking about tubing. They stated they had been a drift for a few minutes and while looking to the rear of the pontoon, they noticed a large cruiser boat coming up from behind them. At first they weren’t alarmed but as the cruiser closed its distance, its direction of travel didn’t change which placed it in line with their pontoon. They assumed the cruiser would see them and change its course, but it didn’t. When they realized they were about to get hit the pontoon operator made a judgement call to push forward on the throttle and turn to the left to avoid being hit, however the cruiser struck the pontoon with force. Subject stated it was enough force to knock her down and to cause substantial damage to the pontoon.

After the collision happened she stated the operator of the cruiser, stopped to make sure they were alright. Subject was able to get the name of the cruiser which was “Dazed N Confused Again,” which was parked a couple of slips down from where the pontoon was.

After taking photographs of the pontoon damage and collecting information for a report, I went over to the cruisers slip to interview the operator. the owner and operator stated he had left 76 Falls area and was heading back to Grider Hill Marina. He was traveling at an estimated speed of 20 – 22 mph around 1900 rpms and scanning for boats and other objects every couple of minutes. He stated he never seen the pontoon until it was too late. When he did notice them, he pulled back on the throttle and turned towards the right to glance off the pontoon instead of running on top of it. He stated when plowing and cruising in the cruiser it is hard to see over the bow. He stated he also had a friend standing next to him while operating and he never seen the pontoon either. 

I finished up, with taking photographs of the 49ft Sea Ray cruiser. No parties were injured from the accident. Both vessels stated they carried insurance and the estimated damage is over $2,000.00. Most of the damage sustained was to the pontoon, but there was some minor damage to the cruiser. The pontoon had visible damage to the right rear of the boat. The swim ladder and the corner of the floor platform was damaged. The gunwale and railing that surrounds the pontoon was warped. Some of the swinging doors were pulled off the hinges and warped as well. The canvas top framing also appeared to be warped. Damage caused to the cruiser was scuff marks on the left side of the bow. One scratch mark next to the water line that appeared to be dug into the fiberglass hull of the boat. Other damage may have resulted to both vessels from underneath, but it is unknown at this time due to both vessels being on the water at the time of my documentation. 

***No one reported being injured following the accident.


BARDID: KY-2019-0014
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-07-06 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 13:30:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: LAKE CUMBERLAND
NearestCityorTown: MONTICELLO
County: WAYNE
WaterConditions: Choppy
Wind: Light
Visibility: Unknown
AccidentEvent1: Person departed vessel
AccidentEvent2: Person struck by propeller
AccidentCause1: Alcohol
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On July 6th 2019 at around 1400 hours I was notified by email that a boating accident had occurred in the area of Harmon Creek on Lake Cumberland in Wayne County Kentucky.  Per the Computer Aided Dispatch report I received I became aware that a subject had been struck by a boat propeller and that the subject was reportedly being transported by Wayne County EMS.  

I had just come onto duty and began to gather more information as I began driving toward the location that the victim would be.  Local dispatch advised me that the victim had been brought to an ambulance at Attrahunt Boat Ramp and that the victim was going to be air lifted from a landing zone on Hwy 789.  I drove to highway 789 and met the ambulance there to assess the victim and begin gathering information.  As I arrived I was informed that the victim had been brought to the ramp by Rangers with the USACE.  I stepped into the ambulance and noticed the victim had what appeared to be propeller marks beginning at his  left shoulder and extending down to his left hip.  There were also some lacerations on his left arm.  The lacerations appeared to be shallow at the shoulder area and gradually became much deeper near his hip.  The EMTs advised that the victim was in shock and that due to the USACE Rangers triage much blood loss had been prevented.  The victim then began speaking with me and was able to tell me what had happened leading up to his injury.  He smelled strongly of alcoholic beverage and admitted to having consumed around six alcoholic beverages throughout the day, as had everyone else on the boat.  His speech was also slurred.  He also told me that he was unsure of who was driving the boat at the time of injury as he had been on the top deck and the driver had been operating from below.  He was able to tell me that his group had rented two houseboats from Beaver Creek Resort and he advised me of the boat numbers assigned by the marina.  

He could not tell me from which houseboat he had came however he was sure that he had been struck by the boat he had been a passenger on.  He also was able to provide me with his identifying information as well as phone number.  He also was able to tell me several people who were on the houseboat with him.  When asked how he had been struck by the boat he had been a passenger on he advised me that he along with two other males had been riding on the top deck of the houseboat and jumped into the lake while the boat was underway.  He stated the operator could not have known they were doing so as the boat was being driven from the console downstairs.  

The victim and through subsequent interviews with other passengers it was determined the houseboat was underway and had just began turning around as the three jumped from the top deck of the boat into the water.  The victim stated that as he began to surface the stern of the boat passed overhead and he was struck by the propeller.  He also added that his swim trucks had been cut off as this happened.  He said that the two other passengers who had jumped alongside him had been able to get to him and pull him away from the vicinity of the propeller.  He said the operator then stopped the boat and other members of his party had been able to get him on the rear deck of the boat to help him.  He stated he was lucky because none of the three had been wearing personal flotation devices while jumping.  The victim said one of the people on the boat called 911.  He then said a patrol boat had brought him to the ambulance.  

The medical helicopter arrived around this time and I was advised that the victim would be transported to the University of Kentucky Trauma Center due to the severe nature of his injuries and the high chance of developing infection.  

Operator1 admitted to the officers that he had consumed alcoholic beverages just prior to the accident and   stated he did not consume any alcoholic beverages after the accident.  Operator1 voluntarily submitted to a Preliminary Breath Test at 1601 hours and the result at that time were .049.  Operator1 was not arrested or cited at the time he was encountered.  

Conclusions

Alcohol use was a contributing factor to the incident
-- the operator of the vessel had a BrAC of .049 nearly three hours after the accident and nearly three hours after consuming any alcoholic beverage
--the victim admittingly had consumed 6 alcoholic beverages prior to the accident

Passenger behavior was a contributing factor
--while the vessel was still underway 3 passengers made the decision to jump into the water

All witnesses interviewed shared a consistent version of the series of events leading up to the victim being injured.  The victim, the operator of the vessel and all other passengers stated the operator could not see the three men jump from the top deck of the houseboat.  They all also said as soon as the operator heard screams he stopped the vessel and rendered aid.  The operator of the vessel at the time of the accident is the caller to 911 reporting the accident. 


This report will be forwarded to the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office to review and await their decision on the filing of criminal charges in this case.


BARDID: KY-2019-0016
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-09-01 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 17:31:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: ROUGH RIVER LAKE
NearestCityorTown: McDANIELS
County: BRECKINRIDGE
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with fixed object
AccidentCause1: Operator inattention
AccidentCause2: Alcohol
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On September 1, 2019 at roughly 17:35 Eastern time, KSP Post 4 dispatch informed us of a boat accident that occurred in the South Fork of Rough River Lake. Officer and I was close to the area of the State Dock when the call came in, and were informed that the accident location was around the Tanglewood Ln area of the lake, which was near the Indian Valley boat ramp. Dispatch advised that there was no injuries and all parties involved were still on scene.

We arrived on scene around 18:23, and observed a red pontoon tied to the bank, which had severe damage to the starboard side of the vessel, and the dock was resting on the rock bank next to the pontoon. I immediately went to the red pontoon that had two occupants, a Operator (operator) and Subject1 (passenger), who were waiting on the wrecked pontoon. I first asked if everyone was okay, to which both parties said they were fine, and then I asked Operator what had happened. Operator stated that he was busy trying to take a picture of Subject1, who was sleeping, and was not paying attention to his direction of travel. The pontoon went in-between the rock bank and the boat dock, which the space was about as wide as the vessel itself. While Operator was telling me what happened, I could smell an odor of an alcoholic beverage on his breath. I then asked how much Operator had to drink today, which he replied he has about 2-3 drinks. After administering Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN), I was able to see four clues out of six, which made me believe that Operator was at or above the legal limit to operate a vessel. Officer then handed me the Preliminary Breath Test (PBT) to conduct on Operator, the PBT registered a .104 BAC. I knew Operator BAC was starting to decrease, so I instructed Officer to place him on our vessel while I took pictures of the vessel and damages. 

I provided my e-mail information to the witnesses, for them to contact me for an electronic copy of the statement forms, and told Subject1 what was going to happen to her husband after we left. While taking pictures of the scene, one of the witnesses was telling me, they heard a loud crash and saw the red pontoon trying to leave the scene. When the witnesses hollered for him to come back, Operator turned around and tied up to the bank to wait for us to show up. They stated that the dock usually sits out about 20-30ft from the bank, and all of the walkway was smashed up on the bank. The cables holding the dock were separated from the wood and the pontoon had a lot of debris inside from the tree it collided with during the incident. The prop was above the water, showing damage, and the canopy attached to the pontoon was bent over, where it struck a tree limb. Officer and I departed the scene around 18:43.
Operator was arrested for probable cause BUI and was taken to Breckinridge County detention center. On the way to the jail Operator made several statements of how he ruined their last weekend of boating and that this was a life changing incident.


BARDID: KY-2019-0017
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-09-01 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 15:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: LAKE CUMBERLAND
NearestCityorTown: ALBANY
County: CLINTON
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentEvent2: Person struck by vessel
AccidentCause1: Operator inattention
AccidentCause2: Operator inexperience
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On September 6, 2019, I, Officer was contacted, to make me aware of a self-reported boat accident that had been submitted to Headquarters in Frankfort. The report stated the incident happened in the Grider Hill Marina no wake zone on September 1, 2019 and injuries were sustained as a result of the accident. I immediately contacted Sgt. to make him aware of the incident and he informed me to do a report and investigate the matter. Since it was Poker Run Weekend on Lake Cumberland, I followed up on the incident on September 10, 2019. 

I contacted subject1 who had completed the self-report. She informed me that her son, Operator1 and one of his friends were victims of the accident. They were on a 2014 SeaDoo (KY-0706-PV) and were hit head on by a 2006 Honda PWC (KY-0543-HT). Both juveniles had to seek medical attention due to injuries. Operator1 was transported in a privately owned vehicle by his parents to the Medical Center at Albany in Albany, KY. His injuries were to his head which made contact with Vessel #2. He received contusions to the left side of his face, eye and shoulder. He also had scratches on his hands and feet from possible broken glass. 

Occupant on v1 was transported to St. Elizabeth of Edgewood in Edgewood, KY the next day by his parents in a privately owned vehicle. He also had contusions to his forehead and scratches on his arms from possible broken glass. He was also diagnosed with a concussion. 

I asked subject1 why she didn’t report the accident when it took place, she stated she was more concerned about getting her son to the hospital than waiting around for someone to respond. She also stated she didn’t know the accident needed to be reported until she was talking to some friends after she had gotten back home. That’s when she contacted KSP Columbia Post to report the accident. They dispatched the call to Officer who advised her to complete a self-report, which she did. 

I informed Subject1 I would need to talk with her son about details of the accident since she wasn’t present when it happened. She informed me she would contact me back once he was home from school. Subject1 texted me pictures of some of her son’s injuries and damage to the PWC. 

 I then contacted Operator2 via phone. Operator2 stated it was an accident and he and Operator1 had been racing PWC’s earlier, but they weren’t at the time of the accident. He stated Operator1 had been operating on the right side of Brown Creek heading back out to the no wake zone, while he was operating on the left side. He said before they got to the no wake zone he had went around a pontoon boat and had turned right heading back in the direction of Brown Creek, but when he did that, Operator1 had traveled further down in his direction and had come to a stop without him knowing. He stated by the time he realized that, it was too late. He had hit some wake, or had let off of the throttle losing control of his steering which caused him to hit their PWC head on and ramping it off the left side. He stated he immediately jumped off his PWC and went to the boy’s aid after hitting them. He informed me had not had any alcoholic beverages to drink before operating the PWC. He also informed me the PWC he was operating belonged to someone else. Operator2 didn’t take any photographs of the damage sustained to the PWC, but he advised he would be back to Grider Hill Marina back on September 14th and I could get some pictures of it then. He also stated he didn’t receive any injuries that required first aid.

On Wednesday, September 11, 2019, I contacted Subject1 and her son via phone. Operator1 gave me a statement over the phone with his mother’s consent. He confirmed what Operator2 had told me, however his statement varied a little. He stated they were in the idle speed zone when the accident happened and there were no other boats around when the accident happened. He stated he thought Operator2 was trying to splash water on him and lost control of his PWC running into them head on. Operator1 stated he was hit in the head by Operator2’s PWC. I asked Subject1 why she had stated alcohol use as a contributing factor to the accident in her self-report. She stated she knows of Operator2 and she had seen him consuming alcoholic beverages earlier that day.

After talking to the v1 subjects, I contacted the v1 occupant’s via phone. Subject2 gave me consent to interview he son. He stated he was riding as a passenger on the PWC with Operator1 when the accident happened. He stated he too was hit in the head by Operator2’s PWC. I asked him what had happened that resulted in the accident. He advised he couldn’t tell me, that he was looking away when it occurred. Even though he couldn’t advise what resulted in the accident, his statement did match the what Operator1 and operator2 had to say on the activities and directions of travel prior to the accident. He also thought they were in the idle speed zone when the incident happened.

On September 14, 2019, I met with operator2 at Grider Hill Marina. He had the PWC that was involved in the accident on a trailer. I photographed the damage and took another statement from Operator2. I asked him if he wanted to complete a voluntary written statement, but he denied. However, I did take a verbal statement. He again denied drinking any alcoholic beverages prior to operating the PWC. His statement remained the same as his first statement. I asked Operator2 why he didn’t report the accident, since there was damage exceeding $500 and injury involved. He stated he didn’t know he had to. I ended up issuing Operator2 a citation for failure to report a boat accident exceeding $500 in damage.


BARDID: KY-2019-0019
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-09-05 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 16:50:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: LAKE CUMBERLAND
NearestCityorTown: MONTICELLO
County: WAYNE
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Unknown
Visibility: Unknown
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentCause1: Operator inexperience
DayofWeek: Thursday
RedactedNarrative:
On September 5th 2019 at around 1645 hours Operator1 was operating a 53 foot 2018 Harbor Cottage Houseboat rented through Lee's Ford Marina in the area of Jack's Branch on Lake Cumberland.  Operator1 pulled into an area densely populated with other boats.  As he was attempting to moor alongside several other houseboats his vessel began to drift near some other boats.  As his houseboat near the other boats he accelerated into forward gear causing the rear of his houseboat to make contact with a swim pad and then a 2013 Regal runabout that was not occupied at the time and that was moored to the port side near the stern on a rental houseboat.  As Operator1 continued steering the port side of the houseboat he was operating then struck a slide and rear deck of a 2003 model 73 foot long Horizon Yauchts houseboat rented from Beaver Creek Resort already moored to the shoreline.

Officer conducted SFSTs on the operator of vessel 1 and it was determined he was not impaired.  There were no injuries reported.  

Damage Assessment

Vessel 1 2018 53' Harbor Cottage Houseboat 
Vessel 1 sustained a busted port side window from impacting the slide of vessel 3 in that area.  Vessel 1 also had a rear porch post torn down from impacting the slide of vessel 3.

Vessel 2 2013 24' Regal, OH-1836-FH
Vessel 2 sustained some chipped fiberglass on it's swim platform from the rear deck of vessel 1 striking it.  That damage is around 2 by 3 inches.  

Vessel 3 2003 73' Horizon Yaucht, Beaver Creek Resort "THE MARQUISE 61" Doc # 1142606
Vessel 3 sustained a tear in the slide around 6 inches long.  Vessel 3 also had the slide support post torn out from the rear roof area and suffered bending to the aluminum support post.  Vessel 3 also had it's swim ladder broken in the area beside a weld.  The rear deck also appeared to be bent inward and upward in an area around 1 foot by 1 foot near the base of the slide support.         

Conclusions
 
Operator of vessel 1 was not experienced enough with the vessel 1 to attempt to maneuver it in a high traffic area.  The lack of experience with the vessel led to the operator not being able to recover as the rear of the vessel made contact with the swim pad and vessel 2.  Instead of altering course and applying reverse to slow vessel the operator overcorrected and applied forward with too much steering input which then led to the bow of vessel 1 making contact as well.  Had the operator of vessel 1 altered course early enough he could have moored the vessel successfully.       


BARDID: KY-2019-0021
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-07-06 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 15:30:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: YATESVILLE LAKE
NearestCityorTown: LOUISA
County: LAWRENCE
WaterConditions: Choppy
CongestedWaters: -1
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentEvent2: Skier mishap
AccidentCause1: Congested waters
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On 7/6/2019 at approximately 16:30 hours, myself and officer were contacted by Sgt..  He advised us of a boat wreck at Yatesville Lake and asked us to meet officer at the marina to investigate a boating accident.  Upon arriving on scene Officer had already made contact with the involved party's.  Officer collected statements from passengers and one operator of the boats.  At this point in the investigation a runabout boat pulling 3 people on a tube was heading in a direction away from the marina.  

After rounding a curve across from the Cove swimming area the runabout boat was approaching a bass boat heading in a direction towards the marina in a head on fashion.  Both boats attempted to give right away before taking the right course of travel the innertube collided with the passenger side of the bass boat causing serious to minor injuries to the persons aboard the innertube.  Injured person was transported by EMS to local hospital.


BARDID: KY-2019-0022
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-10-05 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 15:44:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: HERRINGTON LAKE
NearestCityorTown: BURGIN
County: MERCER
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Falls overboard
AccidentEvent2: Person struck by propeller
AccidentCause1: Other
AccidentCause2: Operator inexperience
AccidentCause3: Navigation rules violation
OtherAccidentCause: Passenger/skier behavior
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On October 5th 2019 around 1728 hours I received a call from Sgt. asking if I was available to respond to a boat accident on Herrington Lake near the Midlake Marina. The information was that a individual had been thrown from a rental boat and struck by the motors propeller. I responded to Midlake Marina around 1800 hours and arrived around 1900 hours. I spoke to a witness that rendered first aid to the victim until EMS arrived and had also witnessed the incident. 

Witness stated that he saw the pontoon enter the no wake area with victim on the front of the pontoon, outside the railing, dancing. That is when the operator of the pontoon, Operator, accelerated the throttle knocking Victim into the water.  

Victim went between the pontoons and was struck by the motor's propeller causing deep lacerations to both legs below the knee. He observed the boat turn and pick Victim up and the passengers on the pontoon yelling for help while pulling into the marina slip with the injured boater. The vessel had three passengers onboard at the time of the incident. 

The vessel was operated by Operator, Victim's mother, at the time of the incident. Operator had rented the pontoon from Pandora Marina earlier that day. I have attached photos from what the boat looked like when I arrived at Pandora Marina and also attached photos of the contents on the boat with them at the time of the incident. Those items was stored in storage unit at the Marina after the incident. Victim was transported to University of Kentucky Hospital by helicopter. 

Operator would not give LT. a written voluntary statement saying that her attorney had advised her not to do so. However, I have attached the notes that Lt. took while at the hospital. Operator did tell Lt. that they had rented the boat earlier that day around 1330 hours from Pandora Marina on Herrington Lake to go out and do some fishing. 

Operator stated that Victim had a few drinks prior to the accident. Operator said she does not drink alcohol.  Operator also stated they came across a concert on the lake and stopped and listened to the music for awhile. Victim never got off the boat at the concert. Victim stated to Lt. that he was on the front of the boat doing "dips" when his mom gave the boat gas knocking him into the water. Operator stated that Victim was sitting down at the time of the accident. 

Operator and subject both stated to Lt. that there were no life jackets on board of the rented pontoon. I have attached photos of life jackets from the vessel showing that life jackets were present when I arrived. During my investigation I found no alcohol present on the vessel or with their belongings.  On 10/21/19 I made contact with the Mercer County Attorney, and presented the information of the accident to him to see if he wanted to pursue charges of KRS 235.240(1) Reckless/Negligent Operation of a Vessel against Operator.  He stated that at this time and with the information provided, he was not willing to pursue any charges against the operator.


BARDID: KY-2019-0023
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-08-17 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 18:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: LAKE CUMBERLAND
NearestCityorTown: MONTICELLO
County: WAYNE
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: No wind
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Falls overboard
AccidentEvent2: Person struck by propeller
AccidentCause1: Alcohol
AccidentCause2: Operator inattention
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On August 17, 2019 at approximately 18:05 I, Officer observed Kentucky vessel (KY 0803 UV), (Vessel 1 for future purposes), on plane traveling through the idle speed zone at Jamestown Marina headed toward the marina. I initiated my emergency equipment and made contact with Vessel 1. Operator quickly advised that a female passenger aboard had sustained a prop cut. I escorted them into the dock to see if they needed any assistance or medical treatment. When we arrived to the marina, Russell County EMS was on scene and awaiting their arrival. The female passenger was observed to have sustained a cut to her right forearm. Victim was transported by ambulance to the Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital in Somerset, KY. 

When interviewed at the marina ramp Operator stated, that Victim had been thrown off the front of Vessel 1 while underway, then went under the boat receiving a cut to her forearm. Operator stated this occurred at the mouth of Harmon Creek. I could smell the odor of alcoholic beverage coming from the vessel and both occupants. I asked Operator if he had consumed any alcohol and he affirmed that he had. Operator was wanting to leave with Victim in the ambulance but I advised that I needed additional information pertaining to the incident and that I would be conducting sobriety tests. I conducted the horizontal gaze nystagmus (HGN) test in which Operator showed 6 clues of impairment. Operator refused all other standard field sobriety tests. Operator was placed under arrest for Boating Under the Influence 1st Offense (BUI) and transported to the Russell County Detention Center. Operator refused to give a breath sample at the jail. I contacted the Russell County, County Attorney, to obtain a search warrant for a blood test. He instructed that due to the nature of the incident it would not be necessary to obtain the blood of Operator stating; his refusal of a breath sample would be sufficient evidence for court purposes. 

After clearing the detention center, I traveled to the Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital in Somerset, KY to obtain a statement from Victim. Victim gave a statement similar to the one provided by Operator. She stated, the boat was underway and Operator was taking a picture of her. Operator was at full throttle and then throttled back unexpectedly causing her to lose her balance and fall over the front of the boat.  Victim stated, she tried to swim downward because she was aware of the prop traveling over top of her. She also stated that once she reached the back of the boat was when the prop and her right forearm came into contact with one another. Victim received 14 stitches to her right arm and was awaiting the arrival of her mother to leave the hospital. 

Operator refused to give a witness statement and Victim's witness statement is attached in the attachments.


BARDID: KY-2019-0024
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-09-28 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 19:15:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: OHIO RIVER
NearestCityorTown: BRANDENBURG
County: MEADE
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentEvent2: Flooding/swamping
AccidentCause1: Restricted vision
AccidentCause2: Operator inattention
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On Saturday, September 28, 2019 at roughly 19:25 EST, Officer received a call from KSP Post 4 about a non-injury boat accident on the Ohio River, near the river bend at Otter Creek Park. Dispatch advised two boats had collided and were heading towards the Brandenburg boat ramp to await for an officer. Due to overtime issues, Officer was not able to respond, but was able to make contact with a Brandenburg Police Officer and he would gather the information and contact numbers for all parties involved. 

Officer arrived on scene at roughly 19:48 EST, called me stating that Operator1 and Subject1 were traveling downriver and did not see Operator2’s vessel due to the sun's position, and collided with Operator2's vessel causing all three occupants to jump off the vessel prior to impact. Officer administered a preliminary breath test to Operator1, which registered a minimal amount of alcohol in their system. Officer gathered vessel information and phone numbers for all parties and instructed each vessel owner that Officer would be contacting them tomorrow to follow up.

On Sunday, September 29, 2019, Officer first visited Operator2's (Vessel 2) residence and took pictures of his vessel that had major damage on the port side gunwale, and Operator2 wrote a voluntary statement on the incident. Operator2 stated that he and two occupants were catfishing on the river, drifting downstream, and noticed a vessel heading towards them. When Operator2 and the two occupants noticed the vessel was not seeing them, they began to wave their hands and yell. The last image Operator2 saw, before he jumped into the river, was Operator1 looking at each other and appeared to be talking. Operator1's vessel hit the port side of Operator2’s vessel and went up and over the gunwale. After the collision Operator1 pulled the three individuals into their boat to make sure they all were okay, two individuals stayed in the vessel while one drove Operator2's vessel back to the Brandenburg boat ramp.

Officer then drove to Operator1's (Vessel 1) residence to take pictures of their damage and gather vessel information as well as obtain a voluntary statement from both parties. Operator1 stated that her and her husband just finished eating and swimming with friends around the Otter Creek / Ohio River area and were heading downriver. When they came around the river bend (river marker 637) the sun was in Operator1’s eyes, she stated she was scanning for objects and made sure to stay in the channel to keep away from floating debris. Operator1 stated she did not see Operator2’s vessel due to the camouflage color and the sun’s position. As soon as she collided with his vessel, she stopped and looked around for the occupants and made sure they were okay. The vessel had a large indention to the port side hull and the vessel was starting to take on water. They took two of Operator2’s occupants and both vessels made their way back to the boat ramp. Operator1 did state they had an alcoholic beverage prior to coming out on the water, but did not have anything else while they were boating. It is this officers professional opinion the major contributing factors to this incident were the environmental factors and the inattentiveness of vessel 1 operator (Operator1).                                                                                                                                    
									


BARDID: KY-2019-0025
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-07-13 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 18:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: LAKE BARKLEY
NearestCityorTown: KUTTAWA
County: LYON
WaterConditions: Choppy
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Fall in vessel
AccidentCause1: Force of wake/wave
AccidentCause2: Hazardous waters
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
Contacted by husband of injured #1 to see if a BAR had been turned in from an accident that occurred on 7-13-2019.  KDFWR Law Enforcement had not received a report on 7-18-2019 when contacted.  I initiated this BAR on 7-18-2019.  Vessel 1 operator stated he contacted KSP on morning of 7-14-2019 and was told that since 1 vessel was involved, a BAR was not needed.

According to witnesses and vessel #1 operator, they were traveling past Kuttawa Marina in the main channel and headed west towards Green Turtle Bay around 18-23 mph.  Vessel traffic was very heavy and a large vessel threw a big wake that caused vessel #1 to become partially airborne and causing some occupants to fall into floor and into steering console.  Injured #1 was ejected from front seat and landed on floor.  Injured #1 was transported by POV to Lourdes in Paducah and suffered a fracture of T11 Vertebra.  Injured #2 was thrown into steering console and complained of pain from previous surgery and injury sites.  Injured #2 was transported by POV later that week to local physicians.

Vessel #1 operator/owner lives out of state and is not coming back for awhile.  E-mailed statements from operator and spouse are included.


BARDID: KY-2019-0026
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-05-26 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 18:50:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: LAKE CUMBERLAND
NearestCityorTown: MONTICELLO
County: WAYNE
WaterConditions: Choppy
Wind: Moderate
Visibility: Fair
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentCause1: Weather
AccidentCause2: Improper lookout
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On May 26, 2019 at 20:09 hours, I was contacted via phone by Conservation Officer. He advised he was contacted about a non-injury boating accident at Beaver Creek Marina. I informed him that myself and Sgt. were closer, so we would respond. Before heading that way, I made contact with one of the vessel owners who had called in the complaint. Subject1 advised he and his brother received damage to their vessels while docked at the marina. I informed him once the weather front cleared out, Sgt. and I would be heading in his direction.

Subjects informed us that a houseboat named “Short Circuit” was idling into the harbor trying to get to his slip on Dock I at the same time a storm front had moved in. They advised the wind gust had forced Operator1’s houseboat over in their direction. They all attempted to push on the houseboat to keep it from hitting their personal property, however, the boat was too large and the wind was to strong.

Operator1’s houseboat ended up hitting runabout (KY-0506-XA) first. V2 owner stated the bow of Operator1’s boat drug across the stern of his vessel which scratched the fiberglass and then hit his swim ladder bending the framing that secures it to the vessel. V2 owner stated Operator1 then backed his vessel up, but the wind was still strong so it kept forcing the houseboat in the direction of Subject1’s houseboat (Gas Money). 

They confirmed his vessel was struck first and the one they were on was struck last. They stated after backing off of V2 owner’s boat, Operator1’s boat then collided with Subject1’s boat which knocked the slide off causing it to sink in the lake. The slide was bolted to aluminum railing which was attached at the upper deck and lower deck. The force from the collision broke the aluminum brackets off the rails at the welds. Subject1 couldn’t advise of any other damage except for the slide.

The next day, I made contact via phone with Operator1. His statement matched what the other witnesses had said. He stated due to the storms strong winds, he could not maintain control of the houseboat. He stated he had good insurance and he left his contact information. He did not know the accident needed to be reported nor did he inform me of any more damage that needed to be recorded. 


BARDID: KY-2019-0027
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-06-29 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 17:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: ROUGH RIVER LAKE
NearestCityorTown: FALLS OF ROUGH
County: BRECKINRIDGE
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Skier mishap
AccidentEvent2: Person struck by vessel
AccidentCause1: Operator inattention
AccidentCause2: Alcohol
AccidentCause3: Navigation rules violation
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On Saturday, June 29, 2019 at roughly 17:20 hours, Officer and I were leaving the Nick’s Marina area on Rough River Lake heading towards the North Fork portion of the Lake. A vessel that was coming from the North Fork area heading into the no wake zone of Nick’s Marina, was trying to get our attention before we left the area. The driver of the vessel, Operator2, stated that a jet ski in the Galloway Hollow area, of the lake, had struck one of his passengers, V2 occupant. V2 occupant was in the back of the vessel with passengers holding a towel on her head, she was complaining of head pains, and stated that a jet ski hit her in the head when she was in the water. I told them to head to Nick’s Marina and that I would call EMS to check her out. 

Once at Nick’s, Officer and I obtained the information of parties on the vessel, and waited for EMS to arrive. V2 occupant was given an ice pack and cold water; she was alert and did not have any other visible signs of injury. 

V2 occupant then stated that she was water skiing around the Galloway Hollow portion of the North Fork in the lake, when she fell off the skis and was floating in the water a Jet Ski was coming towards her, she held up the water skis and the Jet Ski hit the skis, which then hit her in the head. She could not guess how fast he was traveling, but that it did push her under the water for a few seconds. Operator2 stated that he yelled at the Jet Ski operator to stop, and for him to come back, Operator2 guessed that the operator was intoxicated. 

When the Jet Ski came back, both parties had an verbal altercation about if she should have been water skiing in that area. A few passengers on Operator2’s vessel were able to take pictures of the Jet Ski operator and was able to obtain majority of his registration (KY 0462T). When EMS arrived (roughly 17:46), V2 occupant refused medical treatment, and I informed Operator2 and V2 occupant that Officer and I would travel to the location and look for the Jet Ski.

At roughly 18:32, we located a Jet Ski in the Galloway Hollow area with registration tag of KY 0462 YT parked in a slip just below the address of 96 Lake Forest Lane. I contacted Breckinridge County Dispatch through the county radio and requested a deputy to drive to that location (which the registration tag came back to that address) while Officer and I tried to find a location to tie up our vessel and access by foot. I also gave the deputies a description of the Jet Ski operator from the photographs that were taken from Operator2’s vessel.

Once at the address, the Breckinridge County deputies said that the subject matching the description was inside the house and getting clothes to come outside. Operator1 came out from the residence and matched the description the witnesses gave as well as the pictures from the phone. Operator1 appeared intoxicated, I could smell presence of an alcoholic beverage on his breath and he was slurring his words when asking him questions about operating the Jet Ski parked just below the residence. Operator1 admitted to driving the Jet Ski and hitting V2 occupant, he stated that he did not see her, and was trying to avoid other vessels in the area. 

He also stated that he did stop and ask if she was okay and when he saw that she was not injured, they said they wanted his picture. Operator1 claimed that he did not follow them back to the marina, because they told him that V2 occupant was fine. I then asked how long he had been drinking, Operator1 stated that as soon as he got back to the residence he felt so bad about the situation that he began to drink heavily, but he was not intoxicated during the incident. I requested a PBT reading to get an idea of the presence of alcohol in his system, the PBT reading was .218, and Operator1 said he drank vodka when he got back to the residence. I then placed Operator1 under arrest for fail to render aid and operating vessel in reckless manner, I rode with the Breckinridge County deputy who transported him to the detention center.

On Tuesday July 9, 2019, I received a phone call from V2 occupant who was requesting information to file civil charges on Operator1, she informed me that the water ski that she used to protect herself that day was damaged beyond repair and was valued at roughly $600. She then stated that she went to the doctor’s office to have further treatment due to tightness in her head, the doctor determined it was due from a mild concussion she suffered, but there were no further injuries.


BARDID: KY-2019-0028
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-08-19 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 22:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: ROUGH RIVER LAKE
NearestCityorTown: LEITCHFIELD
County: BRECKINRIDGE
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Grounding
AccidentCause1: Machinery failure
MachineryFailure: Throttle
DayofWeek: Monday
RedactedNarrative:
On 08/19/2019 at approx. 22:00 EST,  Operator was fishing on Rough River Lake with his mother. Operator advised he was done for the evening and dropped his mother off at the boat ramp.  Operator wanted to run his boat some before putting it on the trailer.   Operator was on plane just above the Eveleigh boat ramp when his "hot foot" accelerator stuck in the wide open position.  Operator could not get the boat to decelerate nor could he make a turn in the lake and was headed for the bank.  Operator managed to  steer the boat toward a mud flat, in hopes it would stop his boat, but the boat hit the bank and ran aground into the tree line.  Operator managed to jump out of the boat before it hit the shore line and was not injured. 


BARDID: KY-2019-0029
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-09-02 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 15:35:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: GREEN RIVER LAKE
NearestCityorTown: CAMPSBELLSVILLE
County: TAYLOR
WaterConditions: Choppy
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Person departed vessel
AccidentEvent2: Person struck by propeller
AccidentCause1: Operator inattention
DayofWeek: Monday
RedactedNarrative:
On September 5th of 2019, I ,Conservation Officer received information pertaining to prop cut accident that occurred on Green River Lake on September 2,  2019 at approximately 15:35 hours EST. I obtained contact information for the injured individual. When contacting Operator, he confirmed that he was struck by the prop on his vessel on September 2nd. I advised Operator that I would be investigating the accident and requested that he complete a self boating accident report on the department's website.


On September 15th  I met with Operator to obtain more information and to photograph the vessel. Vessel 1 for future purposes was a 1984 Celebrity with Kentucky registration number KY-4794-JJ belonging to Operator. At the time of the accident Operator stated that there were four individuals plus himself aboard. Non-injuried passengers are listed in the witness section of this report. Operator was questioned as to why he failed to contact 911 and he stated he did not know that he needed to report the accident. During the interview Operator explained prior events that led up to the accident. 

Operator stated that he went to the State Dock to pick-up a friend and was traveling back to the area that they had been swimming earlier that day. This area was located between Butler Creek and Holmes Bend Marina. Operator then stated that they were cruising back down the lake toward that area when a green float flew out of the vessel. Operator also stated that they had just passed an area on the lake which is called Jodie’s Camp but more specifically the incident occurred at GPS coordinates 37.2220 Latitude and -85.3230 Longitude. During this time I had Operator walk me through what happened after the float flew out. He stated that once the float came out he turned around to get it and tried to pull up to the float to recover it but was unsuccessful. 

Operator then stated that he put his boat in, what he thought was neutral, then jumped off the back of the vessel into the water. However, that was not the case, the vessel's drive was left in reverse which allowed the prop to continue to spin. Operator stated that he got the float and swam to the right side of the boat and handed it to one of his friends. Then while trying to board he lowered his body farther into the water which is when the prop struck his left leg. 

During this contact Vessel 1's engine stalled and shut down. At that point Operator tried to move the prop to free his leg but the prop wouldn’t move. To assist a passenger trimmed the lower unit up and had to move the gear shift from reverse to forward. This allowed Operator to freely turn the prop so he could get back up onto the vessel. Operator was driven by one of the passengers back to the State Dock while the others held pressure on the open laceration to his back left thigh. Once at the marine they took Operator to Taylor Regional hospital. 
*** No vessel damage was reported as a result of this accident.


BARDID: KY-2019-0030
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-09-01 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 18:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: NOLIN RIVER LAKE
NearestCityorTown: BROWNSVILLE
County: EDMONSON
WaterConditions: Rough
Wind: Light
Visibility: Unknown
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentCause1: Excessive speed
AccidentCause2: Operator inattention
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On 09/01/2019 at approx. 18:00 EST, Operator2 and Operator1 were operating vessels on Nolin Lake. Operator2 (vessel 2) had one passenger on his vessel and Operator1 (vessel 1) had four passengers on his vessel.  Both Operator2 and Operator1 were on plane  and traveling from "turtle cove" up stream  toward Moutardier Marina.  Operator2 stated he was traveling at approx. 40mph, and Operator1 stated he was traveling at approx. 50 mph.  

Operator1  had been following Operator2 while traveling from "turtle cove" but had decided to pass or over take Operator2 once they both had rounded the peninsula in front of Moutardier Marina.  Operator2 was unaware that Operator1 was attempting to over take his vessel.  Operator2 turned slightly to his port or left side to travel down the lake toward the campground.  Operator1 stated that he turned his vessel toward the starboard or right side to pass Operator2 but lost sight of Operator2 do to Operator1's vessel keeling over to the starboard side.  It was at this point that  Operator1's vessel struck Operator2's in the rear starboard or right side, causing damage to both Operator2's and Operator1's vessels.   Operator2's vessel sustained significant damage to the rear starboard corner, and Operator1's vessel sustained a scuff down the port side of his vessel with the hull being broken in at least one spot.  No passengers on either vessel were injured.  Both vessels remained operational and were loaded on their respective trailers to ensure they did not become submerged. 

     It is this officers opinion that the major contributing factor to this accident was Operator1's  (vessel 1) excessive speed and inattention to the vessel in front of him.   Operator1's vessel struck Operator2's vessel from the rear.                                                                                                                  


BARDID: KY-2019-0031
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-06-03 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 18:43:00
CoordinatesConfidence: NC
NameOfBodyOfWater: LICKING RIVER
NearestCityorTown: CARLISLE
County: NICHOLAS
WaterConditions: Choppy
Wind: Moderate
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Capsizing
AccidentEvent2: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Operator inexperience
DayofWeek: Monday
RedactedNarrative:
Around 16:30 hours on 06-03-2019 two people met subject1 at the Clay WMA Licking River boat ramp, where Subject1 had been camping and fishing over the past few days.  Subject2 says that they left the ramp around 16:30 and headed down stream.  

Subject2 and Subject3 were together in a Jon boat and Subject1 followed them in a canoe.  Neither the boat nor the canoe were equipped with any life jackets.  Subject2 and Subject3 went on ahead and stopped at a rocky shore approx. 1-2 miles down the river to fish and dig green worms.  

After fishing for a couple of hours they headed back upstream toward camp.  At the first rifle they came upon Subject1's tackle box and canoe floating upside down in the river.  Subject2 and Subject3 headed back to camp to see if he had made it back to his tent.  After they realized he had not, they went back to where they found the canoe and searched for him along the banks, at this point they called 911.  Carlisle Dispatch received the call at 19:47 hours, Nicholas county Sheriff and the Nicholas county Fire Department responded and started a search by boats and land.  Sgt. assisted in the search by boat as well.

On 06-06-2019 Subject1's body was found in close proximity to where the canoe was found.  Subject1 was pronounced dead by the Nicholas county coroner at 16:15 hours.  The medical examiner lists the cause of death drowning, no foul play is suspected.


BARDID: KY-2019-0032
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-09-07 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 21:35:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: LAKE CUMBERLAND
NearestCityorTown: JAMESTOWN
County: RUSSELL
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentCause1: Operator inattention
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On September 7, 2019 at approximately 21:35cst I, Officer, received a call from the State Dock Marina Manager reporting that a houseboat had collided with a moored vessel while driving through the private slips at the marina. I was in the harbor of the marina at the time of the call. Cpt. and I responded to the slip where the accident was reported to have occurred. We met with Subject1 and the owner of Vessel 2 (KY 0707-AH). Subject2 was not on his houseboat during the time of the collision. Slip customers from the adjacent slip witnessed the collision and video recorded it. The owner of Vessel 1 (Documentation #1258124), had moored his boat in the slip by the time we had located his slip. We were unable to locate Operator1, all the passengers on his vessel stated he was at different places and basically gave us misleading information of where he actually was. All passengers onboard were intoxicated, not very reliable witnesses and had different stories of what happened. I took two statements from passengers off of Vessel 1, while doing so we were contacted from another individual stating that Vessel 1 had struck their boat as well trying to pull into his slip.  Vessel 3 (KY 0805-XB) owner stated he had heard that his boat had been struck by Vessel 1, V3 owner went to inspect his boat and discovered it had been struck as well. 

Cpt. and I photographed, assessed the damages on all the vessels involved and collected all information needed. After taking statements from slip customers, everyone that witnessed the collision had the same story. Witnesses advised that Operator1 came in way to close to the dock, once he heard them yelling at him, Operator1 realized how close he was but it was too late to avoid collision with Vessel 2 with the front of his boat. The other slip customers kept him pushed off the dock and prevented further damage to other vessels that were moored in the area. After watching the video of the collision it was evident that Vessel 1 came into the slips and struck Vessel 2 that was tied up to the slip owner’s houseboat. Vessel 1 then traveled on and struck Vessel 3 trying to pull into his slip. I went back to the State Dock the next day to interview Operator1, he stated he wasn’t trying to avoid me previously, but stated he just didn’t think he needed to call anyone to report the accident. He also advised that he had made plans to take care of everything when he woke up. I advised him that was not the case, I collected his information and photographed Vessel 2 and 3 in the daylight.


BARDID: KY-2019-0033
State: KY
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2019-08-10 00:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: NOLIN LAKE
NearestCityorTown: CUB RUN
County: HART
WaterConditions: Choppy
CongestedWaters: -1
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentEvent2: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Excessive speed
AccidentCause2: Congested waters
AccidentCause3: Navigation rules violation
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On August 11 2019 I, Officer, was notified of a boat accident that occurred on Nolin River Lake, the day prior (08/10/19). I made contact with Operator1, the owner/operator of a Skeeter bass boat involved in the accident (vessel one). Operator1 stated that he was traveling down the back side of an island in the Dog Creek area of Nolin River Lake. Operator1 stated that he was going to make a loop around the island and on the straight stretch portion of the lake he had his boat running around 65 MPH.  Operator1 stated that prior to the accident he looked at his gauge before going in to the 4-way intersection his speed was 52 MPH. When Operator1 came around the corner and into the 4-way intersection, he observed a white runabout coming towards him. Operator1 took the turn wide to pass the runabout on his left side. Operator1 stated the runabout did not stop, but turned left to try and avoid his vessel, but this resulted in the runabout's driver side colliding into the passenger side of Operator1's Vessel. Operator1 stated that when he turned his vessel to the right the vessel did not respond as well as it should have because he had throttled down prior to.

      I spoke with Subject1, the passenger in the Skeeter bass boat (vessel one). Subject1 said that he got into Operator1's boat and they headed down the back side of the island at a high rate of speed.  Subject1 stated he thought that they were traveling way too fast for the area and glanced at Operator1 speedometer, which read 62MPH. Subject1 stated he didn't think Operator1 had very good control over the vessel because it seemed to skip as they came around the bend, and this was at the point he observed the white runabout. Operator1 turned right and the runabout turned left, turning in the same direction the boats collided. During the interview Subject1 said he and his wife come through that intersection often and know it to be dangerous due to boat traffic and blind corners.

    Both Operator1 and Subject1 thought the runabout was coming from the main lake.

    I interviewed Operator2, the operator of the Caravelle runabout (vessel two). Operator2 told me that he and his wife, Subject2, had left a cove near the beach area on the island in Dog Creek, and was heading toward the Dog Creek Boat Ramp. Operator2 stated that he was traveling around 22MPH on the front side of the island approaching the 4-way intersection. Operator2 looked right, then left and didn't see anything. Operator2 looked back right and a bass boat was coming around the corner at a high rate of speed and seemed to be almost drifting around the turn coming towards them. Operator2 stated that if he had turned right he thought he would have hit the oncoming vessel head on, so he veered left, but the bass boat veered right. The result of which caused his driver side and the bass boats passenger side to hit. The impact caused both of the individuals on the runabout to be knocked out of their seats resulting in minor injuries not beyond first aid.

    Subject2, the passenger with Operator2 (vessel two) could not remember many details, but stated they had left a cove near the beach area of Dog Creek Island traveling to the boat ramp when they came through the intersection and were struck by another vessel. The impact caused her and her husband to be thrown around the boat. 

    Myself and Officer viewed both the physical damage and pictures. It appeared that the initial impact was at the nose of the runabout (vessel two) and the front left side of the bass boat (vessel one). After initial contact the runabout (vessel two) was slightly above the bass boat (vessel one). The bass boat (vessel one) was still traveling at a higher rate of speed, causing it to slide down the bottom side of the runabout (vessel two). When the runabout (vessel two) came back down, it's eyelet ripped through the rear right hull of the bass boat (vessel one).

     Based upon the statements and the facts obtained, as well as this officers training, experience, and   knowledge of the lake; I believe this accident could have been avoided. While Operator1 (vessel one) did have the right away, I believe the main factor of the accident was his excessive speed in the confined 4-way intersection.


BARDID: KY-2019-0035
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-09-01 00:00:00
CoordinatesConfidence: C
NameOfBodyOfWater: KY LAKE
NearestCityorTown: MURRAY
County: CALLOWAY
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Falls overboard
AccidentEvent2: Person struck by vessel
AccidentEvent3: Person struck by propeller
AccidentCause1: Alcohol
AccidentCause2: Navigation rules violation
AccidentCause3: Operator inattention
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
Kentucky Vessel 0558BL was cruising South Bound on Kentucky Lake near the 48 mile marker. Port side front passenger Victim, according to witnesses, stood from her seat while stating she had to pee. Witnesses stated Victim stepped over the closed bow door and stood outside the protective rail while turning to face inward. Witnesses stated Victim went to a squat position, then, for unknown reasons, Victim fell from the bow of the cruising vessel into the lake. Witnesses stated they felt a "big bump" underneath the vessel and began to yell at the operator to stop, at which time witnesses stated the operator brought the vessel to neutral and asked what had happened. Witnesses stated they began yelling and searching for Victim while calling 911, but Victim was not located. 

Officer reported he arrived on the vessel at the scene and detected signs of impairment on vessel operator. Officer reported operator provided oral and written statements (Post Miranda) that he (Operator) was operating the vessel at the time of the accident, he (Operator) did observe Victim stand from her seat. Officer reported Operator stated he did not observe Victim step over the closed bow door, and didn't realize Victim had gone overboard until the other passengers yelled. 

Officer reported operator was administered Field Sobriety Tests which were not satisfactorily completed, and Operator was placed under arrest for KRS 235.240 Operating a Boat/Watercraft While Intoxicated or Under the Influence 1st Offense. Officer reported operator consented to a blood withdrawal after Implied Consent, then transported to Calloway County Detention Center. 

The victim had a BAC of .097


BARDID: KY-2019-0038
State: KY
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2019-09-02 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 14:45:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: ROUGH RIVER LAKE
NearestCityorTown: HARDINSBURG
County: BRECKINRIDGE
WaterConditions: Choppy
CongestedWaters: -1
Wind: Light
Visibility: Unknown
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentEvent2: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Operator inattention
AccidentCause2: Congested waters
DayofWeek: Monday
RedactedNarrative:
On 09/02/19 at approx. 14:45 CST Operator2  and Operator1 were operating PWC's (jet Ski's) on Rough River Lake.  Operator2 and Operator1 were in Grayson Co. around the Cannon's point area of the lake.    Operator1  was operating vessel  (Reg # KY 0747UF)  Operator1 stated he was following  vessel  (KY 0553LY), operated by Operator2. Operator2 suddenly turned to her port or left side and Operator1 was unable to avoid a collision.  

Operator2 had one passenger on her vessel.  Operator1 ran the starboard or right side of his vessel down the port or left side of Operator2's vessel knocking both occupants into the water.  A passer byer stopped to assist.  The unknown passer byer transported them to the boat ramp at Cannon's point where EMS met them.  Operator2 was uninjured but Victim suffered a broke left wrist, and was transported to Twin Lakes Regional Hospital.   Neither Operator1 nor Operator2 sustained injuries, but both vessels were damaged.  Vessel 1 operated by Operator2 was totaled, and Vessel 2 operated by Operator1 sustained minor damage to starboard or right side. 

Operator2 stated that she did not see Operator1 when she turned to her left.  Operator1 stated he was in Operator2s blind spot and did not have time to react when she turned.  Operator2 who was 15 years old and had an 11 year old passenger did not have a Boater Education permit and was in violation of KY KRS.  Operator1 was given a field sobriety test and had no indicators of impairment. 

It is my opinion through experience and training that the major contributing cause of this incident was Operator2's inattention. 


BARDID: KY-2019-0040
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-08-04 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 13:08:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: LAKE CUMBERLAND
NearestCityorTown: MONTICELLO
County: WAYNE
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentEvent2: Person struck by vessel
AccidentCause1: Operator inexperience
AccidentCause2: Starting in gear
AccidentCause3: Improper lookout
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On August 4, 2019 at approximately 1245 hours EST operator (juvenile), started Ohio Vessel 1, (OH-2296-CK), and subsequently collided with Vessel 2 (OH-1614-BR) in the Tywford’s Point area on Lake Cumberland in Wayne County, KY. 

Vessel 1 was a PWC and Vessel 2 was a runabout style vessel. Vessel 2 was adrift in the main creek channel with several passengers swimming behind the stern and several persons onboard.  

Vessel 1 had been cruising around when the operator at that time, Subject, decided to join family members on Vessel 2 swimming. Subject pulled Vessel 1 near the stern of Vessel 2, turned the vessel off and then entered the water to join members.  

Son remained on the PWC. Shortly after Subject entered the water, Operator1 simultaneously held the throttle open and hit the start button. This caused Vessel 1 to be propelled forward, then to ramp over the starboard side stern of Vessel 2. As Vessel 1 continued its progression over Vessel 2 to the starboard side aft it collided with a passenger onboard the vessel. She was impacted directly in the head, neck, and face by the bow of Vessel 1. 

She was airlifted to the University of Kentucky by PHI Air Medical. She sustained injuries to the right side of her head, her neck was swollen, sustained cuts to her face, and injured the left side of her back hurt. A CT scan was performed, and it was determined that she suffered a concussion, but had no broken bones. The doctor proceeded to put 3 stitches in her forehead, along with gluing together another minor cut near her eye. She was released from the hospital on the same day, August 4, around 10:30 pm.


BARDID: KY-2019-0041
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-07-20 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 23:30:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: LAKE CUMBERLAND
NearestCityorTown: JAMESTOWN
County: RUSSELL
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Grounding
AccidentEvent2: Fall in vessel
AccidentEvent3: Flooding/swamping
AccidentCause1: Excessive speed
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On July 20th, 2019 at approximate 2330 hours CST owner and operator ran Kentucky vessel (KY-0811-PN), (HIN PLF92464J798), a 1998 Playcraft runabout, ashore between Griffith Hollow and Indian Creek on the main channel of Lake Cumberland in Russell County, KY. When interviewed Operator1 explained that he was en route back to Grider Hill Marina from dropping family members off at Halcomb’s Landing when he lost his direction and collided with an island. Vessel 1 sustained heavy damage to the keel and outdrive before sinking in 4 feet of water. As a result of the collision a passenger in Vessel 1 was thrown to the floor of the vessel where she sustained a laceration to her chin, broke a tooth and had a contusion  on her knee. 

This incident was not reported to 911 emergency services at the time of the collision. Operator1 advised that he contacted nearby boating friends to assist him following the incident. Around daylight Operator1 contacted Marine Assist, a boat towing service, to remove Vessel 1 from the lake.


BARDID: KY-2019-0042
State: KY
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2019-07-20 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 20:58:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: LAKE CUMBERLAND
NearestCityorTown: JAMESTOWN
County: RUSSELL
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentEvent2: Fall in vessel
AccidentEvent3: Flooding/swamping
AccidentCause1: Alcohol
AccidentCause2: Improper lookout
AccidentCause3: Navigation rules violation
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On July 20th, 2019 at approximately 21:00 hours CST, I, Officer, was dispatched to a two vessel collision occurring around the mouth of Beaver and Otter Creeks on Lake Cumberland in Russell County, Kentucky.  Vessel 1, HIN (LAR510501798) and accompanied by one passenger.  Operator1 was traveling east from the Wolf Creek Dam when he collided with Vessel 2, HIN (TNRD6952H708). Vessel 2 was operated and was also accompanied by one passenger. Vessel 2 was traveling west bound towards the Wolf Creek Dam when the collision occurred with Vessel 1. Vessel 1 struck Vessel 2 on the starboard bow just before aft and became intertwined with the bow of Vessel 1 inside the cabin of Vessel 2. 

Once on scene, I made contact with Operator2 briefly to assess the situation. Operator2 advised that he was traveling in the middle of the lake at a low rate of speed, approximately 2000 RPM, when he saw a boat coming at him head on. Operator2 then stated, he brought the boat to neutral, Vessel 1 maneuvered away from him at first but then immediately altered course back into the path of his vessel before striking the starboard bow/aft of his vessel. When questioned if anyone onboard needed medical attention, Operator2 advised that they did not. Operator2’s main concern at this point was that the other operator of Vessel appeared to be intoxicated. Operator2 stated that he was more than willing to take any sobriety test that he had not consumed any alcohol. 

I then made contact with Operator1 and asked if his wife or himself needed medical attention. Operator1 advised that they did not but were shaken up from what had occurred. I could smell a strong odor of what appeared to be alcoholic beverage coming from the vessel. When questioned about the operator of the vessel at the time of the collision both both stated Operator1 was. I instructed Operator1 to put on a PFD and that I would be performing standard field sobriety test (SFST) on him.  SFSTs concluded that Operator1 showed multiple clues of impairment on all tests administered. A portable breath test (PBT) indicated the presence of alcohol at a BAC level of .154. Operator1 was placed under arrest for operating a vessel under the influence of alcohol, wanton endangerment 1st degree, and motorboats to be registered and numbered.

Operator2 stated that he was travelling in the middle of the channel at a low rate of speed when he first noticed a vessel coming directly at his vessel. He stated that he yelled for his wife who was below the helm in the cabin of the vessel. Once she came to the helm of the vessel she stated to stop the boat that they were going to be hit. Operator2 at that time went to neutral and ran towards the stern of the vessel to brace for impact. Operator2 stated the vessel was hit on the starboard side an Vessel 1 became stuck in the nose of their vessel. Operator2 then stated he checked on his wife and once he realized they were ok yelled over to Vessel 2, “how could you hit my boat we were in the middle of the lake”. Operator2 stated the only response Operator1 could come up with was, “I saw your light I just don’t know.” Operator2 stated, directly after the collision Operator1 and wife were then trying to gather up cans and clean up. He stated he told them to not worry about picking up beer cans his boat was sinking. 

Once in custody Operator1 stated he was experiencing chest pains and would like to seek medical treatment.  Sgt. transported Operator1 to the Jamestown Marina to meet EMS. At this point both Operator1 and wife requested to be checked out by a physician. 


BARDID: KY-2019-0043
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-07-27 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 19:18:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: LAKE CUMBERLAND
NearestCityorTown: MONTICELLO
County: WAYNE
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Grounding
AccidentCause1: Excessive speed
AccidentCause2: Navigation rules violation
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On July 27, 2019, Operator stated he was traveling west out of Harmon Creek on Lake Cumberland near the south shoreline operating Vessel 1, a 2002 Black Thunder closed bow vessel, documentation number (1132359) when collided with the shoreline. According to the Operator, he started to steer left around the point toward the mouth of Harmon Creek when he encountered a smaller vessel. According to the operators on both vessels, they were in a head-on collision course. To prevent collision both took evasive action passing port to port. The operator of Vessel 1 stated he steered his vessel hard left across the path of the other vessel and failed to regain control of his vessel. This was likely due to the excessive speed in which Operator was traveling. As a result Vessel 1 impacted the shoreline on the port side of the vessel. No injuries were reported on Vessel 1. No property damage or injuries were reported by the other vessel involved.

After speaking with other witness and through further investigation, it was clear that Vessel 1 operated by Operator was operating on the left side of the lake channel, he failed to keep right of mid channel while approaching the point on the wrong side of the creek channel. In doing so, he created a dangerous situation with the other vessel.


BARDID: KY-2019-0044
State: KY
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2019-09-13 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 15:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: CUMBERLAND RIVER below wolf cr
NearestCityorTown: JAMESTOWN
County: RUSSELL
WaterConditions: Choppy
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with submerged object
AccidentEvent2: Fall in vessel
AccidentEvent3: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Excessive speed
AccidentCause2: Operator inattention
AccidentCause3: Hazardous waters
DayofWeek: Friday
RedactedNarrative:
On September 13, 2019, Sgt. contacted me to follow up on an injury boat accident that had happened on the Cumberland River below Wolf Creek Dam near Helm Landing Boat Ramp. Contacting Russell County Dispatch for further information, I learned the accident scene had already been cleared and the victims had been transported to receive medical treatment. 

The boat operator had been flown out due to chest and abdominal pain. He was transported to UK in Lexington, KY and his son the passenger on the boat was was transported by ambulance to Russell County Hospital and then onto Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital due to chest pains as well. I met the passenger victim at Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital.
 
There I was able to get directions to the location of the boat. It had been pulled out of the water and relocated to a cabin the victims were staying at. Officer was able to locate the boat on its trailer and document the damage. He later sent photographs of the vessel involved. The passenger also had a photograph of the boat on his cell phone that he had shown me. The boat is 2003 Triton 17ft aluminum hull boat with registration KY-0410-AE. 

Interviewing Subject, I learned he and his father had been out fishing on the river since 13:00 hours. They had drifted down the river between 12 – 15 miles to the Rock House area. He stated traveling back up the river, they were about 30 – 40 ft. from the bank on river right side. They were about a mile from Helm's Landing and traveling approximately 35 – 40 mph. They had passed another vessel that was heading down river, the passenger stated they waved at the two occupants onboard and continued on upstream. The passenger stated he was sitting in the passenger seat to the left of the operator’s seat. He pulled his phone out to see what time it was, that’s when they struck something fixed in the water which ejected him out on the left side.

He estimated he was thrown into the water from the boat between 20 – 25 ft. He stated he had to swim about 5 ft. before he could touch the bottom of the river. He then walked the rest of the way to the shore. He could see his boat still moving forward upstream, but he couldn’t see his father. Then he heard the boat throttle down and turned back his way. He stated the boat came back to his location, but his dad couldn’t do anything but lay down due to having chest and abdomenal pains.

A few minutes later the boat they had passed earlier came back through. They waved them down for assistance. There medical support was called in. Subject, was transported by EMS and his father was flown out by helicopter. 

At Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital, several tests were ran on Subject, visible injuries appeared to be contusions on his left arm and lacerations on each leg in the sheen area, but did not require stitches. The doctor there advised Subject that he was going to be transported to UK in Lexington, due to a possible laceration on his spleen. I concluded my interview and took photographs of visible injuries. I informed Subject that I would follow up with him at a later date.

Witness indicated the operator was laying in the floor of the boat and had his arm off the side waving them over. Once they pulled up they noticed about 20 ft. away was the passenger on the shore. The operator was bleeding in a few places. He stated he advised his son to go pick up the guy on the shore and he jumped in the damaged boat. He turned the bilge pump on pushed forward on the throttle heading up river to Helm Landing. There they contacted 911 for help. I concluded the interview by obtaining contact information and asked if they had seen what the boat possibly had hit. He stated his son thought he had seen a tree that had marks on it as if something had hit it.

On September 14, 2019 at 14:30 hours, Officer conducted an interview with Operator at the UK Chandler Hospital in Lexington, KY. Operator stated he and his son had just drifted cable lines and when coming back past the second cable, he was moving to the other side, going from right to left to get into deeper water. They were laughing and cutting up when all of a sudden the left side of the boat raised up and he hit the steering wheel and was thrown down in the floor. He realized his son was gone out of the boat. He remembered when he started pulling himself back up in the boat that it was still running. He then caught sight of his son’s green shirt down river. He drifted back down but had put it in gear to come around the snag to get to his son on shore. He seen two guys in a boat passing as he was partially in the seat and wrapped around the console. The guys seen him waving his hands and came over. One of the guys was a doctor in Jamestown. When he hit the steering wheel, he didn’t lose consciousness because he didn’t hit his head. He guessed after talking to the people at the hospital, it was all from where he hit the steering wheel on his left side. The guys on the other boat decided to go ahead and take my son to Helm’s Landing and the doctor stayed with me. The doctor decided I needed to be air cared to Lexington. These events all took place on Friday, September 13, 2019. Officer then concluded his interview with the boat operator.  

On September 16, 2019, I contacted subject3 to get his statement via phone. He confirmed what his father had stated and did notice marks on a tree. However, he stated the tree he seen marks on was at the water’s edge and not 30 – 40 ft. out in the river. He also stated when they made contact with the boat, it was located at the shoreline where the tree was marked. On the ride side or the boat was a tributary stream that fed into the river, on the other side of it was the passenger of the boat. He was completely wet from where he had been thrown in the water.


BARDID: KY-2019-0046
State: KY
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2019-08-12 00:00:00
CoordinatesConfidence: C
NameOfBodyOfWater: CUMBERLAND RIVER
NearestCityorTown: SMITHLAND
County: LIVINGSTON
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with commercial vessel
AccidentEvent2: Capsizing
AccidentEvent3: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Drug
AccidentCause2: Operator inexperience
DayofWeek: Monday
RedactedNarrative:
On 8-12-2019 around 0530, a commercial vessel named Molly Patricia reported to the US Coast Guard that the Captain spotted an overturned vessel with lights still on under the water around the 8-mile marker on the Cumberland River in Livingston County, KY. USCG notified KSP Post 1 Mayfield and they notified Officer1 and myself of call. Officer1 and I responded and launched at the Dycusburg boat ramp on the 20-mile marker of the Cumberland River. Located at the Dycusburg boat ramp were two vehicles with boat trailers. A 2011 Chevy truck and a 1995 Chevy truck. A local resident stated that the boat belonging to the 1995 truck had just launched 30 minutes prior to our arrival and went upriver. I had Post 1 record both vehicle license plates to the CAD. officer1 and I launched our boat at around 0700. While traveling downriver we passed the commercial vessel Molly Patricia. I contacted the vessel via Marine Radio channel 16 and spoke with the Captain. Subject1 stated he saw the overturned vessel in a sharp bend of the river while traveling upriver. It is unknown at what mile marker we met the Molly Patricia.
 
Livingston County Rescue showed up at the vessel and had recovered three small dry boxes. One dry box had vessel registration for the overturned vessel.  I had Post 1 contact the local Law Enforcement for Green County Indiana to do a welfare check for Operator1. Contact was made and the Sherriff Office stated the mother had last spoken to Operator1 around 1600 last date and he was by himself fishing and she gave GPS coordinates to the camping location he was supposed to be using. Those coordinates came back to a location on the Wabash River in Indiana. The ex-girlfriend had not had any contact with him. 

The vessel was successfully over turned and righted by Livingston County Rescue and the US Coast Guard. Severe damage was observed on the port side and the top rails of vessel. LED lights on the rear fishing pole holders were still actively on. The key was missing and the throttle control was in neutral. The kill switch lanyard was still attached to the throttle control box. A Helix 10 GPS was mounted on driver console and nothing visible on the screen.  The front navigation light was sheared off with a portion still inside the connection port. The rear anchor light was not found. US Coast Guard stated they cut the anchor rope that was found with the vessel because it was in the way of recovery but did not know if was tied to the vessel or entangled somehow. The vessel was secured to the bank. officer1 and I traveled from there back to Dycusburg boat ramp. We located a green cooler under the front of a barge moored to bank of the east side of river near Pine Bluff Rock Quarry. It had a half-full 2 liter of Coke inside. I retrieved the trailer from the 2011 Chevy truck and drove it to the Smithland boat ramp to load the damaged vessel. At around 1000 hours, the US Coast Guard located the body of Operator1 around the 13-mile marker in the middle of the river. 

I arrived at 1047 hours at Smithland boat ramp and helped load the body of Operator1 into van of Livingston Coroner. Livingston County Rescue brought body to shore and US Coast Guard brought the damaged vessel back. 

The body of Operator1 was examined and photographed by the Coroner and I. Victim was only wearing black athletic type shorts. No jewelry or belongings were located on the victim.  Victim was a white male, heavy build, red hair, and rigor mortis was apparent in limbs. Victim had small amount of blood around nose and mouth. Victim had a small red mark on the top of head and minor abrasions to both hands. Victim was transported to Boyd’s Funeral Home in Salem, KY and autopsy was scheduled for next day at 0900 at the Madisonville Medical Examiner Office. 

I went back to Smithland boat ramp to examine the vessel. I took photos at the ramp of the vessel and items found on the river by the Livingston County Rescue Squad. The vessel was then taken to the Livingston County Rescue Squad building for storage. Scott’s Auto Body of Clay, KY., towed the truck of victim. 

Post 1 attempted to ping the cell phone of victim but Verizon stated the phone was powered off. Verizon stated the last time it was connected to a tower was around 0224 hours on 8-12-2019. It hit off a tower located at 808 Highway 902 Fredonia, KY and was 2.77 miles west of that tower and Post 1 advised that would put it on the Cumberland River. 

Around officer17 hours, Unit 7052 and I patrolled from the Smithland boat ramp up past the Pine Bluff Rock Quarry and located a 2X camo PFD on the east bank just south of the quarry. It is unknown who it belonged to and did not have any identifying marks on it. We returned to the ramp and cleared the scene at 1721 hours on 8-12-2019.

8-16-2019
I contacted Genesis Energy in Houston TX at 1120 hours and was connected to subject3 of situation and inquired about the possibility of the Molly Patricia striking the vessel on 8-12-2019. Subject3 stated he would look into it and have the IT department review the footage from the vessel. Subject3 stated the footage would record on a 30-day loop he believed.  I texted my contact info to Subject3. 

At 1313 hours, I used Google Earth to draw a line 2.77 miles west of the tower on 808 Highway 902 in Fredonia, KY. I included that map in this report. 2.77 miles west places the phone near Campground of the Cumberland River in Tilene, KY. Officers had been patrolling the shores of the Cumberland River this day and talked to campers at this campground and they stated they had not seen or heard of Operator1 at or around that campground. I contacted the owner and she stated no had checked in with her that weekend to camp but people routinely camp without her knowledge on the shore when the water is low and no one from the campground would have seen them. 

KY Fish and Wildlife Officers stated they found no evidence of abandoned campsite not located any items on Cumberland River that could be linked to victim or accident. 

--
It is unknown what exactly happened.  All barge companies have been contacted and no one has reported any collisions or incidents on the river that night.  It is unknown if the victim was on his vessel when it was struck.

Toxicology revealed that the victim had amphetamines, methamphetamine, cannabinoids, and THC.  The cause of death was drowning.


BARDID: KY-2019-0047
State: KY
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2019-09-17 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 18:02:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: CARR CREEK LAKE
NearestCityorTown: HINDMAN
County: KNOTT
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: No wind
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Flooding/swamping
AccidentCause1: Hull failure
DayofWeek: Tuesday
RedactedNarrative:
On 09/17/2019 at about 18:05 Lt. was called to a boat sinking on Carr Creek Lake in Knott County, Ky.  Upon arrival the boat registration, KY-5960 CC, was sunk in the water not quite halfway.  Lt. was able to tow the boat to the near by bank.


BARDID: KY-2019-9999
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2019-05-22 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 22:00:00
CoordinatesConfidence: NC
NameOfBodyOfWater: Levisa Form
NearestCityorTown: Coal Run Village
County: Pike
WaterConditions: Unknown
Wind: Unknown
Visibility: Unknown
AccidentEvent1: Falls overboard
AccidentCause1: Unknown
DayofWeek: Wednesday
RedactedNarrative:
According to the news media, the body of a kayaker was recovered in the water.  He had been reported as separated from a group of kayakers around 10pm.  NO further info.


BARDID: KY-2020-0001
State: KY
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2020-03-27 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 11:30:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: LAKE BARKLEY
NearestCityorTown: CADIZ
County: TRIGG
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with fixed object
AccidentEvent2: Fall in vessel
AccidentEvent3: Grounding
AccidentCause1: Operator inattention
AccidentCause2: Excessive speed
DayofWeek: Friday
RedactedNarrative:
On 03/27/2020 at approximately 1200 hrs OPERATOR 1(Driver) and PASSENGER 1 (Passenger) were headed back to the ramp at Cadiz park after fishing for white bass on Little River.  OPERATOR 1 was operating a 2004 17 ft X press Jon Boat with a 50 hp Yamaha outboard motor.  PASSENGER 1 stated that while they were heading toward the ramp they were going approximately 30 mph when they came upon a limb hanging over the water.  

PASSENGER 1 stated he saw the limb and laid down in the boat to avoid being struck.  He then remembered not slowing down until they hit the bank.  PASSENGER 1 stated that OPERATOR 1 was lying in the boat and not moving.  

PASSENGER 1 stated that OPERATOR 1 was unconscious. PASSENGER 1 stated that he was able to call 911 and operate the boat at idle speed to get it back to the ramp at Cadiz park where EMS and rescue squad were waiting.  PASSENGER 1 stated that OPERATOR 1 had a severe laceration to the right leg and his head.  OPERATOR 1 was transported by EMS to Skyline in Nashville Tn.


BARDID: KY-2020-0002
State: KY
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2020-04-22 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 16:20:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: GRAYSON LAKE
NearestCityorTown: GRAYSON
County: CARTER
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentEvent2: Person struck by vessel
AccidentEvent3: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Navigation rules violation
AccidentCause2: Excessive speed
DayofWeek: Wednesday
RedactedNarrative:
AT APPROXIMATELY 1620 HRS I WAS NOTIFIED BY ASHLAND POST OF A BOAT ACCIDENT THAT TOOK PLACE IN THE AREA OF TWIN BAYS ON GRAYSON LAKE. THIS AREA OF GRAYSON LAKE IS NARROW (APPROXIMATELY 50 YDS) WITH CLIFFLINE ON EITHER SIDE.
	 INITIAL INVESTIGATION SHOWS THAT OPERATOR 2 WAS OPERATING HIS VESSEL (ALSO OCCUPIED BY A PASSENGER) UP THE LAKE TOWARDS THE MARINA WHEN THE BOAT OPERATED BY OPERATOR 1 (OCCUPIED BY TWO PASSENGERS) TRAVELLING DOWN THE LAKE VEERED IN FRONT OF THE BOAT OPERATED BY OPERATOR 2. DURING THE INTERVIEW LATER THAT SAME NIGHT OPERATOR 1 ADVISED THAT HE SAW THE ONCOMING VESSEL AND DID NOT BELIEVE THERE WAS ENOUGH ROOM TO PASS BETWEEN THE BOAT AND THE BANK. HE STATED THAT HE TURNED HIS BOAT TO THE CENTER OF THE LAKE IN ORDER TO PASS ON THE OTHER SIDE. SUBJECT STATED THAT HE REALIZED HE WAS NOT GOING TO MAKE IT AND ATTEMPTED TO PERFORM A "U-TURN". SUBJECT STATED HE NEVER LET OFF HIS THROTTLE IN AN ATTEMPT TO GET PAST THE ONCOMING BOAT.
	 OPERATOR 2 ADVISED THEY WERE TRAVELLING TO THE RIGHT OF THE CHANNEL COMING UP THE LAKE. HE STATED THAT HE SAW THE OPERATOR 1 BOAT CUTTING ACROSS THEIR PATH AND DID NOT HAVE ROOM TO VEER RIGHT SO HE LET OFF THE THROTTLE. OPERATOR 2 ADVISED HE WAS TRAVELLING AT APPROXIMATELY 40MPH IN HIS BASS BOAT. 
	UPON THE COLLISION OCCURRING OPERATOR 2 AND WHITE WERE EJECTED FROM THEIR BOAT. THE OPERATOR 1 BOAT WAS LEFT INOPERABLE, HOWEVER; ALL OCCUPANTS STAYED IN THE VESSEL. A SECOND VESSEL PICKED UP THE OCCUPANTS OF THE OPERATOR 1 BOAT AND TRANSPORTED THEM TO THE MARINA. CARTER CO EMS TRANSPORTED THE JUVENILLE TO CABELL HUNTINGTON ER IN WEST VIRGINIA DUE TO POSSIBLE STERNUM INJURIES, A LACERATION TO HIS ABDOMEN, AND SHORT TERM MEMORY LOSS. BOTH OF THEM REFUSED TREATMENT. OPERATOR 2 WERE ASSISTED INTO THEIR VESSEL AND MET ELLIOTT CO EMS AT THE BRUIN BOAT RAMP; BOTH OCCUPANTS OF THAT VESSEL REFUSED MEDICAL TREATMENT AT THE BOAT RAMP. I INTERVIEWED BOTH INDIVIDUALS AT THE RAMP; BOTH INDIVIDUALS GAVE A WRITTEN VOLUNTARY STATEMENT.
	THE JUVENILLE WAS RELEASED FROM CABELL HUNTINGTON HOSPITAL AT APPROXIMATELY 2030HRS WITH A FRATURED RIB, FRACTURED STERNUM AND DEEP LACERATIONS IN HIS TONGUE AND LIP. I MET THE FAMILY AT THEIR HOME AT APPROXIMATELY 2130HRS IN ORDER TO INTERVIEW THE OCCUPANTS OF THAT VESSESL. OPERATOR 1 AND HIS WIFE BOTH GAVE VOLUNTARY WRITTEN STATEMENTS.


BARDID: KY-2020-0003
State: KY
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2020-04-03 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 13:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: KY RIVER
NearestCityorTown: FRANKFORT
County: FRANKLIN
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Fire/explosion (fuel)
AccidentEvent2: Person departed vessel
AccidentCause1: Machinery failure
MachineryFailure: Engine
DayofWeek: Friday
RedactedNarrative:
The subject OPERATOR 1 was operating his boat on the Kentucky River in Frankfort, KY when it caught on fire. Myself and another officer were dispatched to a boat fire on the Kentucky River at 1425 on April 3, 2020. We were told that the boat was on KY river, pool 4, just below Glenns Creek Rd in Frankfort, KY. By the time we arrived in Franklin Co, Dispatch informed us that the fire was extiguished, the vessel had sunk with approximatly 4 feet of the of the bow still above water, was tied to the bank, and everyone had cleared the scene. They also told us that the boat operator was taken back to his vehicle at Benson Creek boat ramp. 

Officer and I looked along side the bank at Glenns Creek Rd, but did not see a boat in the water. In the time that we made it to Glenns Creek Rd to look for the boat OPERATOR 1 had taken his boat trailer to his house. We then met OPERATOR 1 at the Benson Creek boat ramp for an interview. Officer made first contact with OPERATOR 1 and started the interview. OPERATOR 1 informed us that it was his first time out on the water with this vessel and that he just bought the boat back in September of 2019. 

OPERATOR 1 also told us that he just picked his boat up out of the shop, Land and Sea Boat Repair in Cincinatti, the week before and that they told him to run the gas out of it, then run 10 -12 gallons of fresh gas through it to clean out the fuel system. OPERATOR 1 told us that it was the closest shop to Frankfort that worked on Inboard motors. 

OPERATOR 1 then stated that he put the two cans of fresh gas in the cuddy of his boat to be used as ballast, as the vessel's bow was riding high in the water. OPERATOR 1 made it to the I-64 bridge before having any problem with the boat, where the vessel then stalled out and died. When OPERATOR 1 attemted to start the vessel he stated that he heard a squealing noise and noticed smoke coming out of the engine compartment. OPERATOR 1 said he was able to manuever the boat over to the bank with a paddle before jumping off and swimming to the shore, at this point the engine compartment was fully engulfed in flames. OPERATOR 1 called 911 from the bank. The fire department came and attempted to put the fire out, but noticed the fuel canisters in the bow of the boat and had to keep their distance. The vessel then sank as previously described and the fire was extinguished. 

The following week we got in touch with a state fire marshall to begin our investiagation. On April 9th Carry's Tow and Recovery Service came and got the boat out of the water. Myself, Officer, and the State Fire Marshall watched them take the boat out of the water from a patrol boat. The tow service was doing the operation from Glenns Creek Rd. Carry's was able to get the boat onto a roll back tow truck and take it to their shop, where we could investgate further. The state fire marshall took samples from the boat. We found remainders of what seemed to be two gas cans in the bow of the vessel that OPERATOR 1 stated he used for ballast on the boat. The samples that the State Fire Marshall took along with the remains of the gas cans were all booked into eveidence.    

On May 11 2020, State Fire Marshall notified us that he had concluded his investigation and was writing up his report as unfounded.


BARDID: KY-2020-0004
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2020-01-15 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 13:43:00
CoordinatesConfidence: C
NameOfBodyOfWater: Cumberland River
NearestCityorTown: Jamesown
County: Russell
WaterConditions: Choppy
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Capsizing
AccidentEvent2: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Dam/lock
AccidentCause2: Hazardous waters
DayofWeek: Wednesday
RedactedNarrative:
On January 15, 2020 at 13:49 hours, KSP Columbia Post was notified of a boat accident with injuries that had just occurred on the Cumberland River below Wolf Creek Dam. Upon arrival I learned that the victim had succumbed to his injuries. 

A witness stated that he observed the victim traveling upstream towards the dam alone in his boat. He was concerned that the victim’s boat was too small to be on the river while the dam was generating so much water. Shortly after that, he stated he seen the other witnesses on their boat yelling for help and asking for someone to call 911. He then realized the small boat he had just seen had capsized in the river. It appeared to him that the boat and victim were trapped in the current. The victim was operating a 1970 13ft Boston Whaler blue and white in color. Its registration is KY-0553-KY and it is powered by a 50hp Honda 4stroke outboard motor. 


BARDID: KY-2020-0005
State: KY
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2020-05-16 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 13:25:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake Cumberland
NearestCityorTown: Burnside
County: Pulaski
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Fire/explosion (fuel)
AccidentEvent2: Person departed vessel
AccidentCause1: Ignition of spilled fuel or vapor
AccidentCause2: Machinery failure
MachineryFailure: Engine
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On May 16, 2020 at approximately 1325 hours EST operator, OPERATOR 1, of Ohio Vessel 1, (OH-6179-EP), launched her vessel at the Garland Bend boat ramp on Lake Cumberland in Pulaski County, KY. This was this first time the vessel had been launched this year following the winterization. Out of precaution OPERATOR 1 and witness, started the vessel and left it at idle in the water while still on the trailer. After approximately ten minutes at idle they launched. While passenger pulled the trailer up the ramp to park, OPERATOR 1 maneuvered the vessel back toward the ramp. During this time OPERATOR 1 stated that she heard a loud pop then observed the engine compartment explode. The force of the explosion blew out the front windshield and caused the stern of vessel to be engulfed in flames. OPERATOR 1 quickly jumped into the water and swam to the bank without injury. The vessel continued to burn to the waterline and was a complete loss.                                                                                                                                                                          
*** Damage is estimated over $20,000.00 
*** Alcohol is not suspected in this incident
*** No one was injured as a result of this incident
*** No recent engine work had be performed


BARDID: KY-2020-0006
State: KY
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2020-04-21 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 11:50:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: GREEN RIVER LAKE
NearestCityorTown: CAMPBELLSVILLE
County: TAYLOR
WaterConditions: Choppy
Wind: Strong
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentEvent2: Person struck by vessel
AccidentEvent3: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Operator inattention
DayofWeek: Tuesday
RedactedNarrative:
On April 21, 2020 at approximately 1058 hours CST Officers responded to a report of a non-injury boat collision on Green River Lake near Smith Ridge Boat Ramp in Taylor County.  At approximately 1203 hours CST we made contact with OPERATOR 1 who was the operator of a 2012 Lowe 20ft center console aluminum vessel, with Kentucky registration number KY-0637-LN (Vessel 1).  OPERATOR 1 stated that he was fishing with his father on Green River Lake.  OPERATOR 1 advised that he was rounding a bend in the lake traveling out of Robinson Creek towards the main part of the lake. OPERATOR 1 advised that he was looking across the lake considering whether or not to cross in order to fish.  OPERATOR 1 stated that he was not looking where he was driving and struck OPERATOR 2 and PASSENGER 2 in Vessel 2. 
I then spoke with OPERATOR 2, who was the owner and operator of a 2015 17.5ft Nitro Z6 fiberglass vessel with Kentucky registration KY-0727-WC (Vessel 2).  OPERATOR 2 stated that he was stopped in his boat fishing with his friend. OPERATOR 2 advised that he was in the front of the boat fishing PASSENGER 2 was sitting in the swivel chair fishing in the back. OPERATOR 2 stated that he saw OPERATOR 1 approaching his vessel and noticed that he was traveling directly towards him. OPERATOR 2 advised that he attempted to get OPERATOR 1’s attention by yelling and waving but did not succeed in getting OPERATOR 1’s attention. OPERATOR 2 stated that OPERATOR 1’s vessel struck the center of his vessel at the steering column which caused him to be ejected from the vessel. PASSENGER 2 was also ejected from OPERATOR 2’s vessel.  PASSENGER was ejected from OPERATOR 1’s vessel as well.  I then spoke with PASSENGER 2. PASSENGER 2 gave the same account as to what happened as OPERATOR 2. PASSENGER 2 advised that OPERATOR 1’s boat did strike his right leg and caused some discomfort but PASSENGER 2 advised he did not want any medical treatment.
All individuals were able to get back in their vessels safely and drive their boats from the location that the accident happened, more specifically these GPS coordinates Lat N37.29692 Long W85.27901 to Smith Ridge Boat Ramp. None of the individuals involved in the accident had PFDs on at the time of the collision.  They did however, have them in each vessel. 
Once at Smith Ridge Boat Ramp I inspected each vessel and photographed them.  Vessel 1 (OPERATOR 1’s vessel) had moderate damage to the vessel which included a bent eye bolt and a significant dent to the underside of the vessel.  I then inspected Vessel 2 (OPERATOR 2’s vessel).  Vessel 2 had significant damage to the center of the boat above and below the rub rail on the right side of the boat.  The interior of the vessel also had significant damage, including sever damage to the steering column, and cuts in the driver and passenger seats.  There was also damage to the left side of Vessel 2 above the gunwale.
On April 28, 2020 I followed up with OPERATOR 2 in reference to an estimate of the damage to his vessel.  OPERATOR 2 advised that the insurance company considered his boat a total loss and is going to, “replace” the boat. OPERATOR 2 also advised that he went to the doctor the following day for a, “checkup” and did not have any injuries other than muscle soreness. OPERATOR 2 advised that PASSENGER 2 also went to the hospital the next day and was diagnosed with a, “dent to the knee” and “brain bleed”.  I attempted to call PASSENGER 2 multiple times and left a voice mail but have not been able to speak with PASSENGER 2at this time. 
*** All parties refused medical attention at the time of the collision.  I also did not see any visible injuries on any of the subjects involved. 
*** In my opinion the major contributing cause of this accident was inattention.  OPERATOR 1 was looking at the other bank on his left side and was approaching the point coming out of Robinson Creek on plane.  OPERATOR 1 did not notice the boat fishing off the point, which caused him to collided with the OPERATOR 2's vessel.


BARDID: KY-2020-0007
State: KY
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2020-05-24 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 13:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Herrington Lake
NearestCityorTown: Lancaster
County: Garrard
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Unknown
AccidentEvent1: Fire/explosion (fuel)
AccidentEvent2: Fall in vessel
AccidentEvent3: Person departed vessel
AccidentCause1: Ignition of spilled fuel or vapor
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On 5/24/2020, at approximately 13:45, I received a report of a boat fire at Pandora Marina on Herrington Lake from post 7 dispatch. The report stated there was one vessel involved and no fatalities or injuries. 7609 and I arrived on scene at Pandora Marina at approximately 14:42. Conditions were sunny, clear, light wind, and calm water. The water temperature was approximately 60 degrees and the air temperature was approximately 85 degrees. Upon arrival at Pandora, I visualized the owner, OPERATOR 1, standing on the dock with no apparent injuries. The owner stated that the vessel had completely submerged before we arrived on scene. The owner stated that he was testing out his boat for the first time and had just put it on the water in order to fuel it. He stated he was on the vessel by himself and his wife and child were waiting for him by the boat ramp. He stated it was uninsured and this had been the first time it had been on the water for any length of time. While he did not recall the registration number, he said the boat was a 23 foot, 1988 NOVA II with an  inboard 502 engine. He stated that he had been fueling his boat at the marina and had filled the tank completely. He untied from the dock, with the engine compartment open and the compartment blower on. The fuel pump attendants corroborated this statement. He then put his key in the ignition and started the boat, at which time he stated there was a loud boom and he was thrown into the dashboard of his boat. He stated he turned around to see flames around the engine and decided to jump into the water and swim for the marina. He swam to the marina dock and the boat drifted, still burning, to the opposite side of the lake. The owner stated that the boat continued to burn until it completely submerged, approximately 30 minutes before we arrived. After I gathered personal information, I investigated the area of the lake where the boat had submerged. The approximate location where the boat sank was 50 yards from the fuel pumps at Pandora Marina at the coordinates 73D44'39.8"N 84D42'01.1"W. There was no visible sign of the vessel at the sight. There was a heavy odor of fuel and burned plastic with large amounts of fuel visible on the surface of the water. There was a large amount of burned debris from the vessel visible on the surface of the water to include seats and pieces of the wooden boat interior. We attempted to locate the sunken hull of the vessel using our onboard sonar however the water depth was 80-100 feet and prevented us from getting a clear location. Initial damage estimates are $11,500 for the boat as a total loss.


BARDID: KY-2020-0008
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2020-05-22 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 21:53:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake Cumberland
NearestCityorTown: Jamestown
County: Russell
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Fair
AccidentEvent1: Collision with floating object
AccidentEvent2: Flooding/swamping
AccidentCause1: Alcohol
AccidentCause2: Restricted vision
AccidentCause3: Excessive speed
DayofWeek: Friday
RedactedNarrative:
On May 21, 2020 at approximately 21:53 CST, we were dispatched to a single boat accident near the mouth of Beaver and Otter Creek on Lake Cumberland. Vessel 1 (Registration : KY 0515 CL) was being operated by OPERATOR 1. There was one passenger on the vessel, PASSENGER 1. OPERATOR 1 was traveling on the lake when the boat hit a log and began taking on water.  

Upon arrival on the scene, Officer and I observed two vessels. PASSENGER 1 and OPERATOR 1 were aboard Vessel 1 that was taking on water and were attempting to transfer all valuables to the other vessel. The other vessel, not involved in the accident were friends and arrived to provide help. All occupants of both vessels were immediately asked if there were any injuries and if anyone needed medical assistance. All occupants stated there were no injuries and no need for medical assistance. I made contact with PASSENGER 1. 

He stated the vessel was owned by his mother. When asked who was operating the vessel it hit the log, PASSENGER 1 said that OPERATOR 1 was driving at the time. I then made contact with OPERATOR 1. I asked OPERATOR 1 if he had been driving when the vessel hit the log and he said he was. I could smell a strong odor of what appeared to be alcoholic beverage upon his person. I instructed OPERATOR 1 to on a PFD and advised that I would be performing some SFST's on him. I asked OPERATOR 1 to step onto our boat, and I administered SFST's on him. He showed multiple clues of impairment on all tests administered. A portable breath test, PBT, was administered indicating the presence of alcohol at a BAC level of .207. I placed OPERATOR 1 under Arrest for BUI. I stayed at the scene until Marine Assist arrived. Marine Assist towed the vehicle to its tow yard. Myself and Ofc. transported OPERATOR 1 to the Russell County Detention Center. Once at the detention center, OPERATOR 1 agreed to give a breath sample which resulted in a BAC reading of .196.

On May 23, 2020, Officer went to Marine Assist Facility to take photographs of the vessel out of the water. On May 29, 2020, I interviewed PASSENGER 1 via telephone. PASSENGER 1 stated the boat was coming from Beaver Creek and headed toward Wolf Creek Dam at approximately 30 mph when the vessel struck the log. He advised there were a total of seven people- four adults and three children- aboard the vessel at the time of the accident, but upon arrival, Officer and myself observed only PASSENGER 1 and OPERATOR 1 aboard the vessel. Upon contact, neither PASSENGER 1 nor OPERATOR 1 were wearing PFD. 
** No one was injured as a result of this accident
**CAD # 2020-00513847
** Property damage to Vessel 1 is estimated at $5,000.00


BARDID: KY-2020-0010
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2020-05-30 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 22:15:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake Cumberland
NearestCityorTown: Jamestown
County: Russell
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: No wind
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Falls overboard
AccidentEvent2: Person struck by propeller
AccidentCause1: Alcohol
AccidentCause2: Operator inattention
AccidentCause3: Other
OtherAccidentCause: Passenger/skier behavior
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On May 30th, 2020 at approximately 21:36 hours CST, I, Officer, was dispatched to a prop cut incident at Rowena Marina that had taken place at the private slips, on Lake Cumberland in Russell County, KY. Vessel #1 (OH-8246-FM) was operated by OPERATOR 1 and was accompanied by one passenger, PASSENGER 1. 

OPERATOR 1 was backing his vessel into this slip at the dock when he states, PASSENGER 1 got onto the swim platform of the boat and slipped and fell into the water. OPERATOR 1 states, he heard his wife scream and he immediately put the boat in forward to steer away from her. PASSENGER 1 sustained a severe cut to her foot and had to be airlifted to University of Kentucky Medical Center. Upon my arrival, PASSENGER 1 had already been transported by EMS so I was unable to take a statement from her. OPERATOR 1 was still present at the dock, upon contact I could smell the odor of alcoholic beverage coming from his person. I conducted SFST's on OPERATOR 1, he exhibited clues of impairment on all test's administered. OPERATOR 1 had the presence of alcohol at a level of .095 BAC which was obtained with a PBT. I placed OPERATOR 1 under arrest for BUI as well as Wanton Endangerment 2nd Degree. OPERATOR 1 consented to a breath test at the jail. The results were a BAC of .079. 

On May 31st, 2020 Officers obtained a written statement as well as an audio statement from PASSENGER 1 at University of Kentucky Medical Center. PASSENGER 1 stated, OPERATOR 1 and herself had been out on the water for a couple hours and had returned to the dock. She stated while OPERATOR 1 was backing the boat into the slip she felt they were going to the dock so she went to push off of the dock. PASSENGER 1 says, she stepped on the swim platform and slid into the water while the vessel was in reverse. The prop struck PASSENGER 1 left foot and ankle. PASSENGER 1 stated she was airlifted to University of Kentucky where she had surgery and was in recovery. PASSENGER 1 also stated that OPERATOR 1 and herself had been consuming alcohol the night of the accident. 
Photographs were taken at the scene.
Case # 7913-22002


BARDID: KY-2020-0011
State: KY
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2020-03-11 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 09:44:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: KY Lake
NearestCityorTown: cadiz
County: Trigg
WaterConditions: Rough
Wind: Moderate
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Grounding
AccidentEvent2: Flooding/swamping
AccidentEvent3: Sinking
AccidentCause1: Weather
AccidentCause2: Restricted vision
AccidentCause3: Hull failure
DayofWeek: Wednesday
RedactedNarrative:
Operator and passenger stated:  Vessel was on plane and entering Barnett Bay after traveling North.  Vessel operator stated as vessel was entering Barnett Bay, operator observed a rock spine in the path of the vessel.  Operator stated there was no time for any evasive action except for hitting the up-trim button.  Operator stated the vessel struck the rock spine amid ships approximately half way back on the bottom of the vessel, as well as the lower unit of the motor.

Reporting Officer did observe and photograph extensive damage to bottom of vessel hull, as well as missing lower unit from motor.


BARDID: KY-2020-0012
State: KY
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2020-06-01 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 13:15:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake Cumberland
NearestCityorTown: JAMESTOWN
County: Russell
WaterConditions: Choppy
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentEvent2: Person struck by vessel
AccidentCause1: Operator inexperience
AccidentCause2: Operator inattention
AccidentCause3: Improper lookout
DayofWeek: Monday
RedactedNarrative:
June 1, 2020 at approximately 1315 hours CST operator, OPERATOR 1, of Ohio vessel, (OH-9035-FS), Vessel 1 collided with Vessel 2 (OH-9034-FS) operated by OPERATOR 2 in the Greasy Creek/Clifty Creek area on Lake Cumberland in Russell County, KY. 

Vessel 1 and Vessel 2 were personal watercrafts. Vessel 2 was cruising in front of Vessel 1 in the main channel of Greasy Creek when OPERATOR 2 made a hard left turn just prior to impact. 

Vessel 1 was unable to alter course in time to prevent collision and impacted Vessel 2 in the middle of the port side with the bow. Due to the collision OPERATOR 2 sustained injuries to his left leg, consisting of a broken knee-cap and lacerations to his right leg. Following the accident Vessel 2 was left at the accident site and OPERATOR 2 was transported by OPERATOR 1 to meet PWC owners, who was also in a cove in Greasy Creek.

PWC owner transported OPERATOR 2 with his vessel to Jamestown Marina to meet emergency personnel. OPERATOR 2 was then taken by helicopter to the University of Kentucky hospital. 
Follow-up investigation and photographs were taken at in Jamestown, KY.
*** EMS Run #1063 Russell County EMS
*** Damage is estimated over $4000.00 
*** Alcohol is not suspected in this incident


BARDID: KY-2020-0013
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2020-06-13 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 20:37:00
CoordinatesConfidence: NC
NameOfBodyOfWater: Ohio River
County: Henderson
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Flooding/swamping
AccidentEvent2: Capsizing
AccidentEvent3: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Overloading
AccidentCause2: Force of wake/wave
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On the evening of June 13, 2020, three people launched a 12 foot jon boat on the Ohio River in an attempt to go fishing. Shortly after launching the boat, it took on water over the gunwales and capsized. Another vessel in the area noticed the accident and went to help. Subject1 entered the water in an attempt to rescue the victims. He was able to get subject2 back to the vessel where Subject1's father held onto Subject2 until search and rescue arrived to take over. Subject2 was apparently in cardiac arrest and CPR was given. Subject2 was taken to the hospital but did not survive. Subject1 attempted to rescue Subject3 as well but was unable. A third person was rescued without injury. An extensive search was conducted that evening until 23:28 hrs.  The search resumed the next day at 0700 hrs. and continued until 19:13 hrs with no recovery. The search resumed on June 15th and the body of subejct3 was recovered by rescue units at 15:25 hrs. Cause of death for both individuals was consistent with drowning. Contributing to the accident was overloading of the boat and possibly the wakes of other boats in the area.


BARDID: KY-2020-0015
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2020-06-13 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 16:35:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Green River Lake
NearestCityorTown: Campbellsville
County: Taylor
WaterConditions: Choppy
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with floating object
AccidentEvent2: Fall in vessel
AccidentCause1: Operator inattention
AccidentCause2: Missing or inadequate navigation aids
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On June 13th of 2020, Conservation Officers received a call from Fire Chief that a vessel on Green River Lake had struck a pipe in front of Camp Kentahten at 1635 EST. 

I then advised dispatch to contact Taylor County Dispatch to get more information. I arrived on scene at 1644 EST to locate a dark red runabout with Kentucky registration number KY 0667UW that was being operated by OPERATOR 1. I then asked if everyone on board was okay and they stated yes besides OPERATOR 1's daughter and his self. 

OPERATOR 1 stated that his right knee was hurting him which he stated that the vessel came to a complete stop and he hit his knee on something which looked swollen. He then advised me that he had multiple preexisting injuries to both of his knees. I then asked the subject if he wanted me to have EMS meet us at the ramp which he refused and refused transport and advised that if it didn't stop hurting he would go to the hospital. I then asked OPERATOR 1's 8-year-old daughter what happened to her and what was hurting when they stated she had been thrown into the floor when they came to a complete stop. I then looked at his daughter who stated that she hit her shoulder and head but thought she hit her head on the chair, she had a little red spot on her head. 

I also advised OPERATOR 1 if they took his daughter to let me know since they didn't not want EMS to transport or be called. I then observed a black pipe that OPERATOR 1 had struck, I then took a picture of it. OPERATOR 1 and his passengers then left the location to go and pull their vessel out of the water while I waited for the Corp of Engineers to bring a Danger buoy to that location. 

OPERATOR 1 had called me and sent me a text message at 2117 EST stating he had left the hospital. I then contacted OPERATOR 1 by phone which he stated that he had just left he hospital and that they had stated he did not need to put any weight on it and that he needed to see an orthopedic surgeon to look at his knee due to this preexisting injuries. I then advised OPERATOR 1 that I will follow up with him and the other individuals that were on his vessel at the time of accident on June 14th of 2020. I also advised OPERATOR 1 that I would also look at his vessel to see if it had any damage and document the papers that the hospital he had received. 

On June 14th of 2020, Conservation Officers went to Campfire Ridge camp ground off of Capps Road in Campbellsville which is where I met with OPERATOR 1 and the other individual son his vessel to get statements of what had happened. While I was at that location I looked at OPERATOR 1's vessel which there was some small scratches on the lower unit of the vessel but there was not other visible damage to the vessel. I looked at the drivers console to see if there was damage to it where OPERATOR 1's right knee it which there was not. 

OPERATOR 1 stated in his written statement that he was pulling his wife and son on their tube which he was using a 60-ft tube rope. OPERATOR 1 said he was approximately 300 foot off of the shore line in front of camp Kenahten which he estimated his speed while pulling the tube around 25-30 mph. 

OPERATOR 1 stated that he was continually checking his surroundings in front of him and behind him even thought he had a spotter. OPERATOR 1 said that the vessel all of a sudden came to a complete stop instantly throwing in to the helm which more specifically his right knee took most of the impact which also cause him to enage full throttle. All of his passengers had been thrown forward as well. OPERATOR 1 had very severe knee pain to his right knee. 

TUBER 1 stated in her written statement that she was on the tube with her son. TUBER 1 stated that the boat came to a complete stop water was going ever where off the back of the boat. The tube was inches from slamming into the back of the boat. TUBER 1 stated that they had went from moving to a dead stop which had thrown her daughter from her seat which caused her to hit her should hand head. TUBER 1 state that there were no makers for the areas where the pipe was. 

PASSENGER 1 stated in his written statement that he was sitting in the middle of the back bench seat in the boat. They were moving down the lake and was approaching Camp Kentahten when the boat hit was seemed to be a water pipe that had floated up from the bottom. PASSENGER 1 stated that it caused the boat to come to a complete stop and thrown him off the bench seat into the floor. The boat was stuck on the pipe so PASSENGER 1 got in the water and PASSENGER 2 stated in her written statement that she was sitting in the bow of the boat with her daughter on the other side. PASSENGER 2 stated that they were moving down the lake pulling tubers when the boat came to a complete stop and was thrown from their seats up to the bow of the boat. PASSENGER 2 looked back to see water being thrown up around the back of the boat around the prop area. After the boat came to a stop the boat was turned off and hey made sure all the kids were okay. They looked in the water to see a large long pipe floating, it was under the boat by prop area. PASSENGER 2 stated she was not injured just sore.

Another passenger stated in her written statement that she was sitting behind the driver's seat. She was thrown from her seat but wasn't hurt. She stated that she got back in her seat and grabbed minor passenger because she was crying. The passenger stated that the stop was strong enough to throw every one from their seats and cause the tube to almost hit the back of the boat. The boat was stuck on the pipe for a while then her dad got them off the pipe. 

The other passengers that were on the boat was sitting in the middle of the back bench seat which she was thrown into the floor hitting her shoulder and head on the chair PASSENGER 1 had stated while I was on the scene of the accident. Another passenger who was sitting on the passenger seat across from the driver's seat facing backwards watching the tubers stated by PASSENGER 2. 

OPERATOR 1 has stated to me on the day of the accident that he has had multiple knee surgeries to both knees prior to the day of the accident. 

I advised OPERATOR 1 the reason he seen the water come up from the prop area of his vessel and the noise of the motor revving up was because when he hit the pipe the lower unit gave allowing the prop to come up out of the water. 
On June 15th of 2020 OPERATOR 1 had notified me that he had an appointment on Wednesday with his orthopedic surgeon. 
I talked to the Corps of Engineers on June 16th of 2020 about the black pipe that was in the water which they stated it was an irrigation pipe that the Camp Kentahten had used for their water runoff. I believe part of the pipe came up from the bottom of the lake due to its anchoring system detreating over time of being in the water or from the high waters the lake experienced for multiple months, but there could be other reasons for part of the pipe to rise up that are unknown. 

On June 23rd of 2020 OPERATOR 1 advised me after I contacted him to see if he had heard anything from his doctor which he advised me he had an MRI done on June 22nd of 2020 and that he would have appointment with his doctor on June 24th of 2020. 
On June 24th of 2020 OPERATOR 1 had contacted me and stated that they are wanting to send him to a doctor in Louisville to look at his knee that he is going to have surgery to correct his knee. OPERATOR 1 stated on the phone which was recorded on body cam that his patella tendon was damaged and going to have to have surgery.

On December 4th of 2020 at 1345 EST I spoke with OPERATOR 1 which he had advised me that they did not have to have surgery on his knee that the doctor let it heal on its own. OPERATOR 1 could not remember his release date but stated the doctor had released him and has not had any follow up appointments for a couple of months.


BARDID: KY-2020-0016
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2020-06-12 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 20:10:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Williamston Lake
NearestCityorTown: Williamstown
County: Grant
WaterConditions: Choppy
Wind: Light
Visibility: Unknown
AccidentEvent1: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Operator inexperience
AccidentCause2: Force of wake/wave
DayofWeek: Friday
RedactedNarrative:
On June 12, 2020 at approximately 8:10 PM, OPERATOR 1 was operating a purple and green Personal Watercraft (HIN# SSB30541M83F) on Williamstown Lake in Grant County. While operating the PWC at a moderate speed, he hit large wake from vessels traveling in two different directions. The impact with wake caused OPERATOR 1 to be ejected over the front of the vessel. OPERATOR 1 made contact with the handlebars and sustained a small laceration to his chin as well as a laceration to his right collarbone area.  OPERATOR 1 was transported to Children's Hospital in Cincinnati, OH and diagnosed with a broken collarbone. 


BARDID: KY-2020-0017
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2020-06-21 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 11:40:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake Cumberland
NearestCityorTown: Burnside
County: Pulaski
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Skier mishap
AccidentCause1: Operator inexperience
AccidentCause2: Other
AccidentCause3: Operator inattention
OtherAccidentCause: Passenger/skier behavior
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On June 21, 2020 at approximately 1130 hours EST passenger, TUBER 1, of Kentucky rental Vessel 1, (KY-0702-NG), partially amputated a toe on his right foot near the Burnside Marina on Lake Cumberland in Pulaski County, KY. 

TUBER 1 stated that OPERATOR 1 was attempting to bring Vessel 1 upon plane when the rope attached to the tube, which was along side the vessel, got wrapped around his foot. As the tube pulled the rope to its end the rope tangled around one of TUBER 1's toes subsequently pulling it off. Only a small portion of skin held the toe on his foot. TUBER 1 refused medical transport at the ramp at Burnside Marina but was taken to the University of Kentucky by his privately owned vehicle. Due to the time sensitivity of reattaching the digit phone numbers were obtained for the other passengers for follow-up investigation.
I spoke with the TUBER 1’s mother days following the accident and was advised that TUBER 1 had a portion of the second digit on his right foot removed at the University of Kentucky Hospital.                                                                                                                                                                      
*** Alcohol is not suspected in this incident
*** Case # 7065-22004
*** EMS Run #5447


BARDID: KY-2020-0018
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2020-05-31 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 18:30:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Yatesville Lake
NearestCityorTown: Louisa
County: Lawrence
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: No wind
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentEvent2: Person struck by vessel
AccidentCause1: Alcohol
AccidentCause2: Operator inattention
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
5-31-2020 1830 hours:  While on patrol of Yatesville Lake, we noticed a black and red boat on the lake.  I noticed several juveniles on the boat to which I looked at the boat through binoculars to verify they were wearing PFD's noticing a white male operating the boat an adult female and three juveniles on the boat.  

After passing the boat we were flagged down to another boat and several kayakers who informed us that a black and red boat with the numbers WV129AAD on the side had just hit one of the kayakers.  Once we confirmed that the kayaker who was hit was ok we then left to find the suspected boat. 
 
1836 hours:  We radioed post 14 notified them of the situation and to have units looking for the boat.
1839 hours:  Boat was located entering the no wake zone to the Yatesville Marina.  we stopped the boat and a white male subject was operating the boat a female and three juveniles were also on the boat.  upon contact with the operator, I could smell a strong odor of alcoholic beverages on the boat.  Sitting on the floor next to him was a box for Crown Royal whiskey and a brown paper bag.  I requested subject to enter our vessel and he was placed in a PFD before he disembarked his vessel.  I had to help him as he was unsteady on his feet and appeared to be having trouble just standing.  I gave him a battery of field sobriety tests and he failed them indicating he was intoxicated.  I then placed him in handcuffs and advised him that he was under arrest.  At this time subject became somewhat belligerent but was not combative.  

1901 hours:  On our vessel I notified post 14 that I was 10-15 in-route to meet transport officer.  
1915 hours:  I loaded subject in the truck and left the marina in-route to the detention facility to administer intoxilizer and release him to transport officer to take him to the jail.  Subject then became belligerent and confrontational and was cursing and yelling.  Subject would not get into truck at first and Officer and I had to put subject into the truck.  

1946 hours:  when I arrived to meet the transport officer, the subject began complaining of chest pains and I transported him to Three Rivers Medical Center for treatment.  
2056 hours:  I was notified that the jail would not accept subject and that he was to be cited to court for July 28th 2020 by order of the Judge.  Subject was cited to court and released and I then notified him and gave him his citation.  Subject was very confrontational during the entire process not only to myself but also to the hospital staff. OPERATOR 1 was cited on citation number charged with BUI, Resisting arrest, Disorderly Conduct, and Menacing.


2230 hours:  I arrived back at the marina to meet other officers.  They advised me that they had interviewed the witnesses and the following is what I was informed of.
OPERATOR 2:
Advised she saw the boat coming fast.  She advised she couldn't get out of the way she jumped out of kayak and boat went over top of kayak and he went on and then came back.

OPERATOR 2’s father:
He was kayaking when he saw a boat approaching headed straight for OPERATOR 2.  He heard his fiance screaming then saw the boat hit OPERATOR 2’s kayak.  They were all safe and made it to land.

VESSEL 2 Passenger:
She advised she was kayaking on Yatesville Lake and a boat came and was going slow and sped up and my niece was kayaking with me and the boat sped up and ran over her kayak.  We found a park ranger and he went to find them, he the boater came back and cussed us and then left and didn't help.  
OPERATOR 2 was taken to TRMC the next morning complaining of respiratory issues stemming from the collision.

VESSEL 1 passenger:
I spoke with her over the phone.  She was the female in the boat with OPERATOR 1.  She told me that she didn't know he was drinking at first.  She stated that he had a water bottle filled with what looked like tea and kept drinking it.  She later saw the bottle of Crown Royal whiskey in the boat and told him that she had her three sons in the boat and she didn't like him drinking.  She was very upset with him for that but she stated that she saw the kayakers and noticed he was headed straight for one.  She tried to get him to stop but he kept going and hit one of them.  She said he wasn't going to stop but she made him go back.  She told me when he went back he became confrontational with them cussing them and told them to get out of his way.  He cussed at them some more and then left.  It was then we stopped him and she said she was glad that we stopped him and got him off of the boat.  

I spoke with another VESSEL 1 passenger also over the phone who told me that he did come back after a few minutes and that he began cussing at them and tried to get them to fight.  she stated that he seemed very mad at them for being in the water.  She also advised that there were several other kayakers getting out of the water where they did, who saw his boat, and said that he drove at them and acted like he was going to run over them.  she didn't get their names but the rental facility may have them.

Case is currently under investigation pending court decision.


BARDID: KY-2020-0019
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2020-06-21 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 17:31:00
CoordinatesConfidence: NC
NameOfBodyOfWater: Kentucky Lake
NearestCityorTown: Fenton
County: Trigg
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Falls overboard
AccidentCause1: Sudden medical condition
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On 06/21/2020 at approximately 18:21 myself and Unit were dispatched to a drowning at Sugar Bay on Kentucky Lake in Trigg County. After arriving on scene a short time after I was advised by U.S. Forest Service Law Enforcement that the victim had been pulled to the bank across from the boat ramp. 

I was also advised  EMS and another U.S Forest Service Officer were with Victim on the bank and that he was deceased.  The wife of the deceased victim stated that she and Victim were on separate jet ski's and that she had turned around in the bay to take her youngest son to the bank and pick up her oldest son to give him a ride when she turned and looked to see where Victim was and noticed that he was not on the jet ski he was operating. 

She stated he was holding on to the jet ski when she got to the jet ski and grabbed his arm. Victim’s wife stated Victim was saying he could not breathe and that he was going to die. Victim’s wife stated she sat down on the jet ski and put her legs into the water to try and hold him and started screaming for help. Two people were passing by in a boat when they noticed Victim in the water and Victim’s wife screaming for help. They tied a rope around Victim underneath his arms and pulled him up out of the water and tied him to the boat so they could get him to the bank. They got him as far as they could up on the bank but Victim was still partly in the water. All three performed CPR till EMS and U.S. Forest Service officers arrived. 
 
Victim’s wife stated that early in the day and for the past Victim had issues breathing and has had to use his inhaler quiet often. She also said that he was known to have high blood pressure and anxiety/depression.


BARDID: KY-2020-0021
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2020-07-04 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 15:30:00
CoordinatesConfidence: NC
NameOfBodyOfWater: CAVE RUN LAKE
NearestCityorTown: Salt Lick
County: Bath
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Capsizing
AccidentEvent2: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Overloading
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
Victim was in a 10 ft. Pelican Kayak (blue) with his girlfriend near the Stoney Cove Boat Ramp and swimming area on Cave Run Lake.  Their kayak flipped over approximately 45 yards from the shore in 16 feet deep water. They called out for help and several people went toward them attempting to help. 

Girlfriend was met half-way to shore by a lady who handed her a life jacket, then made it safely to shore. a witness, says he and another made it within seven feet or so before Victim went under and never resurfaced. Neither subject in the kayak had a life jacket on nor with them. Officer were quickly on the scene and dove down several times in an attempt to locate Victim with no success. Victim was located by Officers using the patrol boat's sonar unit and brought up by divers at approximately 1735 hours. 

Upon further investigation, it was determined that the kayak was rented from an individual in Lexington. We were unable to determine the identity of the Kayak owner due to the victims girlfriend not knowing and the victims brother failing to return phone calls regarding the situation. We determined that this information was not pertinent considering the situation. Also, the toxicology report indicated that Victim was not under the influence of any legal or illegal drugs or alcohol.  several eye-witnesses confirmed that the kayak was specifically a one-man kayak and two individuals were aboard at the time of this incident. This extra weight resulted in over-loading which was the primary causation of the accident


BARDID: KY-2020-0022
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2020-07-04 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 17:58:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: KENTUCKY RIVER
NearestCityorTown: FRANKFORT
County: FRANKLIN
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Person struck by propeller
AccidentCause1: Alcohol
AccidentCause2: Operator inattention
AccidentCause3: Operator inexperience
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On July 4, 2020, Officers and myself were about to put our boat in the Kentucky River Pool 4 for a shift on the river. Upon our arrival we were flagged down and asked if we were here for the boat accident. We went down the boat ramp and met the victim PASSENGER 1 who was being transported by another vessel from the scene of the accident at Big Eddy Beach on the 4 pool of the KY River. The vessel that PASSENGER 1 was on came to the boat ramp a short time later and I began conducting interviews on the witnesses. Witnesses included OPERATOR 1 who was the operator of the vessel at the time of the accident, the boat owner, and two others. While conducting my interviews it was established that PASSENGER 1 was sitting on the back deck of the pontoon boat when the accident occurred. All persons interviewed had admitted to drinking alcohol throughout the day. The operator of the vessel was moving the pontoon closer to the beach at Big Eddy where it had been stationary and was unaware that the victim was sitting on the back deck. When OPERATOR 1 moved the vessel into gear the victim’s feet and legs were in the water and his right foot suffered injuries from the prop. The victim was transported by another boat to the east/west connector boat ramp where he was then transported by Franklin County EMS. He suffered lacerations to his right foot and a broken right ankle.


BARDID: KY-2020-0023
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2020-07-01 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 17:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: LAKE CUMBERLAND
NearestCityorTown: MONTICELLO
County: WAYNE
WaterConditions: Choppy
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Operator inexperience
AccidentCause2: Operator inattention
AccidentCause3: Force of wake/wave
DayofWeek: Wednesday
RedactedNarrative:
On July 1, 2020 at approximately, 1700 hours EST operator, OPERATOR 1, of Kentucky vessel, (KY-0914 PZ),Vessel 1, was cruising down the main channel of Lake Cumberland near the Fall Creek area in Wayne County, KY when his PWC went airborne due to jumping a large wake. OPERATOR 1 stated that he was following an unknown vessel jumping its wake when another unknown vessel passed the other vessel going the opposite direction, passing port to port. The wake created by both unknown vessels created an unexpected, larger wake. This caused Vessel 1 to be propelled in the air. PASSENGER 1 was ejected from Vessel 1 and sustained injury to his pelvic area due to the impact with the water. OPERATOR 1 was also ejected from Vessel 1 and sustained a broken left foot caused by contact with the PWC during his ejection. Both checked themselves into the Wayne County hospital at approximately 1800 hours for examination. I received the call from KSP Post 11 at approximately 0027 on July 2nd, that PASSENGER 1 was being transported by ambulance from the Wayne County hospital to the University of Kentucky for further examination. 
I contacted OPERATOR 1 and PASSENGER 1 via phone at approximately 0900 hours on July 2, 2020. PASSENGER 1 was still being treated at the UK hospital at the time of the call so minimal information was obtained during the call. OPERATOR 1 had been released from the hospital at the time of my call but was uncertain to many questions asked due to his unfamiliarity with Lake Cumberland and his minimal recollection of the event. The accident location listed in the report is a general location based on accounts given by OPERATOR 1 and PASSENGER 1. 
A witness statement was obtained from PASSENGER 1 via email and is attached to the witness statement tab in this report. PASSENGER 1 and OPERATOR 1 are in agreeance with the chain of events that led up to the accident.
*** Surgery was performed on OPERATOR 1 and PASSENGER 1 at a later date as a result of this incident.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
*** No damage was reported for Vessel 1                                                                                                                                                                     
*** Alcohol is unknown in this incident
*** Case# 7065-22006


BARDID: KY-2020-0024
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2020-07-04 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 12:59:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: KY LAKE
NearestCityorTown: BENTON
County: MARSHAL
WaterConditions: Choppy
Wind: Light
Visibility: Unknown
AccidentEvent1: Person struck by propeller
AccidentCause1: Operator inattention
AccidentCause2: Machinery failure
MachineryFailure: Shift
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
At around 1250 hours in front of Jonathan Creek boat ramp on KY Lake, OPERATOR 1, was attempting to start a pontoon boat that he had purchased the day prior. 3 male juveniles were in the water swimming near the rear of pontoon. According to operator and witnesses, the outboard started and was in neutral but the outboard went into gear and the propeller struck SWIMMER 1, causing multiple deep lacerations down the length of his right side. SWIMMER 1 was airlifted to Nashville. I arrived on scene while victim was being given medical aid.  No persons were wearing pfds and no alcohol was found or suspected.   


BARDID: KY-2020-0025
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2020-06-14 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 17:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: TAYLORSVILLE LAKE
NearestCityorTown: TAYLORSVILLE
County: SPENCER
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with submerged object
AccidentEvent2: Flooding/swamping
AccidentCause1: Operator inexperience
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
A rental pontoon operated by OPERATOR 1 was towing a tube with two minors onboard the tube. OPERATOR 1 stated that he hit a submerged object while on plane. OPERATOR 1 stated that the pontoon began to list to the starboard and he then navigated the vessel to shore. OPERATOR 1 stated that he then called the marina as the pontoon began to list even more. Taylorsville Lake Marina contacted me to go check on the pontoon. Officers arrived at the accident site to find the pontoon sideways against the shore and listing heavily. I instructed all persons onboard to put on a PFD as we came alongside. We took all seven persons on to our vessel and transported them to the marina. A marina employee came out and towed the pontoon back to the marina where marina employees took it out of the water on a trailer. The pontoon sustained damage to the starboard tube at the front section with a large gash extending back about five feet. The entire starboard tube seemed to be filled with lake water.


BARDID: KY-2020-0026
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2020-07-04 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 19:24:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: LAKE BARKLEY
NearestCityorTown: KUTTAWA
County: LYON
WaterConditions: Rough
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Fall in vessel
AccidentCause1: Alcohol
AccidentCause2: Force of wake/wave
AccidentCause3: Excessive speed
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On 7/4/2020 at approximately 7:20 PM a single vessel accident occurred on Lake Barkley near Davenport Bay resulting in a serious physical injury for one occupant on board. 

The vessel involved was a 2006 Sting Ray 200LX (KY-0525-VB). It was propelled by a single 210 HP inboard/outboard engine and was 20' in length. There were 6 occupants on board and the vessel was being operated by OPERATOR 1 at the time of the accident. 

Officers were dispatched to this single-vessel accident with one occupant complaining of severe pain to her neck and head as a result of the boat hitting a large wave at a high rate of speed. According to multiple occupants on board PASSENGER 1 was riding in front of the windshield on the port side of the vessel in a cushioned seat, as is common on this style of open-motorboat. 

Somewhere near the main lake, they struck a large wave at a high rate of speed causing PASSENGER 1 to leave her seat vertically. One occupant described PASSENGER 1 reaching a vertical height above that of the windshield on this particular vessel. It was then described to officers by occupants that PASSENGER 1 fell onto the floor of the boat between the front seats landing on her head and neck in a violent manner. Others on board then went on to describe PASSENGER 1's head bouncing abrubtly and repeatedly on the floor until the boat could come to a stop. 

After officers escorted this vessel out of the main-lake and to the courtesy dock at Hu-B's Marina in Kuttawa, Paramedics with Lyon County EMS transported the injured occupant to Western Baptist Hospital in Paducah. It was also at this time when officers learned that OPERATOR 1 was operating the vessel during the accident as previously stated as well as the fact that OPERATOR 1 had been consuming multiple alcoholic beverages throughout the day. 

KDFWR performed Field Sobriety Tests (FSTs) on OPERATOR 1 and consequently OPERATOR 1 was arrested for Boating Under the Influence of Alcohol-1st Offense (See Attachments for scanned copy of citation and Intoxilyzer Receipt)

Another occupant on board, complained of pain to her lower left arm, her back and to some of her teeth as a result of the accident but had denied EMS treatment on scene at the courtesy dock. This occupant was also sitting in the bow of the vessel across from PASSENGER 1.


BARDID: KY-2020-0027
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2020-07-03 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 18:28:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: NOLIN RIVER LAKE
NearestCityorTown: CLARKSON
County: GRAYSON
WaterConditions: Choppy
Wind: No wind
Visibility: Unknown
AccidentEvent1: Person struck by vessel
AccidentEvent2: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentCause1: Improper lookout
AccidentCause2: Restricted vision
DayofWeek: Friday
RedactedNarrative:
On July 3rd 2020, at approximately 18:38 CST, Sgt. Blackwell and I were made aware of a boat accident that had just occurred at the mouth of Conoloway Cove on Nolin River Lake in Grayson County. Dispatch advised a pontoon had ran over a female in the water, and then collided with a stationary vessel. Dispatch advised the female in the water, did not have any visible injuries, but was complaining her arm was numb. Dispatch was requested to send EMS to the Conoloway boat ramp as a precaution.  We arrived on scene around 18:47 CST, and observed two vessels next to each other with noticeable signs of damage. 

I then made contact with the other vessel and asked on the condition of the female who was struck by the pontoon. Victim was the female who was struck, and she advised that she was fine but her arm still felt numb. I escorted the vessel Victim was in to the Conoloway boat ramp and waited for EMS to arrive. While waiting for EMS, I took photos of the damages, gathered personal information and collected statements. 

	V2 owner was the owner of the vessel 2, which was struck by the pontoon (vessel 1). Along with V2 owner, there was seven occupants on the vessel.   V2 owner stated they just finished skiing, and were sitting on his boat, in Conoloway cove. Victim was in the water next to their vessel, talking to other passengers in the vessel 2. This is when they heard vessel 1 heading towards their direction, and when Victim turned around, she saw a pontoon coming straight towards her. Victim attempted to go underwater to avoid the pontoon and her left arm was ran over by one of the toons.  Victim resurfaced and hit her head on the back deck of the pontoon. After the pontoon hit Victim, the passenger side of the pontoon collided with the driver side of V2 owner’s vessel in a side swiping motion. After the incident, both parties met up, and made sure everyone was okay, then called 911	
	
	Operator1 stated that he was operating the pontoon (vessel 1) down the lake, heading down Conoloway Cove. Operator1 said he had several individuals setting at the bow of his vessel, unintentionally hindering his view. The passengers of the pontoon began to yell at him, but due to lack of vision, he could not see the swimmer or the vessel in front of him. When Operator1 saw V2 owner’s vessel (vessel 2), he attempted to throttle back and maneuver away, but it was too late and the boats collided. Operator1 also stated he never saw Victim swimming in the water. Operator1’s account of the incident followed the same narrative as all other statements. Operator1 had nine other occupants in his vessel at the time of the incident, however, statements provided were only from the front occupants, due to them having a better visual of the incident than the passengers located at the rear of the vessel. Operator1, along with the four occupants at the bow, provided statements.	
	
	Hart County EMS (run# 1688) arrived at approximately 19:15 CST, Victim was checked and cleared by EMTs at 19:35 CST. No other injuries were reported, both officers cleared the scene at roughly 19:37 CST.

	In my opinion, as a Conservation Officer with 3 years of boat patrol experience, Operator1, the owner and operator of the pontoon vessel (Vessel 1) was at fault. The primary contributing factor causing the incident was Operator1’s vision being obstructed, due to the passengers sitting in front of him. This accident might have been avoided if Operator1 would have asked the passengers to change seats, or if he would have stood up to see over their heads.


BARDID: KY-2020-0028
State: KY
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2020-07-12 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 03:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: BARKLEY LAKE
NearestCityorTown: GRAND RIVERS
County: LIVINGSTON
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Unknown
AccidentEvent1: Fire/explosion (unknown origin)
AccidentCause1: Unknown
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On 07/12/2020 at approximately 03:00 AM a fire started at Green Turtle Bay Resort.  The fire originated on the vessel "Hoboat II”.  The vessel was a 1988 42' Gibson house boat located on pier 11, slip 12.

Officers were dispatched to this call at approximately 06:00 AM.  Upon arrival at the scene it was noticed this had been a very large fire with a significant amount of damage to vessels and the pier.  Fire and rescue had controlled the fire and had moved vessels that were still burning away from the piers.  On pier 11 there was a total of 12 vessels that had been damaged, 9 of them being a total loss.  Fortunately no one was injured during this fire.


BARDID: KY-2020-0029
State: KY
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2020-08-16 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 15:33:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: KY LAKE
NearestCityorTown: MURRAY
County: CALLOWAY
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Unknown
AccidentEvent1: Flooding/swamping
AccidentEvent2: Sinking
AccidentCause1: Unknown
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
OPERATOR 1 was navigating his vessel across KY Lake near Anderson Bay when he stated something did not feel right about the performance of his vessel. He inspected inside the motor hatch and noticed water was inside. OPERATOR 1 activated his bilge pump but it could not keep up with water. OPERATOR 1 navigated toward White Beach but the vessel took on too much water and eventually listed and sank coming to rest in a shallow area. All occupants made it to shore safely. It is unknown at this time what cause the vessel to take on water and can not be determined until vessel is removed from lake.


BARDID: KY-2020-0030
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2020-07-29 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 17:15:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: WILLIAMSTOWN LAKE
NearestCityorTown: WILLIAMSTOWN
County: GRANT
WaterConditions: Choppy
Wind: Light
Visibility: Unknown
AccidentEvent1: Falls overboard
AccidentEvent2: Person struck by propeller
AccidentCause1: Operator inattention
AccidentCause2: Other
OtherAccidentCause: Passenger/skier behavior
DayofWeek: Wednesday
RedactedNarrative:
On July 29, 2020 at approximately 17:15 hours, OPERATOR 1 was operating his parent’s Bayliner boat (registration KY-0803-AC) on Williamstown lake in Grant County, with five passengers.  The victim, SUBJECT, was the last of the group to exit the water after swimming for the day.  According to witnesses, SUBJECT was entering the boat while it was in motion. 

While trying to enter the vessel, SUBJECT slipped on the ladder and fell over into the moving propeller of the vessel.   SUBJECT stated that attempted to step on the ladder with his left foot but missed, lost grip of the ladder and fell.  The impact with the propeller caused six lacerations to his left leg from the knee down to the top of his foot.  The lacerations (pictured) were approximately 3/4” in depth and one inch wide in places.  EMS responded to the scene and transported the victim to St. Elizabeth Florence and he was then transported to Cincinnati Children’s hospital. The victim was wearing his lifejacket with his legs through the armholes in a way that would resemble a diaper.  He had surgery following the incident and is expected to have a full recovery with physical therapy.


BARDID: KY-2020-0031
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2020-07-22 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 12:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: LAKE CUMBERLAND
NearestCityorTown: JAMESTOWN
County: RUSSELL
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Flooding/swamping
AccidentEvent2: Sinking
AccidentCause1: Hull failure
AccidentCause2: Equipment failure
EquipmentFailure: Auxiliary
OtherEquipmentFailure: Bilge pump
DayofWeek: Wednesday
RedactedNarrative:
On July 22, 2020 at approximately 12:00 PM CST Officers received information stating there was a boat on Lake Cumberland tied to a house boat that had sank during the night. I arrived on scene at 1348 CST accompanied by another officer at approximate GPS location 36 N 54'42" 85 W 01'51". Once on scene I took witness statements from PASSENGER 1 and OPERATOR 1, according to their statements they rented the boat a 1990 Bayliner with KY registration number 0010-WN,  from rental company on July 20th. PASSENGER 1 and OPERATOR 1 put the boat on the water and then towed the boat behind a rented house boat to the location where it sat until July 21st. On July 21st they took the boat out for about an hour and then tied it back to the house boat, when they woke up on July 22nd the boat had sunk. I contacted the boat owner and according to his statements he had told PASSENGER 1 and OPERATOR 1 that they must take the boat off the water each day to drain the water from the bilge. PASSENGER 1 and OPERATOR 1 said that they never received that information from boat owner. OPERATOR 1 also stated that he had turned the bilge pump on the night before, but could not advise if it was working correctly.                                                                                                                                                                                                       
To ensure that the vessel was not left on the water or abandoned I contacted the Corps of Engineers. The owner of the vessel did not have the finances available to have it towed, and the renters of the vessel refused to pay the tow bill.
On Saturday July 25th boat owner advised me that he had contacted Marine Assist in Jamestown requesting them to retrieve the vessel from the water, Marine Assist retrieved the vessel on Monday July 27th and stored it. On Wednesday, July 29th, Officers went to Marine Assist to take pictures of the vessel. When taking pictures of the vessel I noticed that there was a bonding agent around the drain hole indicating that there may have been a leak in the hull at some point.  When I was looking in the transom it appeared that the bilge pump was not hooked up, but it is unknown to me if this was a result of the boat sinking or if the bilge pump was not hooked up correctly prior to the incident.


BARDID: KY-2020-0032
State: KY
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2020-07-23 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 11:20:00
CoordinatesConfidence: NC
NameOfBodyOfWater: OHIO RIVER/ SMITHLAND DAM TAIL
NearestCityorTown: SMITHLAND
County: LIVINGSTON
WaterConditions: Rough
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with fixed object
AccidentEvent2: Flooding/swamping
AccidentEvent3: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Navigation rules violation
AccidentCause2: Hazardous waters
AccidentCause3: Dam/lock
DayofWeek: Thursday
RedactedNarrative:
On July 23, 2020 Operator & Occupant1 were fishing by boat below Smithand Dam on the Ohio River in Livingston County. According to a witness, Operator was operating the 18' jon boat at the time of the accident when he purposefully drove the boat into heavily turbulent water exiting gate #3 in an attempt to fish. 

Shorty after reaching this position, the turbulent water battered the jon boat heavily against nearby concrete on the right side of the gate. The witness, who was close by in his own boat, went on to say that he believed the operator panicked when he couldn't reverse the jon boat out of heavy turbulence. The operator then shifted the 50hp Mercury tiller handle outboard into forward gear and increased throttle dramatically to the point that the bow of his jon boat ran directly into the concave-shaped gate and continued to climb up until the transom of the boat lost buoyancy and went underwater. It was at this point that both men went into the water, neither of which wearing a life jacket. 

Through further interview of the witness investigators learned that just prior to both victims entering the water, Occupant1 was actually holding an inflatable-style Type II PFD in its inflated state. Very soon after entering the water, Occupant1 was crushed between the concrete and the violently rolling jon boat. He then disappeared underwater. Operator was still visible and conscious when the witness was able to throw him a small round buoy roughly 10" in diameter. The witness saw Operator grab onto the buoy and successfully hold it for approximately 30 seconds at which point, and for unknown reason, Operator lost his grip and then disappeared underwater. 

Authorities were notified after 911 was called by the witness. Shortly after arrival, Emergency Management personel with Livingston County S&R located and recovered the body of Occupant1 in gate #4. All clothing had been stripped from his body as a result of the turbulence. Officials with Livingston County S&R began CPR on Occupant1 at 11:43 AM and continued CPR until they met with EMS officials on the riverbank. EMS then resumed life saving measures using an AED (Automated External Defibrillator) at 11:52 AM but all attempts were unsuccessful. 

Operator' body wasn't located until the following date on 7/24 at approximately 2:45 PM. The step-son of Operator and the son’s cousin found Operator' body floating several hundred yards downstream of the dam near the current dikes off the longest lock wall. Operator was also recovered with nearly all articles of clothing stripped from his body minus velcro-strapped sandals on his feet, boxer briefs and one glove on his right hand. 

In both instances of recovery, the victim's bodies were immediately taken into possession by the Livingston County Coroner's Office. 


BARDID: KY-2020-0033
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2020-08-15 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 11:20:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: LAKE CUMBERLAND
NearestCityorTown: MONTICELLO
County: WAYNE
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentCause1: Operator inexperience
AccidentCause2: Excessive speed
AccidentCause3: Improper lookout
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
August 15, 2020 at approximately 12:20pm, Sgt. responded to a property damage accident in Harmon Creek on Lake Cumberland. Once on scene it was determined that Vessel 1 (State Dock Houseboat 64, a 62' Admiral, HIN: MWC64680L495), driven by OPERATOR 1, was attempting to pull alongside Vessel 2 (State Dock Houseboat 70, a 62' Admiral, HIN: SNS000021595) to moor when the two vessels collided.  Vessel 2 was beached on the bank at the time.        
OPERATOR 1 advised that she realized she was going too fast and attempted to put Vessel 1 in reverse to avoid collision but could not alter the vessel's momentum. The starboard side bow of Vessel 1 collided with the port side stern of Vessel 2 causing damage to the railing and A/C unit on Vessel 2.  OPERATOR 1 had less than an hour of experience driving a houseboat and was the only one aboard at the time of the accident, therefore, there was no lookout to help her navigate as she attempted to beach Vessel 1.    
 Management from the Lake Cumberland State Dock were notified of the incident.  OPERATOR 1 and a witness, OPERATOR 2, both stated that no one witness the accident on Houseboat 70 other than them and that no one was injured.          
 Vessel 1 was going too fast while attempting to pull alongside Vessel 2.  Due to a lack of experience by the operator of Vessel 1, and having no lookout, the operator was unable to stop the momentum of Vessel 1 in time to avoid a collision with Vessel 2.  This collision caused damage to the railing and A/C unit located on the port side stern of Vessel Two. 		


BARDID: KY-2020-0034
State: KY
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2020-08-16 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 17:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Buckhorn Lake
NearestCityorTown: Buckhorn
County: Perry
WaterConditions: Rough
Wind: Strong
Visibility: Poor
AccidentEvent1: Capsizing
AccidentEvent2: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Hazardous waters
AccidentCause2: Weather
AccidentCause3: Force of wake/wave
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
I received a call around 0928 on 8-17-20 from LT. advising that a boat had overturned the night before and victims had spent the night in the water. After arriving at the scene the victims had been picked up by some fishermen and transported to the marina. I photographed the pontoon and got owners information and went to his residence and spoke with him and his wife.

 They advised me that a storm quickly came through and they started driving out of the hollow  they were parked  when 4 to 5 foot waves were crashing their pontoon. They advised that a wind gust then flipped their pontoon completely over from front to back. Their pontoon is  a 30ft enclosed cab SunTracker.  They were not wearing life jackets at time of accident. They advised after the aftermath that they had about a foot of airspace and she located 2 life jackets and they put them on. They advised that they hung onto the pontoons from about 1700 to 0600 until daylight, then climbed upon the boat.

 They advised the water temperature was warmer then outside air and was on a cliffline so they could not get to shore so they stayed in the water moving occasionaly to keep blood flow to stay warm. They advised that they went into the water about 1700 and returned to marina about 0800. 

At time I spoke with them they did not have any physical injuries but minor scratches but PASSENGER 1’s body temp was still 2 degrees below normal, she advised and OPERATOR 1’s temperature was normal where he had taken 2 warm showers. They both declined medical attention. I contacted the national weather service also and they advised me a thunderstorm warning was issued for the area between 1630 and 1700 yesterday and wind gust up to 60 mph.


BARDID: KY-2020-0035
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2020-08-04 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 15:30:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake Cumberland
NearestCityorTown: Jamestown
County: Russell
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentEvent2: Person struck by vessel
AccidentCause1: Operator inexperience
AccidentCause2: Operator inattention
AccidentCause3: Excessive speed
DayofWeek: Tuesday
RedactedNarrative:
On August 4, 2020, Officers responded to a boat accident involving injuries on Lake Cumberland in Russell County, KY. We were notified by dispatch that the victim had possibly sustained a broken leg due to a skiing accident. 

While enroute to Jamestown Marina, we were notified the victim had been transported by EMS to Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital in Somerset, KY. On the way to the hospital, I contacted Russell County Dispatch to obtain the victim’s name, OPERATOR 2.

Once we arrived at the hospital we made contact with PASSENGER 1. She stated she had hurt her leg on a jet ski not while skiing. She explained she was standing on the swim ladder located at the back of (Vessel #2) State Dock Rental Houseboat #453 registration number KY-0734-PK. She had her right foot on the second run of steps and her left foot was on the top run.  

OPERATOR 1 of Raleigh, NC was operating (Vessel #1) a 2005 SeaDoo Bombardier PWC registration number NC-9456-EJ. 

PASSENGER 1 stated OPERATOR 1 was pulling up to the back of the houseboat to pick her up and was approaching faster than she thought running into her left leg pinching it between the houseboat and the jet ski. Due to the pain and swelling, she believed her leg was broken because she couldn’t put any weight on it. 

Her husband was a passenger on the houseboat, but he didn’t witness anything. He was present with PASSENGER 1 at the hospital. The husband was able to provide names and contact information of other passengers on the houseboat. Since PASSENGER 1 had already received x-rays prior to our arrival, we waited around for the results. PASSENGER 1 didn’t sustain any breaks and would be released soon. 

We obtained GPS coordinates of their houseboat location and informed them we would follow up the next day to photograph evidence and interview other witnesses. Before leaving the hospital we took photographs of the victim’s injury and obtained a written statement from her.

On August 5, 2020, Officers went to the location of the accident via boat. We met with PASSENGER 1 and her husband. They both introduced us to the other passengers onboard the houseboat. The first person we talked to was the operator of Vessel #1, OPERATOR 1. We were given consent to speak with him from his mother. She wasn’t present on the houseboat, but she had spoken with PASSENGER 1 and advised it was okay for us to talk with her son. OPERATOR 1’s mother was also the registered owner of Vessel #1.

OPERATOR 1 stated he brought Vessel #1 around in a circle to pick up PASSENGER 1. He stated her leg got caught between the PWC about where the registration numbers were and ladder of the houseboat. He explained he was at idle speed when approaching the houseboat and was on the PWC alone. He also hadn’t had any boating safety courses before.

The next witness we talked to was PASSENGER 1 son.. Since he was also a juvenile, she gave us consent to speak with him. His statement matched what other witnesses had advised. Next we spoke with the other passengers onboard Vessel #2, but they hadn’t witnessed anything. 

Before leaving, we took photographs of the vessels involved and collected registration information. During the course of this investigation, I have made attempts to contact BOAT OWNER 1 to gain her date of birth and operator’s license number for the report, since she is the registered owner of Vessel #1, but she has failed to return my phone calls after leaving voicemails.

Contributing factors resulting in this accident is operator inexperience and inattention with Vessel #1. OPERATOR 1, 15 years of age is required by law to have completed a boating safety course before he can legally operate a PWC by himself. He failed to do so prior to operation. He also wasn’t focused on his surroundings, otherwise he would have avoided striking the victim. I suspect he was traveling greater than idle speed at the time of the accident based on the victim’s statement and him not having enough time to change his course to prevent the accident. The victim shouldn’t have been on the swim ladder and in the water as the PWC was approaching. I believe if she would’ve been on the houseboat deck platform this accident could’ve been avoided.


BARDID: KY-2020-0036
State: KY
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2020-08-22 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 19:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Rough River Lake
NearestCityorTown: McDaniels
County: Breckenridge
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with fixed object
AccidentEvent2: Fall in vessel
AccidentEvent3: Grounding
AccidentCause1: Alcohol
AccidentCause2: Operator inattention
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On August 22, 2020 at roughly 19.48 EST, KSP Post 4 called about a vessel that wrecked next to Rough River Lake in Breckenridge County Sheriff's Department. Dispatched advised there was one, possibly two, injured and EMS was enroute along with Breckinridge County Sheriff's Department. 

I contacted Breckinridge County Dispatch to get further details, and to find out which deputy was on scene. Breckinridge County Sheriff's Office, stated that a female occupant was transported by EMS to Twin Lakes Hospital for a shoulder injury and the male driver, OPERATOR 1, was still at the scene and appeared to be intoxicated. 

I arrived on scene at roughly 20:47 EST, and spoke with Breckinridge County Sheriff's Office, who already performed SFST's on OPERATOR 1, as well as administered two preliminary breath tests that showed a presence of alcohol. I then spoke with OPERATOR 1, as well as administered two preliminary breath tests that showed a presence of alcohol. I then spoke with OPERATOR 1, and asked how the accident occurred. 

OPERATOR 1 stated that he was leaving a benefit on the lake and when coming out of a bend on the lake, he saw a white speedboat coming towards his direction of travel. OPERATOR 1 said that he veered right to avoid the speedboat and saw the dock. OPERATOR 1 decided to travel between the dock and the bank to avoid hitting the boats that were slipped in the dock. This is when OPERATOR 1's vessel hit the dock then came to rest on the rocks and walkway to the dock. OPERATOR 1's passenger was sitting next to OPERATOR 1 and when the accident occurred, it propelled her to the front of the vessel. 

I could smell a presence of alcoholic beverage on OPERATOR 1's breath while he was telling the story, and OPERATOR 1 admitted to drinking roughly ten beers during the day. I performed Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus on OPERATOR 1 and observed six of six clues (although improperly documented on the citation), and then arrested OPERATOR 1 for probable cause boating under the influence 1st. I did not perform a full battery of SFSTs on OPERATOR 1 due to the two deputies performing various tests prior to my arrival and informing me of their observations on OPERATOR 1's intoxication. Deputies supplied a full statement of his observations. I departed the scene with OPERATOR 1 at roughly 21:33 EST and lodged OPERATOR 1 at the Breckinridge County Detention Center. 

PASSENGER 1 sustained minor injuries to her left shoulder, and was released from Twin Lakes Hospital. On August 23, 2020, I went back to the scene to take pictures and obtain a statement from the witness at the above address. Witness stated that she heard and saw OPERATOR 1's vessel hit their dock then rest on the walkway and rocks of the dock. Witness stated that she could not see if there was a white speedboat heading down the lake prior to the incident, but stated that no other boats arrived after the incident. 

In my opinion as a Conservation Officer of eight years, I believe that the cause of this incident was mainly due to alcohol intoxication followed by operator inattention.


BARDID: KY-2020-0037
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2020-09-25 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 15:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake Cumberland
NearestCityorTown: Monticello
County: Wayne
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentCause1: Alcohol
AccidentCause2: Navigation rules violation
AccidentCause3: Excessive speed
DayofWeek: Friday
RedactedNarrative:
On September 25th at approximately 1530 Officers were notified of a boating hit and run collision that had happened in the Otter Creek area of Lake Cumberland in Wayne County. I spoke to the caller and was told that his boat had been struck by a Fountain powerboat near the head of Otter Creek and sustained damage. He also stated the Fountain had Ohio registration on the side and that it had left the area of the collision. The caller was attempting to follow the Fountain while he was speaking with me and told me that they appeared to be heading to the Grider Hill area located in Indian Creek on Lake Cumberland and in Clinton County. I told the caller not to confront the subject in the other boat but to try and keep eyes on the other boat if possible. I then began driving toward Grider Hill in my patrol truck. 

Upon my arrival at Grider Hill I phoned the caller back and advised that I was at the marina. As I did this I began to walk down to the marina office when I observed a Fountain motorboat traveling toward the launching ramp area. I then received a call from the original caller stating the boat that struck him was heading toward the launching ramp. I went back to my patrol truck and began heading toward the launch ramp. Prior to my arrival the Fountain occupants were able to pull the boat from the water and attempt to leave the area on Highway 734. I was able traffic stop the vehicle pulling the Fountain a couple miles up the road. 

Upon stopping the boat, I made contact with the operator of the vehicle as well as two other occupants. I had been told by the caller that the boat that struck his had an operator and two other males aboard. When asked if some kind of accident had occurred the operator of the vehicle acknowledged that he had been operating his boat in Otter Creek and nearly had a collision. He stated he did not think he made contact with the other boat. He said the other boat operator had become belligerent and he decided to leave. When asked why he did not wait on Law Enforcement to arrive he stated that he did not have any damage. 

The operator was then asked to describe the events that had led up to what he called a near collision. He replied that he had been operating on the wrong side of a channel and after coming around a point heading back towards the main lake he met a fishing boat almost head on. He stated the fishing boat did not make adjustments to the direction it was going so he had to steer toward the bank on the left side. 

He estimated he missed the bow of the fishing boat by around 10 inches. He also stated that he been running around 45 miles per hour at the time and could not slow down or he was afraid he would not be able to turn sharply enough to miss the other vessel. 

When asked why he did not steer towards the right as required meeting heading on he did not have answer. The other occupants stated that they did not think the two boats make contact. I then walked around the Fountain and documented some damage. I gathered the information needed from the operator as well as serial and HIN numbers for the boat and engines. I then asked the operator about his use of alcoholic beverages as I had observed multiple clues of impairment. 

He admitted to consuming some alcoholic beverages throughout the day and consented to taking some sobriety tests. He showed multiple clues on these tests and was arrested for Boating Under the Influence and Operating a  Motor Vehicle Under the Influence. A subsequent intoxilizer recorded a BA of .083. The subject was lodged in the Clinton County Jail. 

After lodging the operator from the Fountain I then went back to Grider Hill where the original caller had remained. I gathered needed information from him and documented the damage on his vessel. He was not under the influence and was able to give a more detailed version of events as well as nearly an exact location of where the collision had occurred. He also told me that he had been traveling up Otter creek and was getting ready to head into the bank to fish. 

In his description as he was nearing the bank and slowing down from being on plane to fish the Fountain had cut the point in front of him then turned left in between him and the bank striking the bow of boat with the right stern corner or something on the right stern corner. There was obvious fresh damage on the bow and starboard side of his vessel. 

Vessel 1 for reporting purposes was a 1990 model 27 foot Fountain powerboat powered by twin Mercruiser 454 Inboard/Outdrives. Vessel 1 is currently registered in Ohio showing registration numbers of OH-9301-FS. It was operated by OPERATOR 1 and had 2 additional people on board. Vessel 1 did have all required safety equipment and the operator reported to have at one time taken a boater safety class offered by the Coast Guard Auxiliary in Ohio. The operator claimed to have been wearing the emergency lanyard while operating. The operator of Vessel 1 did not report any mechanical or equipment issues with his vessel. The operator of Vessel 1 did admit to have not been traveling to the right of mid channel as required. The operator of Vessel 1 also admitted to having steered toward his left when meeting Vessel 2 contrary to the Navigation Rules. The operator of Vessel 1 did not seem very familiar with the area of Lake Cumberland where the collision occurred as he did not know the creek name nor did he know how far in the creek he had traveled. 

Vessel 2 was a 2010 model 20 foot Skeeter fishing boat powered by a Yamaha 225 horsepower outboard engine. Vessel 2 had all required safety equipment on board and the operator claimed to have been wearing the emergency lanyard on his vessel as well as his pfd. The operator of Vessel 2 did not report ever having a safety inspection on his vessel and did not report any boater education classes. Vessel 2 is Kentucky registered and shows registration numbers of KY-0926-XJ. 

The operator of Vessel 2 stated that just prior to the collision he was slowing down to begin fishing and his boat had come off plane. He estimated his speed to be in the range of 20-25 mph. He stated that as he saw Vessel 1 coming at him he realized that he could not get out of the way due to not being on plane and moved to the rear port side of his boat believing he was going to have to jump out of the boat to avoid being ran over. He said the operator of Vessel 1 steered the wrong direction when meeting his boat head on and could not understand why did not steer the other way as he had move room in that direction to maneuver. The operator of Vessel 2 also said his boat was impacted by the rear starboard corner of something on the stern of Vessel 1. 

The operator of Vessel 1 failed to adhere to multiple rules and regulations while operating his vessel leading to a collision. The operator was not traveling to the right of mid channel in a narrow channel. The operator failed to steer toward starboard when meeting a vessel head on. The operator was under the influence of alcohol during operation. The operator failed to operate at a safe speed in the narrow area he was traveling through. The operator failed to operate his vessel in a manner prudent to avoid damage or injury. 

The operator of Vessel 2 was unable to make any maneuver to lessen the change of collision. At the time of the collision and just prior he had slackened his speed to the point of coming off plane. As this happened he was unable to adjust speed or direction of travel. He at this point was very limited in maneuverability.


BARDID: KY-2020-0039
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2020-07-14 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 17:47:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Kentucky Lake
NearestCityorTown: Benton
County: Marshall
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Skier mishap
AccidentCause1: Force of wake/wave
AccidentCause2: Operator inattention
DayofWeek: Tuesday
RedactedNarrative:
On 7-14-2020, OPERATOR 1 was pulling his two kids on a tube in Little Bear on KY Lake. He stated the tube hit a large wake and caused the 2 to become airborne. The 2 landed back on the tube but the both of their heads collided upon coming back down. 

OPERATOR 1 stated that TUBER 1 had a cracked molar and an altered state of consciousness. OPERATOR 1 transported both to the hospital by POV. Upon transport his daughter, TUBER 2, also had a change in consciousness and became sleepy. OPERATOR 1 pulled over and called 911. This is when KDFWR was notified and Officers went to the hospital and interviewed OPERATOR 1 and took statement. 2 children are expected to make a full recovery.  

This BAR was granted an extension. I have attempted to contact the vessel operator for details about getting the vessel info that was operated that day but have yet to make contact.


BARDID: KY-2020-0040
State: KY
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2020-09-21 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 20:30:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Nolin River Lake
NearestCityorTown: Cub Run
County: Hart
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Unknown
AccidentEvent1: Collision with floating object
AccidentCause1: Excessive speed
AccidentCause2: Restricted vision
DayofWeek: Monday
RedactedNarrative:
On Monday, September 21st, at approximately 20:38 EST I was notified of a boat accident that occurred on Nolin River Lake by Sergeant over the phone. Sgt. advised that there were no injuries and the operator OPERATOR 1, had struck a log in the middle of the lake. Both the vessel and the operator had departed the scene, and OPERATOR 1 requested a report. Due to this being non-injury accident, I would contact OPERATOR 1 the following day to gather information for the report.
I made contact with OPERATOR 1 on Tuesday, September 22nd, at approximately 12:00 EST, at his residence in Bonnieville, KY. I documented and photographed all damage to the vessel as well as conducted an interview with the operator. OPERATOR 1 stated that at 20:30 EST, on Monday September 21st, he was traveling between 60 and 65 mph coming from Barton's Run, and traveling to Wax Marina when he struck a tree that was floating in the middle of the Nolin River lake. OPERATOR 1 stated after the initial "hard" impact he observed a large object, from the corner of his eye, fly past his head and went into the lake. OPERATOR 1 later determined the large object to be the motor of his vessel. OPERATOR 1's vessel coasted on the rock wall where it came to a rest.  OPERATOR 1 was later able to wave down another boater who towed him to Wax Marina. 
It is the opinion of this officer that high speed during low light conditions were the main cause of the accident.


BARDID: KY-2020-0041
State: KY
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2020-08-25 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 21:14:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Rough River Lake
NearestCityorTown: Hardinsburg
County: Breckinridge
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: No wind
Visibility: Poor
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentEvent2: Fall in vessel
AccidentCause1: Restricted vision
AccidentCause2: Excessive speed
AccidentCause3: Alcohol
DayofWeek: Tuesday
RedactedNarrative:
On Tuesday August 25th, 2020 at approximately 21:26 EST, Officers were notified of a boat accident on Rough River Lake, near the North Fork Campground, with unknown injuries. I arrived on scene at 22:10 EST and observed three individuals standing by with Breckinridge County EMS at the North Fork boat ramp parking lot. The three individuals included OPERATOR 1, OPERATOR 2 AND VESSEL 2 PASSENGER. EMS advised that all three individuals refused medical treatment and departed the scene at 22:30 EST. I conducted separate interviews of all three individuals and took photographs of the vessels. I transported OPERATOR 2 AND VESSEL 2 PASSENGER to their truck and left the scene at 23:20.

OPERATOR 1, operator of vessel #1, stated that he was driving his vessel at "30 MPH" heading up the lake, just above the North Fork Campground, with a spotlight scanning for other boaters. He stated that the bugs were bad that night, and hitting him in the face. OPERATOR 1 saw a vessel in front of him fishing and he thought they were on the far side of the lake. OPERATOR 1 shut off his spotlight, so he would not blind the opposing vehicle, and when he came to the bend in the lake he looked up to see that he was coming right at the drifting vessel. OPERATOR 1 was unable to avoid hitting the other vessel and collided with OPERATOR 2's vessel while he was on plane. 

OPERATOR 2 stated he and his fishing partner were drifting against the south bank on Rough River Lake, when he heard his fishing partner shout, "jump!" OPERATOR 2 stated he attempted to jump off the boat, but was not able to clear the boat in time before the initial impact. OPERATOR 2 was thrown into the floor of his vessel and into the water from the impact of collision. OPERATOR 2 only suffered minor injuries to his head and arms, and refused medical treatment from Breckinridge County EMS. 

While fishing from the front of OPERATOR 2's vessel, PASSENGER 2 heard the sound of a boat engine coming toward them. When he looked up, he saw OPERATOR 1' vessel traveling in their direction and it did not appear that OPERATOR 1 was changing direction. He stated that he yelled for his fishing partner, OPERATOR 2, to jump off the vessel before impact. 

During the investigation, a preliminary breath test (PBT) to was administered both operators. OPERATOR 1 showed a presence of an alcoholic beverage (PBT .046) and stated that he had consumed about three beers earlier in the night.


BARDID: KY-2020-0042
State: KY
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2020-09-20 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 06:38:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Barren River Lake
NearestCityorTown: Glasgow
County: Barren
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Fire/explosion (unknown origin)
AccidentEvent2: Flooding/swamping
AccidentEvent3: Sinking
AccidentCause1: Unknown
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On Sunday, September 20th, KSP advised me of a multiple vessel fire, in a private dock, at Skagg's Creek on Barren River Lake at roughly 06:38 CST. Just before the location, I spotted several items floating in the middle of the lake, with smoke and flames still coming from them. Once on scene, at roughly 06:47 CST, I observed the Fire Department extinguishing a fire on a pontoon and several sections of wooden docks that were drifting across the lake. 

Barren County Sheriff's Office was already on scene and was gathering information from the vessel owners that were present. I made sure no one was injured, and went to retrieve a runaway vessel (Vessel #1) and docks that I saw on the way to the location. Vessel 1 was the only vessel that left the cove, and was floating in the middle of the lake. Vessel's 4 and 5 were still in the cove, and on the opposite side of the burnt dock. Vessel 6 was located in its original slip and Vessel 3 sank to the bottom of the cove. Once we got all the vessels and docks back into the proper location, we tied them up to extinguish the remaining flames. 

Once it was safe to be on the docks, I began to document the area and take pictures of the vessels that were involved in the incident. There are six vessels involved in the fire, five boat slips, and a boatlift that was damaged. I was unable to obtain information from several of the vessels due to the amount of fire damage, the registration and HIN numbers were unreadable. I was able to obtain a list from the Core Rangers, which showed the names of each slip holder and location of each damaged vessel. There was not a witness to the incident, and starting time of the fire is unknown. I spoke with the Arson Investigator from the KSP and he determined that the cause, exact location and origin of the fire is unknown. He stated the vessels and the docks were so badly burned that a lot of the evidence had either sank, burned or floated away. 

The private dock which was involved in the fire, had 10 boat slips and six had fire damage beyond repair. One had minor damage to her slip, as well as minor damage to a boatlift that can be fixed. All boat slips in the private dock will need to be replaced. 

Except for one vessel, all of the vessels are a total loss. The exception vessel had an outboard motor that took severe fire damage, and the stern of the vessel had minor to moderate fire damage. 

The insurance companies are in the process of going through the scene to determine where and how the fire started. Estimates for repairs are from guide on the last page of the report and from a local dock business, prices for materials not for labor.


BARDID: KY-2020-0043
State: KY
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2020-09-27 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 12:43:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Barkley Lake
NearestCityorTown: Eddyville
County: Lyon
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Fire/explosion (fuel)
AccidentEvent2: Person departed vessel
AccidentEvent3: Flooding/swamping
AccidentCause1: Machinery failure
AccidentCause2: Ignition of spilled fuel or vapor
MachineryFailure: Fuel
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
AT AROUND 1300 ON 9-27-2020 OPERATOR 1 and PASSENGER 1 WERE TRAVELING IN EDDY CREEK IN A 1971 CAPRI JET BOAT WHEN THEY NOTICED FUEL LEAKING FROM TANK. THEY STOPPED THE VESSEL, BUT THE FUEL IGNITED AND THEY WHERE UNABLE TO PUT FIRE OUT WITH THE ON BOARD FIRE EXTINGUISHER. THEY JUMPED IN TO THE LAKE AND WHERE PICKED UP BY A PASSING PONTOON. THE VESSEL EVENTUALLY SANK. 


BARDID: KY-2020-0044
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2020-09-05 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 23:30:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Dewey Lake
NearestCityorTown: Prestonburg
County: Floyd
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Poor
AccidentEvent1: Grounding
AccidentEvent2: Fall in vessel
AccidentCause1: Weather
AccidentCause2: Operator inattention
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
Received a report of a boating accident on Dewey Lake at 0742 HRS.  Upon arriving at Highlands ARH I made contact with PASSENGER 1 AND OPERATOR 1. They advised that the accident occurred on 9/5/20 at approximately 2330 HRS. Both parties advised that it was extremely foggy outside and they was unable to determine exactly where they was at on the lake but they was certain that they had passed Arrowhead Point. 

It was at this time the operator realized he was too close to the shore on his starboard side and he was unable to safely correct it before impacting the shore line. The vessel sustained mechanical failure and was unable to be operated so the occupants decided to wait for another vessel to come by so they could signal for assistance but no vessels passed until the rescue boat located them this morning. 

The rescue was initiated when the mother of the operator called 911 due to OPERATOR 1 not being home.  Both occupants were transported to Highlands ARDH by Lifeguard Ambulance service due to injuries occurred in the collision. 

The operator had a laceration to his left foot and was complaining of back pain. The passenger had two small lacerations on her forehead, scratches, and contusions to her left shoulder, and was complaining of back pain. 

Due to the lapse of time I was unable to detect or observe any indicators that would make me believe that the operator was under the influence at the time of the accident but the operator and passenger stated that the operator had consumed multiple alcoholic beverages earlier that date. Operator consented to a blood test and those results are pending. Officers was unable to determine point of impact on the lake nor could the operator give us a precise location of the point of impact.


BARDID: KY-2020-0045
State: KY
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2020-11-13 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 13:50:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Cave Run Lake
NearestCityorTown: Frenchburg
County: Menifee
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Unknown
AccidentEvent1: Collision with submerged object
AccidentEvent2: Flooding/swamping
AccidentCause1: Improper lookout
AccidentCause2: Operator inattention
DayofWeek: Friday
RedactedNarrative:
On 11-13-2020 a boat accident occurred on Cave run lake in Menifee County, Kentucky. Kentucky State Police received a call from OPERATOR 1 who said that he had hit an object under the water and the boat he was operating was sinking. 

 I was dispatched toward the scene at 14:45. I called OPERATOR 1 to let him know I was a couple of counties away and also to assess his situation. He stated they had hit a stump while in the channel which stopped the vessel and it then began to take on water.  

He reported  they had tied off to the stump next to the vessel. He reported the boat was stable at that time. I arrived at the scene at 15:24 in the Leatherwood area on Cave Run Lake. There I found OPERATOR 1 along with a passenger. They reported no injuries and they were brought aboard my vessel and transported back to the Longbow boat ramp where they had put their boat on the water.  Menifee EMS met us at the courtesy dock where they refused any treatment. The vessel they were in belonged to another person whom they were attempting to buy it from. 

They had been out on a test drive then the vessel was damaged. They were in a marked channel at the time of the accident. However at this time of year when the lake is at winter pool this portion of the lake is extremely hazardous due to standing timber. The vessel actually was stuck on a stump. It had to be floated up off of the stump tot get it dislodged. I was contacted and informed the vessel was finally off the water on 11-29-2020. The boat dealership who recovered the boat was given the vessel for salvage. The vessel was a total loss, estimated approximately $4000 plus in damage.


BARDID: KY-2020-0047
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2020-08-10 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 01:45:00
CoordinatesConfidence: C
NameOfBodyOfWater: Ohio River
NearestCityorTown: Owensboro
County: Daviess
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Flooding/swamping
AccidentEvent2: Capsizing
AccidentEvent3: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Overloading
AccidentCause2: Improper loading
DayofWeek: Monday
RedactedNarrative:
On 08/10/2020 at approximately 0145 hours subject was operating KY-53333-X at 15.0 Ft. Hydro Sport fishing boat. He and his four (4) passengers listed in the subsequent pages completed their Bowfishing trip for the night. Operator had three (3) passengers from the bow of the vessel move to the stern. He placed the boat in reverse. At this point, the vessel began taking water over the stern. Within seconds, the vessel capsized. The passengers grabbed PFD's trying to swim with the PFD's proved to be difficult. The passengers released the PFD's. They swam approximately 75 yards to the bank on the KY side of the Ohio River at Owensboro, KY. The group took account of all that were onboard the vessel, realizing that one was missing. 


BARDID: KY-2020-0048
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2020-06-22 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 18:22:00
CoordinatesConfidence: NC
NameOfBodyOfWater: Barren River Lake
NearestCityorTown: Scottsville
County: Allen
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Falls overboard
AccidentEvent2: Person struck by propeller
AccidentEvent3: Person struck by vessel
AccidentCause1: Alcohol
AccidentCause2: Drug
AccidentCause3: People on gunwale, bow, or transom
DayofWeek: Monday
RedactedNarrative:
On 6/22/20 at 18:27 units were dispatched to Barren River Lake to Baileys Point for a possible drowning. The caller stated that the individual was in front of the pontoon boat and fell forward into the water. The caller stated that he had been down for 30 minutes and that they have not seen him. 

	A search starting that afternoon at approximately 18:44 was underway to get a location of where the individual had fallen from the boat and to start interviewing witnesses that were also aboard the boat. Troopers were able to interview the occupants of the boat since they were able to be on scene within minutes of the accident.  Trooper1 was able to record the interviews for future record and since there were a total of 8 people aboard the boat several statements were taken. The information that was gained from the interviews, stated that the victim was standing in the front of the boat as it was underway by the outboard motor. He was past the enclosed area of the pontoon boat in the front and turned around to face the back of the boat. The driver \ owner of the boat stated, that he then was in a squatting position and then he went over the edge of the boat. Operator then stated, that they felt a thump under the boat and between the pontoons. A search continued until 20:22 that evening and was reschedule to resume at 0900 on the following date.

	On the following date the body was recovered at 18:41 by using sonar and the recovery was made by the Barren County Resque Squad dive team.  Once the recovery was made the victim's injuries were consistent of being struck by the propeller of the outboard motor. The victim’s family was then notified of the recovery.  

The victim had a .185 BAC and THC in his system.


BARDID: KY-2020-0049
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2020-05-31 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 12:59:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Kentucky Lake
NearestCityorTown: Benton
County: Marshall
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentEvent2: Skier mishap
AccidentEvent3: Person struck by vessel
AccidentCause1: Operator inattention
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On 5/31/2020 at approximately 1300 I received a call of a boat accident on Kentucky Lake involving a jet ski hitting an individual being pulled on a tube behind a vessel in Big Bear Bay. Upon arriving at Marshall County Fire Station #2 I spoke with 4 individuals that were on the vessel that was pulling TUBER 1 on the tube along with the driver of the vessel OPERATOR 2. Sgt went to the campground at Big Bear Resort to interview and speak with the driver of the jet ski OPERATOR 1 and other witnesses that observed the accident. 
On 5/31/2020 shortly before the call came in, OPERATOR 2 was pulling TUBER 1 on a tube behind his vessel in Big Bear Bay on Kentucky Lake when a jet ski driven by OPERATOR 1 hit TUBER 1 on the tube with the left front side of the Jet ski knocking TUBER 1 from the tube. TUBER 1 was wearing PFD at the time of the accident. OPERATOR 2 stated that blue runabout had crossed his path ahead of him and passed when he noticed the jet ski and stated it appeared out of nowhere. OPERATOR 1 stated he was following behind the Blue Runabout that passed OPERATOR 2 and also stated that the vessel appeared out of nowhere. TUBER 1 was wearing a PFD at the time of accident. After hitting TUBER 1 on the tube OPERATOR 1 boated over to TUBER 1 after he noticed him floating face down in the water and turned him over and helped assist in putting him on the vessel he was being pulled by so that they could be transported to the bank. TUBER 1 was transported to Marshall County Fire Station #2 where he was airlifted to Vanderbilt Medical Center in Tennessee. TUBER 1 is still at Vanderbilt Medical Center in stable condition as of 06/04/2020. Alcohol is not suspected to be involved.


BARDID: KY-2021-0001
State: KY
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2021-01-23 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 12:37:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Kentucky Lake
NearestCityorTown: Murray
County: Calloway
WaterConditions: Choppy
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with submerged object
AccidentEvent2: Flooding/swamping
AccidentEvent3: Sinking
AccidentCause1: Missing or inadequate navigation aids
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
A 2005 Blazer 202 ProV with a 250 Hp Yahmaha was being operated by Operator. Operator was watching his GPS and trying to navigate through the secondary channels at the mouth of Blood River on KY Lake. Operator was on plane when he looked up and realized that he had missed the channel. He then immediately pulled the throttle back and turned the boat to the port side. He then struck an underwater object and the boat immediately started taking on water. Operator and his passenger were both wearing their life jackets and were not injured during the accident. The vessel sunk in approximately 3 feet of water. 


BARDID: KY-2021-0002
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2021-04-28 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 19:19:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Cedar Creek Lake
NearestCityorTown: Crab Orchard
County: Lincoln
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Poor
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentEvent2: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Operator inattention
AccidentCause2: Weather
AccidentCause3: Navigation rules violation
DayofWeek: Wednesday
RedactedNarrative:
Conservation Officer 1, Officer 2, and Officer 3 were dispatched to a boat accident at 19:32 hrs at the main boat ramp on Cedar Creek Lake in Lincoln county. The call was in reference to two boats that collided in the no wake zone near the boat ramp. The weather conditions were rainy and cloudy. Officer 1 arrived on scene first at approximately 19:54 hrs. Officer 1 intiated EMS and parties involved were checked for injuries. No injuries beyond first aid were found and Lincoln County EMS did not transport any subjects. Officer 2 and and Officer 3 arrived on scene at 20:22 hrs. Upon arrival on scene Vessel 1 and Vessel 2 were out of the water and secured on the boat trailers of the vessel owners. Upon contact with the owner and operator of Vessel 1 (V1 Operator), he stated the vessels collided near the no wake zone during a time of poor visibility due to an extreme amount of rain. He said he is not sure where Vessel 2 came from and did not see it until the collision. V1 Operator stated he collided and glanced off the right side of Vessel 2. Vessel 1 had damage on the left side and underneath of the boat. Damage included scratches and a small crack underneath the boat towards the front end. The scratches extended from front of the boat to the back end of the boat. 

V1 Operator stated his passenger, V1 Passenger, was ejected from the vessel into the water and he had to retrieve him. No one on vessel 1 was wearing a PFD. V1 Operator and V1 Passenger claimed to have sustained no injuries. V1 Passenger stated he was not looking in the direction of Vessel 2 and only remembered being suddenly ejected into the water Upon contact with the passenger of Vessel 2, V2 Passenger, he stated Vessel 1 collided with them as they were decelerating into the no wake zone in the heavy rain from the back right side of the boat. V2 Passenger stated the operator of Vessel 2 (V2 Operator) was knocked unconscious due to the collision and V2 Passenger had to take control of the boat as operator gained consciousness. V2 Passenger stated his head was down shielding his face from the rain when the collision occured and did not see Vessel 1. Vessel 2 had major damage extending from the back end to the front end of the boat Most of the damage was around the area of the driving console. The windshield was broke off and the console was cracked open. The power pole on the back of the boat was broken off, the plastic motor cover was scratched, and scratches were present all along the right side of the Vessel. 

V2 Operator stated he could not see Vessel 1 and the collision was very sudden. V2 Operator was checked by EMS and he did not want to be transported to a hospital. V1 Operator has insurance on Vessel 1 through Insurance Company. V2 Operator has insurance on Vessel 2 through Insurance Company. Scene was cleared at approximately 22:00


BARDID: KY-2021-0003
State: KY
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2021-04-30 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 10:30:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake Barkley
NearestCityorTown: Eddyville
County: Lyon
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Unknown
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Other
AccidentEvent2: Person departed vessel
OtherAccidentEvent: Dead tree falls onto boat
AccidentCause1: Other
OtherAccidentCause: Natural phenomena
DayofWeek: Friday
RedactedNarrative:
At approximately 10:30 AM on April 30th, 2021 Operator and Passenger were bass fishing together near Cedar Point on Lake Barkley in Operator's 17' Ranger Bass Boat. 
While fishing near a residential boat dock, they both started to hear loud popping and cracking sounds from a nearby dead tree. Just as quickly as they could look up and identify the sound and where it was coming from, the large dead tree was falling directly toward them and their boat. Without hesitation, both men jumped into the lake to avoid injury and almost certain death. The dead tree struck the bass boat in it's center instantly sinking it. Only a couple feet of the bow remained visible above the waterline. One of the men swam to the bank and the other was picked up by another boater a short distance away. Neither Operator nor Passenger were injured. 


BARDID: KY-2021-0004
State: KY
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2021-05-01 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 05:05:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Laurel Lake
NearestCityorTown: Corbin
County: Whitley
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Unknown
AccidentEvent1: Grounding
AccidentCause1: Operator inattention
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On 5/01/2021 at 0532 I was advised by KSP Post 11 in London that a boat had run aground on Laurel Lake ad two occupants were ejected from the boat. I immediately started to go into service and arrived on the scene with KDFWR units. After arriving on scene the two occupants of the boat advised they did not need EMS. I interviewed the driver of the vessel and he advised that he and his wife decided to go home from a night of fishing and were leaving the lake when he became confused about his location on the lake and ran the boat ashore traveling an estimated forty miles an hour. After several minutes on scene the second occupant did advise she had a head ache but again refused EMS. A witness canvass was conducted by Officer and he interviewed two witnesses to the accident, who were also the people who made the original 911 call. The witness statements matched a statement given by Operator. Based on evidence on the scene alcohol and drugs were not a factor in this collision. The owners of the vessel contacted their insurance company who contacted Tow Boat USA and advised that they would have the vessel removed later in the day on 5/01/2021. Both KDFWR units left the scene at 0904.


BARDID: KY-2021-0005
State: KY
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2021-05-22 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 12:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake Barkley
NearestCityorTown: Grand Rivers
County: Livingston
WaterConditions: Choppy
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with submerged object
AccidentEvent2: Flooding/swamping
AccidentCause1: Hull failure
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On May 22, 2021 at Approximately 12:20 I received a call from Unit 7051 stating that the Army Corp of Engineers had contacted Unit 7064 about a boat that had taken on water and sunk on the north end of Lake Barkley. Shortly after receiving the call I contacted the Army Corp of Engineers to find where the boat  and accident had occurred. They stated that all occupants where safe and that the boat was being towed back to the Double Creek Boat Ramp at the North end of Barkley lake next to Barkley Dam.  Upon arriving  at the boat ramp the boat that had sunk was already pulled from the water and was trailered.  

The operator of the boat stated that him and his father, Passenger, had been catfishing on the lake about 1 hour when the accident occurred.  Operator stated that they had been fishing next to a chunk rock bank most of the morning and the decided to move spots. Operator stated that the water was to rough where they had moved to due to the boat traffic and they decided to moved back to where they had started next to the chunk rock. Operator stated that on the way back to the first spot they heard a noise that sounded like a crack coming from the transom area of the boat. He then noticed the boat begin to take on some water. Operator stated that he thought the waves from the boat traffic caused the boat and lower unit of the motor to bump into large rocks that were in the shallow water at the first spot they fished, causing the transom to crack and cave in. After the boat started taking on water, Operator nosed the front of the boat on the rock bank and the boat settled on the chunk rocks, but was not fully under the water. Operator then contacted his cousin who was on boat on Kentucky Lake to see if he would tow him back to the boat ramp. The boat did not fully go under the water until being towed. once the boat went under they tied it to a stump and  headed back to the ramp. two officers with the Army Corp of engineers happened to be close by on their boat and tied to the boat and pulled it the rest of the way to the boat ramp.  While being towed and going under the boat being towed rolled causing the engine cowling to hit some rocks and bust a hole in it. Operator and Passenger were able to get the boat flipped back over when arriving at the boat ramp and was able to partially load the boat on the trailer to get it out of the lake and drain the water. And later loading the boat fully on the trailer. 

 No Injuries occurred during the accident 


BARDID: KY-2021-0006
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2021-05-09 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 14:20:00
CoordinatesConfidence: C
NameOfBodyOfWater: Mississippi River
NearestCityorTown: Columbus
County: Hickman
WaterConditions: Choppy
StrongCurrent: -1
HazardousWaters: -1
Wind: Moderate
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with fixed object
AccidentEvent2: Capsizing
AccidentEvent3: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Operator inattention
AccidentCause2: Hazardous waters
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On 05/09/2021 at approximately 14:46, I received a call from KSP Post 1 dispatch stating that there had been a boat accident on the Mississippi River near Columbus KY. Dispatch advised that a kayaker had gone under a barge, the kayaker had been pulled out of the river, and CPR was being performed. I responded to the Ingram Dry Dock in Columbus. Upon arrival I spoke with an Ingram employee that state that the vessel Robert H. Brown was bringing the victim to the dry dock now, and that the kayaker was deceased. The Robert H. Brown arrived at the dock shortly after, and on the vessel was the body. The Hickman County Coroner declared him deceased upon arrival. The Hickman County Coroner then left with Victim shortly there after. I interviewed the crew of the Robert H. Brown and found the following.

Subject1 was the Captain of the Robert H. Brown on 05/09/2021. Subject1 stated that he and his crew had been working on the Missouri side of the Mississippi River and had to come to Dry Dock C to pick a crew member to take to a fleet that was tied up South of Dry Dock C, and Dry Dock A. As Subject1 was crossing the river to come to Dry Dock C he spotted what appeared to be a kayaker, and stated that he was very close to the West side of Dry Dock C, paddling South along the Dry Dock C. 

Subject1 stated that the kayaker appeared to be approximately 10' off the side of Dry Dock C. Subject1 brought the Robert H. Brown into Dry Dock C and picked up the waiting crew member. When Subject1 pulled away from Dry Dock C he headed South to the fleet awaiting the crew member. Subject1 stated that he started looking for the kayaker as soon as he headed south since he had been so close to the dry dock and could not see him. Subject1 made his way past Dry Dock C, and as he came to the end of Dry Dock A he noticed what he called some debris come out from underneath a barge that was moored on Dry Dock A. 

Subject1 made his way South past Dry Dock A to the awaiting fleet and turned the Robert H. Brown around facing North to let the crew member off. As Subject1 had the Robert H. Brown facing North he was looking directly at the south end of Dry Dock A and noticed more debris floating down stream toward the Robert H. Brown. 

Subject1 then noticed what appeared to be a body floating face down in the river. Subject1 broke loose from the fleet and instructed his deck hands to be on watch for the body. Subject2 caught the body of Victim with a catch pole, and him and Subject3 was able to pull Victim on board the Robert H. Brown. No signs of life were found and they immediately began CPR. 

Subject1 had called for assistance from other close by vessels when he saw Victim's body. The Willard Hammond pulled along side the Robert H. Brown after Victim had been pulled on board the Robert H. Brown. The Willard Hammond let two people onboard the Robert H. Brown to assist with CPR. An AED was also used to try to resuscitate Victim as well. Video footage from Dry Dock C was reviewed next date, 05/10/2021, and videos that where viewed collaborated with Subject1's accounts of what he had seen the day of the accident. However none of the camera's on Dry Dock C or vessels in the area was able to catch the actual incident. 

After speaking with Subject1 , and reviewing security camera footage it was obvious that Victim was too close to Dry Dock C. There are swift currents around these dry docks that are pushing in towards the Kentucky banks. A storm system had just cleared they area before this incident happened as well and there were strong NNW winds blowing in towards the dry docks. It is suspected that with Victim's proximity too Dry Dock C, that the water/wind currents pushed him in upstream of Dry Dock A and its moored barges and he was unable to paddle out before being taken under Dry Dock A and its moored barges by the river currents. 


BARDID: KY-2021-0007
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2021-05-21 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 20:10:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Williamstown Lake
NearestCityorTown: Williamstown
County: Grant
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentEvent2: Collision with fixed object
AccidentEvent3: Fall in vessel
AccidentCause1: Operator inattention
AccidentCause2: Operator inexperience
AccidentCause3: Alcohol
DayofWeek: Friday
RedactedNarrative:
On 05/21/2021 at approximately 2016 hours, I Officer 1 was dispatched to a collision involving two vessels and the boat dock at Williamstown marina on Williamstown lake in Grant county Kentucky. Vessel 1, was operated by V1 Operator and occupied by a second passenger, V1 passenger. Vessel 2, was not in operation and was docked in a boat slip at the marina but had two passengers onboard. The operator of vessel 1, V1 Operator, stated that he had backed away from the dock to leave the boat dock area in his vessel and had put his vessel into forward gear, he then placed his knee up on the seat as he was turning to leave the boat slip. He stated that he slipped on the seat with his hand on the gearshift and had fell onto the gear shift causing it to go approximately 80% throttle in the forward position. V1 Operator stated that he realized he could not stop the boat before hitting anything and so he turned attempting to minimize the damage that was done to the dock and to vessel 2. Vessel 1 then struck the stern of vessel 2 as well as the support post for the dock. Vessel 2 sustained significant damage to the stern of their vessel during the collision. There were no injuries on either vessel. The operator of Vessel 1 stated he had consumed 2 beers during the course of the day. Field sobriety tests were administered to V1 Operator and there were no signs of impairment. However based on witness statements, V1 Operator own admission of alcohol consumption and our response time, I can not rule out the possibility that alchohol may have been a contributing factor. 


BARDID: KY-2021-0008
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2021-06-19 00:00:00
CoordinatesConfidence: NC
NameOfBodyOfWater: Ohio River
NearestCityorTown: Wickliffe
County: Ballard
WaterConditions: Choppy
StrongCurrent: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with submerged object
AccidentEvent2: Capsizing
AccidentEvent3: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Unknown
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
At approximately 05:50 on the morning of June 19th Ballard County Dispatch was notified by Cairo Police Department that subject who was putting his boat in the water at Cairo river front boat ramp had called in to report a boat floating upside down in the Ohio River just north of Hwy 51 bridge connecting Wickliffe, KY to Cario,IL. 

I was notified about the boat that had been found by Ballard County Dispatch at approximately 06:30. I notified both Sgt. & Capt. and advised them of the call.  Before arriving on scene Cairo Police Dept. Officer went out with the original caller to see if he could get the registration off the vessel. 

Officer was unable to I.D. the registration numbers on the vessel. A tug boat with Bunge Grain Company was able to tie off to the lower unit of the motor on the floating boat and secure it to there tug until Ballard county Emergency management could get there. Ballard county Emergency management contacted me while I was in route and advised he was going to attempt the boat down stream to Fort Defiance Park in Cario,IL.  

When I arrived at Fort Defiance Park at approximately 07:15 Ballard County Search and Rescue where towing the boat down river to Fort Defiance Park when I arrived. While the boat was still being towed to the bank the bilge pump on the over turned vessel was running wide open.  Once the boat was taken out of the water and flipped over it appeared to have severe damage.  The throttle was pushed all the way in forward gear, and choke was raised. Also the ignition key was in the ON position and the kill switch was still attached to the boat. The boat was pulled to the top of the bank and taken to Ballard County Sheriffs office impound lot by Franks Towing Company. Massac county Sheriffs office was sent to the Registered owner of the boat residents to attempt to locate him. 

We learned a short time later from subject2 that her husband and his brother had went fishing the evening of June 18th 2021 and hadn't been heard from since. Subject2 stated that they had left sometime around dark and had put the boat in at Joppa, IL. which is approximately 26 miles up river from where the boat was originally found floating. At Approximately 09:30 a fisherman located a body around river mile maker 977 on the Ohio River just north of Bunge Grain Company. 

A tow boat with the grain company was able to snag the pants and secure the body until we arrived. I went out with Ballard Search and Rescue and the Ballard County Deputy Corner to recover the body. While in route to recover the first body found another body was located by a tow boat just above the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi River around river mile marker 981 on the Ohio River. Cairo Fire and Rescue was able to secure the second body found while recovered the first body. After recovering and identifying the first body. We went back down stream and recovered and identified the second body   from Cairo search and rescue. After both bodies where recovered and identified. Both of the deceased victims were transported to Morrow Funeral home and are going to be sent to Louisville, KY for Autopsy.  

It is thought that the vessel hit something while in operation that caused the victims to become ejected and the vessel to capsize.


BARDID: KY-2021-0009
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2021-06-24 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 15:30:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Barren River Lake
NearestCityorTown: Scottsville
County: Allen
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
Wind: No wind
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Flooding/swamping
AccidentEvent2: Capsizing
AccidentCause1: Machinery failure
AccidentCause2: Improper loading
MachineryFailure: Electrical
DayofWeek: Thursday
RedactedNarrative:
At approximately 1545 hrs, Conservation Officers were notified by KSP Post 3 dispatch of a report of a vessel (2014 Caravelle Razor, 10 person capacity), carrying seven occupants, that was partly submerged in Barren River Lake in Allen County. Allen County Sherriff's deputies and Army Corps of Engineers were dispatched as well . Prior to arrival of law enforcement, all seven occupants were picked up by a passing vessel and sustained no injuries. Allen County Sherriff's deputies arrived on scene and spoke to the owner of the vessel near the 31-E bridge. Army Corps of Engineers, along with a towing service from the Narrows Marina were able to tow the submerged vessel to the Barren River State Park campground boat ramp. During interview, owner stated the vessel had been stored in Walnut Creek boat slip prior to use. At approximately 1130 hrs, vessel went underway and anchored southwest of the 31-E bridge for 3 1/2 hrs. At approximately 1530 hrs., during transit back to Walnut Creek Marina, vessel began taking on water in both the stearn and bow. Vessel was partly submerged and 911 was called.  

On 6/25/2021, Barren River Boat Shop, located in Lucas, KY were able to pull the partially submerged vessel out of the water with the use of inflatable air bags. Initial assessment of what caused the vessel to take on water was a failed automatic bilge pump.


BARDID: KY-2021-0010
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2021-06-26 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 18:50:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Williamstown Lake
NearestCityorTown: Williamstown
County: Grant
WaterConditions: Choppy
StrongCurrent: 0
CongestedWaters: -1
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentEvent2: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Alcohol
AccidentCause2: Operator inexperience
AccidentCause3: Congested waters
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
#On June 26, 2021 at 1857, I was dispatched to Williamstown Lake for a boat accident, involving two personal watercrafts (PWC). Upon arrival, I found that the operator of Vessel #1 (V1 Operator) had been brought to the Williamstown Marina by witness 2. Witness 2 did not see the accident but heard the collision and pulled V1 Operator out of the water and into his pontoon boat shortly after. V1 Operator had a significant injury to his right knee with a visible laceration. EMS loaded V1 Operator into the ambulance where I began to interview him. According to V1 Operator, he and his brother V2 Operator, were traveling in the same direction on "jet skis". V1 Operator's brother, V2 Operator, was ahead of him but the two were operating very close to one another. V1 Operator lost control due to wake and came across V2 Operator's PWC colliding with the port side. The two were ejected into the water.
	 During the interview, I smelled the odor of drinking alcohol on V1 Operator's breath and administered field sobriety tests. I performed the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus test (HGN) and observed six clues of impairment.  V1 Operator submitted to a PBT test which resulted in an unofficial blood alcohol content reading of .126.  I could not perform any other tests due to his injuries.  V1 Operator was taken to St. Elizabeth Grant in Williamstown for treatment. 
	V2 Operator (operator of Vessel #2) arrived at the Williamstown Marina and I talked to him for a short period but made arrangements to conduct a more thorough interview at the hospital, where EMS were taking his brother.  
	I continued the interview with V2 Operator in the parking lot of the hospital.  V2 Operator's recollection of the collision was vague but consistent with his brother's statement.  I smelled the odor of drinking alcohol coming from his breath as well.  I administered field sobriety tests to V2 Operator.  He showed a total of six clues on HGN and two clues on the "Palm Pat" test.  I did not see the required amount of clues for impairment on the "Finger to Nose" or "Hand Coordination" tests.  V2 Operator refused to submit to a PBT test  and a blood test.  
	After consulting with the Grant County Attorney, I made the decision not to charge V2 Operator with Boating Under the Influence (BUI).  I did however, issue a citation to V1 Operator for BUI and he submitted to a blood test.  His injuries included a laceration to his knee with a broken knee cap.  V2 Operators' injuries included minor cuts on his leg and an injury to his left eye, where it was swollen and bruised.
	 Officer 2 and I were able to locate one of the PWCs later that evening. It was tied off on the bank, roughly 250 yards from the estimated site of the collision. This PWC was believed to be Vessel #2 (operated by V2 Operator).  There was damage to the port side of the vessel that appeared to be caused by the bow of Vessel #1. Vessel #2 had an expired Indiana registration from 2015.  We inspected this PWC but could not locate a fire extinguisher onboard.  We still had not located Vessel #1 (operated by V1 Operator) at this point. Both PWCs were owned by Owner, who was interviewed the night of the collision. Owner stated he did not know where the PWCs ended up after the collision. 
	The next day (6/27/21), I was contacted by Witness 3, who informed me that he had surveillance camera footage of both subjects on the PWCs. Officer 3 and I watched and recorded the footage at Witness 3's lake home. His camera recorded the area where the brothers boarded the PWCs and returned after the collision. This video also included footage of Owner helping the brothers take off and also tie up Vessel #2 after the collision. Owner also helped secure Vessel #1 to a pontoon boat and then it was towed it out of the vision of the camera. The surveillance video reveals that Owner's statements about not knowing where the PWCs where located were untrue and believed to be made to obstruct this officers investigation. Officer 3 and I were able to locate Vessel #1 at Owner's home later this same day. Vessel #1 did not have a visible registration and also did not have a fire extinguisher. Owner was later interviewed by Officer 4 and charged with two counts of KRS 235.040 "Motorboats to be Registered and Numbered" and one count of KRS 235.200 "No Fire Extinguisher".


BARDID: KY-2021-0011
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2021-07-10 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 13:50:00
CoordinatesConfidence: C
NameOfBodyOfWater: Barkley Lake
NearestCityorTown: Kuttawa
County: Lyon
WaterConditions: Choppy
Wind: Moderate
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentEvent2: Person struck by propeller
AccidentEvent3: Grounding
AccidentCause1: Excessive speed
AccidentCause2: Operator inexperience
AccidentCause3: Operator inattention
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
At 1353 hours on 7/10/21, KDFWR Officers and Lyon County S&R responded to a report of an unmanned vessel going around in circles near Davenport Bay on Lake Barkley. Upon arrival, the units deployed ropes and cargo nets in front of vessel and after close to 2 hours the vessel was stopped. The operator was reported to have been ejected and witnesses stated they saw the vessel's lower unit run over the operator. The witnesses state that the person never resurfaced. FW Officers secured the vessel and towed to Hub's Marina for documentation and then turned over to family. Sgt. with KDFWR made notification to family. As of 1727 this evening, rescue and FW Officers are continuing to search for the body. No other persons were reported to have been in the boat. The vessel was a 24' Checkmate.  
***Narrative From Initial Report on 7/10/21***

Officers with KDFWR were only able to obtain mostly verbal statements as witnesses left the area before officers could locate and meet with them at the scene. The reasons for this were two-fold. For almost two hours, officers were  attempting to stop the out of control vessel which had created a substantial threat to pubic safety. During this time frame a severe thunderstorm moved into the area forcing most individuals off of the lake making any attempt to track them down mostly unsuccessful. However, Lyon County Emergency Management Director was on scene and spoke directly with multiple eye-witnesses who confirmed to first responders their account of what had happened. This occurred as officers were still attempting to secure the out of control vessel. 

According to these statements and 1 video clip that was obtained by officers, Victim was thrown from his vessel and hit by his own boat. According to witnesses, Victim idled out of congested waters in Davenport Bay. As soon as he made it past the boats towards the mouth of the bay, Victim increased throttle significantly and began a hard left turn into what was described as "large waves". According to statements, this was when Victim was thrown from his boat and was subsequently hit by it as it circled back to him. Officers were able to get the boat stopped only after significant time, effort and risk as the vessel collided with a vertical rock bank on the opposite side of the lake allowing the tangled rope to finally bind the propeller and stall the engine. 

Upon investigation of the vessel, officers observed the throttle lever position to be approximately 3/4 open in forward gear and the kill switch to be toggled in the "RUN" position but without any lanyard attached to the toggle switch.  Recovery efforts went on unsuccessfully into darkness while attempting to use Side-Scan & Down-Scan Sonar to locate the body of Victim. 

On July 11, 2021 at approximately 11:20 AM, Victim's body was located in roughly 9' of water and then retrieved by divers with Lyon County Emergency Management. The victim's intestines had floated to the surface during the overnight hours allowing for a confirmed location. Victim had been hit by the vessel & propeller as pictures indicate and what was indicated by statements. The cause of death will be known after the autopsy by the coroner.  


BARDID: KY-2021-0012
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2021-03-01 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 16:00:00
CoordinatesConfidence: C
NameOfBodyOfWater: North Fork of KY River
NearestCityorTown: Jackson
County: Breathitt
WaterConditions: Very Rough
StrongCurrent: -1
HazardousWaters: -1
Wind: Light
Visibility: Unknown
AccidentEvent1: Falls overboard
AccidentCause1: Hazardous waters
AccidentCause2: Weather
AccidentCause3: Force of wake/wave
DayofWeek: Monday
RedactedNarrative:
On March 1st, RP called KSP Post 13 and stated he saw OPERATOR 1 around 1000. At this time, OPERATOR 1 did not want to leave his house but stated he had a boat tied to the house if he needed to leave. At around 1600 hrs, RP checked on him, the house was empty, and the boat (KY 0150 CM) was lodged in a group of trees a little piece from the home ( 37 34.9793, -83 24.2934). RP stated that a birdhouse was knocked down, and evidence showed he could have possibly fallen in the water. OPERATOR 1 was last seen wearing a light color t-shirt and blue jeans. 
On March 3rd, at approximately 1513 hrs, OPERATOR 1 was located in the North Fork of the Kentucky River. Morehead Firefighters were walking along the river banks. FIREFIGHTER 1 said he saw a dip in the river bank, so he decided to check it out. When he got to the edge of the water, he could see the bottom of a tennis shoe. At this time, he used a boat oar he was carrying to lift the tennis shoe. When he started raising the tennis shoe, he could see the other tennis shoe with a body with the legs crossed. At this time, they stayed with the body until the sheriff could come to secure the scene. When the Sheriff arrived on the scene, he documented the scene with pictures. The firefighters then moved the body out of the water and onto the bank. At approximately 1600 hrs., officers arrived on the scene. At this time, we made contact with the Sheriff and the firefighters. I then documented the scene with more pictures. The Coroner and deputy coroner then arrived on the scene.  Coroner was able to locate a wallet in the back pocket on the body. By using the driver's licenses out of the wallet, we were able to identify the body as OPERATOR 1. RP (nephew) and victim’s brother were also able to identify OPERATOR 1 positively. After talking to RP again, he stated that he believed that OPERATOR 1 was trying to move the boat around the house when he slipped and went into the water. 
The coroner called the time of death at 1629 hrs. State Medical Examiner stated death, in this case, is attributed to asphyxia via drowning. Ischemic heart disease and cardiomegaly are contributing factors. 


BARDID: KY-2021-0013
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2021-04-11 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 20:46:00
CoordinatesConfidence: C
NameOfBodyOfWater: Forrest Lake
NearestCityorTown: Jeffersonville
County: Montgomery
WaterConditions: Unknown
Wind: Unknown
Visibility: Unknown
AccidentEvent1: Capsizing
AccidentEvent2: Falls overboard
AccidentCause1: Unknown
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
4/11/2021
OPERATOR 1 was reported missing in Montgomery County, KY.  Local search efforts consisting of Montgomery County EMS, Montgomery County Sheriff's Department and the Lexington Fire Department's Technical Rescue Team which was notified on 4/12/2021.  The LFD's rescue team was able to utilize sonar equipment to locate the body of OPERATOR 1 around 11:17 on the 13th of April 2021.  It was reported by the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department that OPERATOR 1 was utilizing a canoe that he had borrowed to retrieve a lost fishing lure that OPERATOR 1 had lost in a tree near the lake.  The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife was not made aware of the occurrence until April 16, 2021, and was unable to obtain reports from the Montgomery County Sheriff's office until 4/23/2021.  Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife will complete the necessary supplemental information needed for the ENIBRS using the Montgomery County Sheriff's Department reports. 
9/5/2021
Based off of information obtained from the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department, state medical examiner’s findings and toxicology reporting, there is no evidence of any foul play involved or any medical emergency other than findings consistent with drowning taken place the day OPERATOR 1 perished.  Based on interviews conducted by the Montgomery County Sheriff’s department and myself, OPERATOR 1 had requested the use of the canoe from CANOE OWNER 1 in order to retrieve a fishing lure from the pond.  There were no witnesses reported to have observed the accident.  Based on lack of witnesses during the time of the accident, it was assumed OPERATOR 1 had occupied the canoe at some point as it was found overturned in the water by CANOE OWNER 1.  CANOE OWNER 1 stated he retrieved the overturned canoe in an effort to locate OPERATOR 1.  CANOE OWNER 1 moved the canoe indicated in the sheriff’s photographs to the pond’s edge after an unsuccessful attempt in locating OPERATOR 1.  CANOE OWNER 1 then contacted the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department for a call of emergency.  The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife was notified 5 days following the incident and conducted a supplemental investigation to complement the investigation conducted by the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department.
Cause of Death is unknown.


BARDID: KY-2021-0014
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2021-05-05 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 18:42:00
CoordinatesConfidence: C
NameOfBodyOfWater: Elkhorn Creek
NearestCityorTown: Georgetown
County: Scott
WaterConditions: Unknown
StrongCurrent: -1
HazardousWaters: -1
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Person departed vessel
AccidentEvent2: Collision with fixed object
AccidentEvent3: Flooding/swamping
AccidentCause1: Hazardous waters
AccidentCause2: Operator inexperience
AccidentCause3: Dam/lock
DayofWeek: Wednesday
RedactedNarrative:
On the evening of May 05, 2021 at approximately 1757hrs a 911 call was placed to Scott County dispatch advising that two (2) kayaks had just went over the low head dam at Great Crossings Park on Elkhorn Creek. It was determined there was one single occupant in each kayak, a male in one and a female in the other. Both subjects were observed wearing life jackets while in the kayaks prior to going over the dam. A witness stated he saw the male subject jump from his kayak as it was going over the dam into the water and get swept into the swift current below the dam. He stated the second kayak was approaching the dam carrying the female occupant, she was unable to get out of her kayak as it went over the dam. It landed below the dam in the upright position, shortly after landing her kayak went under from the rushing water. He advised she was spit out by the current onto the bank where she was able to be rescued by witnesses and bystanders. The male subject was seen by witnesses just below the dam in the boil, they stated he would appear then disappear quickly, he was in a postilion far enough out into the creek no one could get to him to attempt a rescue until Fire and EMS arrived on scene. The victim was then recovered by Scott Co Fire and pronounced deceased at 1914hrs by Scott Co Coroner.


BARDID: KY-2021-0015
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2021-05-20 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 22:55:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Carr Fork Lake
NearestCityorTown: Hindman
County: Knott
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with floating object
AccidentEvent2: Fall in vessel
AccidentCause1: Restricted vision
DayofWeek: Thursday
RedactedNarrative:
On May 20, 2021, at approximately 2300 hours, Officer 2 and I attended a Bass Tournament weigh-in at Carr Fork Lake. We were looking at all angler's fish from the tournament when we heard someone yell help from the Marina. I rand down to the dock and upon contact, Passenger was lying face down near the vessel's bow. I noticed three large lacerations to this lower back. One EMT was on scene at the time of the accident and stopped the bleeding from Passenger's wounds. We called for a helicopter, but EMS advised us that the aircraft would be 45 minutes before they could arrive. We then called for an ambulance. Once the ambulance arrived, I assisted them in getting Passenger onto a gurney. EMS transported Passenger to the Hazard ARH. 

After EMS left the scene, I interviewed the Operator of the vessel, Passenger's father. He stated that he was operating the vessel and was coming into the weigh-in and was passing the Carr Fork Beach area when he hit a log. After hitting the log, the motor came off the vessel and came inside and struck Passenger in the back, causing severe injuries to his back. He also told me that he and Passenger both had on on their PFD's. 

I contacted the victim's mother after the accident, and she advised me that he was extubated and had two surgeries. His current injuries were a collapsed lung, a broken scapula, a broken knee, a shattered pelvis, and four back lacerations.


BARDID: KY-2021-0016
State: KY
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2021-06-15 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 12:27:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Taylorsville Lake
NearestCityorTown: Taylorsville
County: Spencer
WaterConditions: Unknown
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Capsizing
AccidentEvent2: Sinking
AccidentCause1: Operator inexperience
AccidentCause2: Force of wake/wave
AccidentCause3: Hull failure
DayofWeek: Tuesday
RedactedNarrative:
The above person, Operator, was operating his vessel on Taylorsville Lake around 1215 when it started to take on water. Operator said he was operating the vessel and a big wave overtook his vessel from the back. Once the wave came over the back of the vessel it started to sink quick. Operator was holding on to the vessel by a rope as it was sinking. The rope that Operator was holding snapped and he no longer had contact of the vessel. A person on a Jet Ski came and saved Operator from his boat that had sunk. Operator informed me that his phone and truck keys were on the boat, and all he had was his wallet. There is no vessel information because it was on the boat, Operator had only had the boat for about two months. He bought the boat off of Facebook from a man. The only Vessel information I could gather from Operator was that it was a Blue Fish and Ski boat 16 foot in length with a 55 horse power motor. 
 
As I was conducting an interview to gather as much information as I could from Operator I notified Post 12 who I was with. Post 12 informed me that Operator had a warrant for his arrest. So I proceeded to put Operator in Handcuff's and take him to the Taylorsville PD, so he could be transported to Shelby Co. Detention center. Operator had no boat information, not even the KY numbers for the boat. I left Operator my contact information and told him to notify me when he was to have more information about the vessel. 
 
Still having not heard from Operator I had to contact the transportation cabinet and retrieve the boat information. I was able to get the Vessel's numbers and the title # and the HIN number. In order to get a full copy of the boat information I have to complete a TC 96-16 form and get it notarized. I was able to speak over the phone and get all the infromation from the Administrative Specialist.


BARDID: KY-2021-0017
State: KY
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2021-07-23 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 17:15:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Laurel River Lake
NearestCityorTown: Corbin
County: Whitley
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentEvent2: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Operator inexperience
AccidentCause2: Sharp turn
AccidentCause3: Improper lookout
DayofWeek: Friday
RedactedNarrative:
On July 23, 2021 at approximately 1743 I, Officer, was approached by V2 Operator at Grove Marina. He advised he had been involved in a boat accident near the Grove Boat-In Campground Area where his jet ski had suffered major damage and became inoperable. V2 Operator left his jet ski tied to the bank along with the other jet ski and occupants that were involved in the accident. V2 Operator was given a ride back to the marina by a passerby where he then made contact with this officer.  Upon arrival on the scene I observed Vessel 2, a Sea-Doo Spark PWC tied to the lake bank along with Vessel 1, a Sea-Doo GTI-SE PWC floating in the lake with two individuals near by, identified as V1 Operator and V1 Passenger. 

Upon interviewing the individuals involved it was reported that V2 Operator was operating a pwc and V1 Operator was operating PWC with V1 Passenger as her passenger. They were traveling in the same direction, operating at approximately 30 mph, when V2 Operator began a left turn where his vessel  turned into the path of V1 Operator's vessel. V1 Operator advised she did not have time to stop her vessel and struck the left side of V2 Operator vessel. V1 Passenger advised he was ejected from the back of V1 Operator's vessel into the water. At this time the vessel operated by V2 Operator became inoperable due to taking on water through a hole on the port side of the vessel approximately at the middle of the vessel. V2 Operator was able to secure the vessel to the lake bank to keep it from sinking. The PWC operated by V1 Operator was still operable and suffered minor cosmetic damage to the bow starboard side of the PWC. Both PWC's were owned by the same individual (Owner), who was not on scene at the time of the accident. Contact was made with Owner where she was advised of the accident.  Approximately thirty minutes later she arrived on scene. Owner's husband used his personal  vessel to tow Vessel 2 back to Grove Marina where it was loaded onto the trailer.

No one involved reported any injuries. Pictures of both vessels were taken. All passengers and operators were reported to be wearing PFDs and engine lanyards as required. No alcohol or drug involvement is suspected.

Damage Assessment

Vessel 1 (2021 Sea-Doo GTI-SE) sustained a cosmetic scratch to the starboard-bow side of the vessel that was approximately 8 inches long.

Vessel 2 (2017 Sea-Doo Spark) sustained damage to the gunwhale on the port side of the vessel. The vessel sustained broken plastic on the hull and top deck resulting in a hole approximately 16 inches long and 6 inches wide allowing water to enter the vessel.


BARDID: KY-2021-0018
State: KY
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2021-06-26 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 18:45:00
CoordinatesConfidence: C
NameOfBodyOfWater: Cave Run Lake
NearestCityorTown: FARMERS
County: Bath
WaterConditions: Choppy
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentEvent2: Person struck by vessel
AccidentEvent3: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Alcohol
AccidentCause2: Operator inattention
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
At approximately 1851 hrs on 26 June 2021, while on lake patrol, myself  and Sgt. were dispatched to a two vessel boat accident on Cave Run Lake. Upon arrival on scene, the operator of a Personal Water Craft (PWC) HIN#YAMA4045C999 had been taken to Scott's Creek Marina by bystanders. 

The other vessel, a 21ft cabin cruiser HIN#SER228M80284-210006 8-84, was being driven by a bystander to Twin Knobs Beach, with the boat operator and injured passenger onboard. 

Operator1 was taken by ambulance to St. Claire Regional Medical Center in Morehead, where he was pronounced deceased by Coroner. Subject1 was transported by ambulance to St. Claire Regional Medical Center with a neck injury. Operator2 was uninjured, and accompanied his wife to the hospital, where he submitted to a blood test for alcohol with Sgt., which came back negative. Witness statements were gathered from multiple bystanders who were on the houseboat, Family Ties, that Operator1 launched from, as well as from Operator2. 

Both vessels were taken to the US Forest Service Impound Lot at Fern Gulch Work Center in Rowan County. A search warrant was executed for vessel2 as he had refused to allow search of vessel for vessel information and/or possible evidence (pending results of blood alcohol test) per advice from his attorney, which is his right. 

Vessel 1, the PWC operated by Operator1, showed significant impact damage, primarily on the port side, amidship and just fore of amidship. Vessel is total loss, estimated damage $2000.00

Vessel 2, the cuddy cabin, operated by Operator2, showed light damage, primarily on the starboard bow, as well as paint and rubber transfer on the starboard bow and along the starboard waterline. Vessel had estimated $1,000 damage.

Witnesses stated that Vessel 1 had left the vicinity of the houseboat Family Ties, traveling in a straight line, turned around and began heading back towards the houseboat when his hat blew off. He turned around, retrieved his hat, and began heading back towards the houseboat, on an approximate southeast heading on plane. 

Witnesses also stated that Vessel 2 was travelling northeast to southwest across the Shallow Flats area on plane. Witnesses stated that it did not appear that either vessel saw the other, as neither vessel took corrective action leading up to the collision. 

Operator2 stated that he did notice Vessel 1 at the last moment, and attempted to steer to his port and decelerate, away from Vessel 1, but that it was too late. As result of the collision, Subject1 was thrown from her position in the passenger (port) seat, into the cuddy cabin, where she sustained neck injuries, rupturing her C4 and C5 vertebrae. 

Her movement supports Operator2 statement that he altered course, as she was thrown forward and to the starboard side. Immediately following the collision, Operator2 stopped his vessel. Operator2 stated that his vision was restricted due to driving in the direction of the lowering sun. 

Witnesses both stated that they saw Vessel 1 strike Vessel 2 (starboard side), go underneath Vessel 2, and resurface on the opposite side (port side). Bystanders from Family Ties retrieved Operator1 from the water and transported him to Scott's Creek Marina, and attempting life saving measures. Operator1 was sent for an autopsy and toxicology exam, and the resulting Medical Examiner's report (attached) stated that Operator1 did have an elevated level of ethanol in his blood. His immediate cause of death was listed as blunt force injury due to jet-ski collision. The Medical Examiner also listed Ethanol Intoxication as a cause of death. 

Operator1 had a .69 BAC.


BARDID: KY-2021-0019
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2021-07-04 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 23:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Laurel River Lake
NearestCityorTown: London
County: Laurel
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: No wind
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Grounding
AccidentCause1: Missing or inadequate navigation aids
AccidentCause2: Operator inattention
AccidentCause3: Improper lookout
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On July 4th, at approximately 23:03 hrs, I (Officer 1) along with Lt. 2 and Officer 3 received a report of a vessel that had run aground at the mouth of Line creek on Laurel River Lake. Upon arrival, I observed a pontoon operated by Operator resting on some rocks that are approximately 20 yds off the shoreline.

There were only 2 occupants on the vessel on arrival. The operator and a passenger. Operator stated the rest of the passengers had been removed by a passing vessel but remained at the scene. 

Operator stated that they had been to the fireworks display at Holly Bay Marina and were returning to the Hightop boat ramp went the accident occurred. Operator stated that he was following several other boats at a speed of 15 m.p.h. He stated that he was using a GPS device while navigating and was familiar with the lake. He stated that he thought he had already passed the point on lake where the shoal is located and began to steer left, running the vessel onto the shoal. 

U.S Forest Service Officer and FPO assisted on the scene and transported all the vessel's occupants to the Hightop boat ramp. The vessel was retrieved the next day.


BARDID: KY-2021-0021
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2021-07-15 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 21:30:00
CoordinatesConfidence: NC
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake Malone
NearestCityorTown: Lewisburg
County: Logan
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Fair
AccidentEvent1: Grounding
AccidentEvent2: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentEvent3: Fall in vessel
AccidentCause1: Improper lookout
AccidentCause2: Missing or inadequate navigation aids
AccidentCause3: Restricted vision
DayofWeek: Thursday
RedactedNarrative:
On July 15th, at approximately 2200 hours, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife responded to a boating accident on Lake Malone south of the 1785 bridge.  At the time of arrival, He concluded that OPERATOR 1 and VICTIM had been in a boat accident that resulted in the death of VICTIM.  OPERATOR 1 and VICTIM were participating in a bass tournament on the night of the 15th.  OPERATOR 1 stated, at approximately 2100 hours, Himself and VICTIM were on their way to the weigh in, when they struck a submerged rocky island.  OPERATOR 1 stated when they hit the hard structure it spun them around 360 degrees.  The force of hitting the underwater island at approximately 30mph resulted in the ejection of VICTIM  from the boat.  OPERATOR 1 stated he was thrown into VICTIM’s seat during the accident.  OPERATOR 1 was wearing a personal flotation device and VICTIM was in the process of putting one on prior to the accident.  OPERATOR 1, shortly after the accident entered the water and retrieved VICTIM who was unresponsive.  OPERATOR 1 was not able to get VICTIM back into the boat by himself.  
Soon after the boat accident, a nearby fishing boat assisted OPERATOR 1 in getting VICTIM in the boat.  GOOD SAM 1 entered the water and lifted VICTIM up into the boat.  GOOD SAM 2 stated that OPERATOR 1 shouted to them that "he couldn't do nothing with her."  After VICTIM was lifted into the boat, GOOD SAM 1/2 stated OPERATOR 1 administered CPR and first aid.  OPERATOR 1, and GOOD SAM 2 went to the nearest ramp which was Shady Cliff Marina.  VICTIM was pronounced dead at the scene and OPERATOR 1 received medical care for a bruised/swollen leg.  GOOD SAM 2, GOOD SAM 1 and OPERATOR 1 were interviewed by myself and Officers.  All three subjects made similar statements regarding the retrieval of VICTIM.  There were zero witnesses that seen the accident.  
The Logan county Sheriff office requested a coroner at 10:30p.m.  Officer 1 and I went on scene at approximately 11:20p.m.  The Coroner cleared the Scene at 2334 hours.  Officer 1 interviewed OPERATOR 1 and I interviewed GOOD SAM 2 and GOOD SAM 1.  OPERATOR 1 was operating a Ranger bass boat that sustained minor damage.  The skag of the boat received the most damage with a chunk of metal taken out of it.  The bottom of the hull had scrapes and small chips of fiberglass taken out of it that could have been a result from the accident.  Electronics were studied and it is concluded that the electronics were not on at the time of the accident because no boating tracks were found in the area of the accident.  Officer 1 met OPERATOR 1 at the hospital to conclude the investigation for the night of the 15th.  
The coroner took VICTIM’s body to Madisonville for an autopsy.  Autopsy was completed on the 16th and the medical examiners preliminary Diagnoses was.
1. Drowning :
a. History of boat collision into submerged rock outcropping and no life preserver.
b. Frothy substance from the nose and mouth.
c. Subscalp hemorrhage
2. No evidence of intracranial cervical spine trauma
3. Pending toxicology 
Manner of Death:   Accident

Toxicology order: Pending 


BARDID: KY-2021-0022
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2021-07-20 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 15:40:00
CoordinatesConfidence: NC
NameOfBodyOfWater: Freeman Lake
NearestCityorTown: Elizabethtown
County: Hardin
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Unknown
AccidentEvent1: Capsizing
AccidentEvent2: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Operator inexperience
DayofWeek: Tuesday
RedactedNarrative:
In the afternoon of July 20th, 2021, Operator and his two sibling arrived at Freeman Lake City Park, in Hardin County Kentucky, for a day of recreation.  At 15:27, Operator rented a kayak (park designated identification number "1") from the park office, while his two siblings rented a paddle boat. Operator then went down to the park's boat dock on the lake and was issued a type III PFD by park employee. 

Employee instructed Operator to wear the PFD. Operator reportedly replied that he was a "Marine" and that he didn't need it, though he did put the type III PFD (serial number: 3H3131C) in his kayak. The vessel he rented was an orange Sun Dolphin Aruba 10, ten-foot-long single occupant kayak with a Hull Identification Number of JOK80969D717. 

At the time he boarded the kayak, Operator was wearing a long sleeved gray shirt, jeans, a ball cap, and slip on boots. Operator then piloted the kayak out into the lake, while Employee turned his attention to assisting the two siblings with the paddle boat. 

At approximately 15:40, Operator had ventured about 100 yards from the dock when his kayak capsized, throwing him into the water.  He began to struggle while in the water and called out for help. By this time his siblings were about 30 yards away in the paddle boat, and could clearly see that he was in distress. They were unable to reach him, so the siblings began to shout for assistance. One of the sibling called EMS at 15:43. 

City Park manager was standing outside of the park's office when he heard cries for help coming from Operator's siblings. Manager raced down to the dock area to procure a boat in an attempt to aid the drowning man, but he witnessed Operator's head go underwater- never to resurface- before he could even launch the vessel. 

Witnesses were fishing in kayaks in the same general vicinity of the lake as Operator. They did not see Operator’s kayak overturn, but they did hear the calls for help and began to paddle towards him. They reached Operator’s kayak before Manager, and could see no signs of Operator, nor any air bubbles. 

When Manager arrived at the accident site, he too, found only an empty kayak with the PDF still inside the hull. EMS arrived within minutes and fire department personnel launched two vessels in an attempt to drag the accident site for the victim. Dive teams from Campbellsville and LMPD eventually arrived at the scene and attempted to recover Operator. Recovery efforts were suspended before midnight on July 20th, but resumed the next morning at 11:00. His body was recovered by the LMPD dive team at 15:20 on July 21st, 2021, and was taken into custody by the Hardin County Coroner.  Toxicology labs were obtained but his body was not referred for autopsy.  HIs toxicology results did not detect any evidence of drugs nor alcohol and his death was subsequently ruled an accident by the Coroner.


* All times are Eastern Standard Time


BARDID: KY-2021-0023
State: KY
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2021-07-25 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 19:45:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Rough River Lake
NearestCityorTown: Hardinsburg
County: Breckenridge
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Fair
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentCause1: Alcohol
AccidentCause2: Operator inattention
AccidentCause3: Restricted vision
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On July 25, 2021 at approximately 19:45 CST, V2 Operator was operating his 2015 Crest pontoon boat along the right side of channel, as he was heading back to his lake house in the Sandy Beach area. V2 Operator was cruising at approximately 10MPH, in a northwest heading in the section of the lake that parallels Spring Shore Lane. It was about 15 minutes before sunset and V2 Operator recounts that there were very few other vessels operating on the Lake. V2 Operator could hear the approach of another vessel coming up quickly from behind him, and then suddenly he felt, and heard, the impact of another vessel crashing into the stern of his pontoon boat. 
     V1 Operator was operating his 1995 Celebrity open motor boat, on a plane, and at approximately 30 MPH, into the same section of the lake that V2 Operator had navigated into moments before. V1 Operator had left the Tules Creek area and thought he was heading towards Nick's Marina. V1 Operator was traveling with three passengers: Injured 1 (who sat in the front seat next to him), Passenger 1, and Passenger 2 who both were sitting in the back seat. V1 Operator reported that he did not see the pontoon boat in front of him because of dark coloring of the vessel at the time of day. V1 Operator admits that he was distracted, and had taken his eyes off the water in front of him momentarily, and when he looked up it was too late to avoid impacting V2 Operator’s vessel.  
     According to V2 Operator, V1 Operator’s vessel encroached up and onto the back of the pontoon boat, before it slid back down.  The collision left V2 Operator’s vessel completely disabled as the impact smashed the vessel’s outboard motor.  As the two damaged vessels drifted apart, V2 Operator could see one of the passengers in the other boat (later identified as Injured 1) crying.  The other passengers helped Injured 1 to the back of boat to let her lay down as she was complaining of a pain in her back.  It was later learned that she had been involved in a motor vehicle accident several weeks prior and had suffered a back injury then.  
     V1 Operator began apologizing profusely to V2 Operator, saying that this was "my fault" and that "my insurance will take care of everything". There was still enough light to survey the damage to the vessels.  V2 Operator's vessel was disabled, having sustained heavy damage to his outboard motor. V1 Operator's vessel was still operational, and he asked permission of V2 Operator, if he could idle over to a nearby dock and unload his passengers. The injured passenger declined EMS assistance during this time, and after unloading his passengers, V1 Operator idled back out to the channel to wait near V2 Operator's vessel, for the arrival of law enforcement.
     By the time I arrived on scene, at roughly 20:25 CST, and due to darkness, I was only able to see the awaiting vessels by the aid of a flashlight. V1 Operator was standing in his vessel and greeted me with an immediate admission of "It's my fault", "I hit him" and, " I wasn't paying attention". V1 Operator told me that he was OK and that none of his passengers had any serious injuries. 
     I idled over to V2 Operator's vessel and he appeared uninjured as well.  V2 Operator’s son had just arrived, and was preparing to tow the disabled craft back to his lakeside residence.  I was able to get an idea of the extent of damage to the pontoon boat, but was unable to get photos due to the lighting conditions.  After obtaining registration information and operator’s license information from V2 Operator, I permitted him to leave the scene, and he was towed back to the Sandy Beach area by his son.  
     I then made my way back to V1 Operator's vessel, where I positioned my patrol vessel against his. I was close enough to V1 Operator at this point, that I could detect the strong smell of an alcohol beverage on his breath.  I asked V1 Operator if he had been drinking to which he answered in the affirmative and estimated that he had consumed roughly 5 to 10 bottles of beer that day. I was able to obtain V1 Operator’s vessel registration information and his operator's license.  Though his motor boat was still operational, I made the decision to tow him to the nearby docks for temporary moorage until I could determine if he was under the influence of alcohol. The passengers had already left the shore, and Injured 1, the one reporting back pain, was taken to Twin Lakes Regional Medical Center where she was later treated and released.
     Once his vessel was moored to the dock, V1 Operator submitted to seated field sobriety testing.  V1 Operator demonstrated multiple clues on each of the tests.  A Preliminary Breath Test for alcohol was requested of V1 Operator, and showed a presence of alcoholic beverages in his system.  I then informed V1 Operator that he was under arrest for Boating under the influence of alcohol and then subsequently booked into the Breckinridge County Detention Center. 


BARDID: KY-2021-0024
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2021-07-26 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 17:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake Cumberland
NearestCityorTown: Jamestown
County: Russell
WaterConditions: Rough
HazardousWaters: -1
Wind: Storm
Visibility: Unknown
AccidentEvent1: Capsizing
AccidentEvent2: Flooding/swamping
AccidentCause1: Weather
DayofWeek: Monday
RedactedNarrative:
On 7/26/2021 I, Officer 1, received a call for service from KSP Post 15 in Russell County from Sgt. 2. He advised there was a rental houseboat from State Dock that had capsized just inside the no wake zone of State Dock and Jamestown Marina. Upon arrival at State Dock, Sgt. 2 and I were advised by marina management staff, that the subjects involved in the accident had been transported by marina staff in personal vehicles to Russell County Hospital for treatment of minor injuries.
Upon arrival at the hospital we learned Operator's left thumb and palm area was cut and would require stitches. Passenger 4 had a small cut to the right side of her head near the top that would require staples. No other injuries were reported at this time. 
The subjects involved in the capsized boat incident explained to Sgt. 2 and I, that at approximately 17:00 hrs. State Dock Management took them out of the slip and into the harbor/no wake zone for departure, then placed Operator at the helm of a 1995 62' SUNSTAR Houseboat. The State Dock worker departed from the houseboat via a small aluminum vessel back to State Dock. About 10 minutes from their departure from the dock area, and just inside the no wake zone of State Dock and Jamestown Marina, the operator of the houseboat stated that an extremely strong but short lived storm with straight line winds came causing the houseboat to capsize. The operator, advised that all occupants were wearing PFD's before exiting the houseboat into the water. State Dock workers that observed the houseboat capsizing came and pulled the six occupants from the water and returned them to the dock. This included two juveniles and four adults. The occupants where taken to Russell County Hospital by way of Safe Harbor Marine Management. They where examined and treated for minor injuries and released a short time later that night. 


BARDID: KY-2021-0025
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2021-07-31 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 13:24:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Kentucky Lake
NearestCityorTown: Eddyville
County: Lyon
WaterConditions: Choppy
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Fall in vessel
AccidentCause1: Force of wake/wave
AccidentCause2: Operator inattention
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
Over view:	
	On July 31,2021 Operator was operating his 1996 30ft Formula vessel at approximately 55 mph in Smith Bay on KY Lake. Operator had 3 female passengers. Operator was travelling into Smith Bay from main KY Lake when he hit a wave and lost control of his vessel. According to witnesses, the vessel's bow entered the water causing the vessel to come to an abrupt stop. Witnesses also stated that the vessel turned sideways to the point that the vessel almost completely turned over. One passenger sustained injuries in which Mediflight was used for EMS transport. All other individuals provided their own medical transport.  
Injuries and Medical Transport:
	There were 3 individuals injured beyond first aid as a result of this incident. The first was a Injured 1. Injured 1 was transported by personal vehicle to Marshall County Hospital where she was treated for a head injury. Injured 1 suffered a concussion and received 11 staples on her head. She was released the same day. The second was a Injured 2. Injured 2 was transported by personal vehicle to Western Baptist Medical where she was treated for minor lacerations, broken ribs, and a concussion. Injured 2 sustained 4 broken ribs and required two stiches. Injured 2 was also released the same day that she was admitted. The third person that was inquired was a Injured 3. Injured 3 was transported by Marshall County EMS to an LZ point in which she was then flown to Skyline Medical for treatment. Injured 3 sustained multiple lacerations, bruises, a broken sacrum, and a spinal injury in which required emergency surgery. Injured 3 was in the hospital for 3 days before being released.
Operator interview:
	Through the investigation Operator was interviewed and he stated that he was traveling into Smith Bay from an area on KY Lake known as the Sands when he hit a wave.  He stated that he was watching people on the shore and did not see the wave before his vessel Operator was met by local law enforcement along with KDFWR units at Buckhorn Bay boat ramp in the Big Bear Embayment on KY Lake. It was determined that he was not impaired and therefore we do not believe that impairment due to drugs or alcohol contributed to the incident.
Vessel Damage:
The only visible damage on the vessel was a broken windshield.
Response to the incident:
Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife law enforcement was not notified by Marshall County and therefore arrived on scene after all individuals involved had left. All information was gathered through phone contact and text messages. 


BARDID: KY-2021-0026
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2021-08-08 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 13:50:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Barren River Lake
NearestCityorTown: Scottsville
County: Allen
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Person departed vessel
AccidentEvent2: Person struck by propeller
AccidentCause1: Operator inattention
AccidentCause2: Other
AccidentCause3: People on gunwale, bow, or transom
OtherAccidentCause: Passenger/skier behavior
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On August 8, 2021, Sgt 1, Officer 2 and I responded to a boat accident involving injuries on Barren River Lake in Allen County, KY. We were notified by dispatch that the victim had sustained a “softball” size laceration above her left hip from a boat motor propeller. 
 
While enroute to Barren River Lake State Dock Marina, we were notified the victim had been transported by EMS to meet Air Methods KY6 to be flown to the University of Louisville Hospital in Louisville, KY.  
 
Upon arrival at the scene I made contact with Witness/Operator who stated he was operating a 22ft 2021 Crest Classic DLX Pontoon & Rental number T6 which he had rented from Rubright-Barren River State Dock LLC. Operator stated while operating at idle speed his 4 y/o grandson identified as Passenger 1 entered the water from the right side of the above vessel’s rear. Operator added, his daughter later identified as Passenger 3 (Victim) entered the water from the left side of the vessel’s rear to retrieve Passenger 1 when she was struck by the propeller. Operator shut the motor off and jumped into the water to retrieved both Passenger 3 and Passenger 1. Operator’s wife identified as Passenger 2 wrapped Passenger 3 in a towel and applied pressure to an open laceration above her left hip. Operator then went to the Barren River Lake State Dock where employee’s notified KSP Post 3 and Barren County EMS via 911. Operator stated that both Passenger 1 and Passenger 3 were within the protective railing of the vessel and he did not see them enter the water. 
 
An interview was conducted with Passenger 2 at the same location. Passenger 2 stated she was facing forward and did not see how the accident occurred. Passenger 2 became upset and stated she had nothing more to say. Passenger 2 was asked if Officer’s could speak with Passenger 1 about the incident which she would not allow. 
 
Officer 3 contacted Passenger 3 at the University of Louisville Hospital. Passenger 3 stated her son, Passenger 1, who was wearing a PFD jumped into the water from the rear swim deck of the rental pontoon boat on the right side. She out of instinct jumped into the water after him and failed to clear the propeller of the vessel’s motor causing it to strike her on her left side above her hip. Passenger 3 denied being hit by the vessel after she had entered the water and maintained she fell onto the propeller. 
The vessel was photographed notating some small blood stains on the rear passenger seats and driver’s console.  It was notated that Passenger 3’s bathing suit bottoms were on the deck of vessel and the left side as it would have been worn had been cut which was consistent with her described injuries. Operator did not appear under the influence of any substance at the time of his interview and Marina staff stated they saw no signs of alcohol or other impairing substances when Operator returned with the vessel. 
 
A follow up interview was attempted with Operator via phone, but I was unable to reach him, and I was unable to leave a voicemail. 
 
Contributing factors in this accident were a result of inattentive operation of Operator who should have known Passenger 1 and Passenger 3 were not seated while the vessel was underway. Lack of child supervision by Passenger 3 who allowed Passenger 1 outside of the protective railing while the vessel was underway thus allowing him to leap from the vessel and Passenger 3's decision to jump into the water after Passenger 1 without notifying Operator to shut down the motor first.


BARDID: KY-2021-0027
State: KY
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2021-08-08 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 07:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake Cumberland
NearestCityorTown: Monticello
County: Wayne
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Grounding
AccidentEvent2: Fall in vessel
AccidentCause1: Operator inattention
AccidentCause2: Improper lookout
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On August 8th 2021 at approximately 0700 hrs EST Beaver Creek Resort was notified of a boating accident with an injury in the area of Buffalo Ridge on Lake Cumberland. Beaver Creek Resort then notified the Wayne County 911 Center and sent two staff members (Witness 1 and Witness 2) to assist with the accident. The two staff members observed a 24 ft Sea Ray floating near the shoreline with the injured (Operator) screaming for help. The staff members recognized him because he had just been into the marina to buy ice approximately 30 minutes prior to the accident. The staff members loaded the injured individual onto their boat and took him back to Beaver Creek Resort to meet Wayne County EMS. The subject told the staff members that he had been going fishing and stepped away from the wheel shortly prior to striking the bank. The staff claimed that the subject was coherent and did not appear to be under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. The injured subject had notified his wife who then notified Marine Assist. Marine Assist then notified Sgt. 1 of the accident. Sgt. 1 notified Sgt.2 before responding to the accident by patrol boat from Jamestown Marina. Sgt. 2 responded by patrol truck to make contact with the subject at the Wayne County Airport as the subject was being prepped to fly to University of Kentucky Hospital by PHI medical transport. Sgt. 2 stated that the injured was coherent and was able to state that he was the lone occupant on the vessel and that he was the owner of the vessel. Sgt. 2 stated that while speaking with the injured, he was being given pain medication due to a possible broken left arm, broken left shoulder and a severe laceration to his head. The injured was also able to relay where the accident had occurred. Sgt. 2 did not observe any signs of impairment so no sobriety testing was conducted. Sgt. 2 left the Wayne County Airport and met Sgt. 1 at Beaver Creek Resort where both went to the accident scene to meet with Marine Assist. Sgt. 2 was able to observe a large area of fiberglass chips and other debris from the subject's vessel in a crevice on a steep rock ledge. The vessel was still floating at the time of their arrival, as Marine Assist had not secured it yet. Sgt. 1 and Sgt. 2 observed significant damage to the bow section of the vessel that matched the trail of fiberglass and gelcoat on the rock bank. The end of the fiberglass trail was eight and a half feet high on the ledge and travelled approximately fourteen feet. Debris from the vessel including drink containers and a cooler lid had been thrown twenty-five feet from the waterline. Blood was present throughout the vessel and there was no apparent damage to the windshield or the steering wheel. The throttle control was still in the forward gear at approximately three quarters throttle. There was no engine lanyard attached, however the switch was in the run position. An engine lanyard was located in a bag attached to what appeared to be spare keys for the vessel. The vessel contained the required PFDs and other safety equipment as required. The vessel only had an Ohio registration decal on the hull but the vessel was not numbered. The vessel was loaded onto a trailer by Marine Assist and stored at their facility in Jamestown, Ky. 


BARDID: KY-2021-0028
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2021-08-12 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 23:14:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Green River Lake
NearestCityorTown: Campbellsville
County: Taylor
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Fire/explosion (non-fuel)
AccidentCause1: Equipment failure
EquipmentFailure: Auxiliary
DayofWeek: Thursday
RedactedNarrative:
On 08/12/21 at approximately 2335 hours, Conservation Officer 2 responded to a report of houseboat that was on fire at Green River Marina.  Upon arrival, Officer 2 was able to locate Witness 1. Witness 1 advised that he heard a noise and went to the top of his boat and observed that a nearby boat was on fire. Witness 1 stated that he then went to the vessel that was on fire and attempted to put the fire out with a fire extinguisher and a hose while his wife called 911.  Witness 1 stated that the fire appeared to be emanating from an AC unit on the roof.  Witness 1 was able to subdue the flames until the fire department arrived.  
 
Officer 2 then went to the vessel that caught fire which was a 1985, 60ft, aluminum houseboat. Officer 2 saw that the fire damage was predominantly on the roof, around an AC unit.  There was some smoke damage on the interior of the houseboat as well.  Officer 2 photographed the vessel and got a statement from Witness 1 
 
Office 2 then made contact with Witness 2.  Witness 2 advised that he was working on the houseboat’s roof the day of the fire.  Witness 2 stated that he was repairing the back section of the roof, as well as the four corners of it.  Witness 2 went on to say that he stopped working on the boat at approximately 1600 hours.  Witness 2 advised that he did not see or smell anything out of the ordinary when he left the vessel. 
 
I, Conservation Officer 1 made contact with the owner of the vessel, the following afternoon at the Marina.  Owner stated that he had not seen the vessel since 08/11/21 and advised that the AC unit was never turned on, but the boat was plugged into the electricity from the Marina.  Owner stated that he bought the boat back in October of 2020 and had not even driven the boat.  Owner advised that he had been on the boat multiple times, but had just slept on the boat while it stayed in the slip. 
 
At the time of the fire, there was no one on the vessel.  The fire did not cause any injuries or damage to nearby vessels.  I have spoken with the owner multiple times since the fire.  Owner advised that the insurance representative told him to remove all furniture from inside of the vessel because of the damage.  Owner stated that the insurance company should cover the interior damage.  An exact dollar figure is not known at this time as to how much damage was caused, but it is believed to be over $10,000 as a rough estimate.

In conclusion, it is believed that the fire could have been caused from some type of electrical malfunction from the AC unit due to where the fire appeared to be emanating from.  I spoke with Taylor Co Fire in reference to this incident and they advised that they were not doing any type of fire investigation.  However, they told me that the insurance company is conducting their own investigation.  At the time of this report, that investigation has not been completed. 


BARDID: KY-2021-0029
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2021-08-14 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 11:21:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake Cumberland
NearestCityorTown: Jamestown
County: Russell
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Machinery failure
MachineryFailure: Steering
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On 08/14/21 at approximately 1030 hours I, Conservation Officer 1, responded to a report of a boat accident on Lake Cumberland near Greasy Creek.  I was advised that the Vessel, a 2020, 22 foot rigid inflatable made by Zodiac had malfunctioned in some way and caused all four occupants of the vessel to be thrown overboard.  The vessel then began to spin in circles in Greasy Creek.  

By the time I arrived at Lake Cumberland the vessel had already been stopped by ropes that people had thrown in front of the vessel that got tangled in the propeller.  Sgt. 2 responded to the Russell Co Hospital and spoke with the owner and operator of the vessel, and an injured passenger named Passenger 3.  Both subjects were transported by EMS to the Russell County Hospital.  Passenger 3 had a head injury that she sustained while being ejected from the boat.  Operator had general soreness and just wanted to be examined at the hospital to make sure he did not have any serious injuries.  

Both Passenger 3 and Operator gave the same account as to what occurred.  Both subjects stated that they were in some type of boat parade near Greasy Creek.  Both advised that they were leaving the idle zone and going on plane when the boat suddenly and sharply turned to the right.  This caused all occupants of the boat to be ejected.  Once ejected, the boat began to go in circles because the operator was not wearing a kill switch lanyard.  All passengers of the vessel were able to swim out of the way of the circling vessel and nearby boaters aided the subjects out of the water.  Both Passenger 3 and Operator were transported to Jamestown where EMS picked them up and took them to the hospital.  Sgt. 2 was able to get written statements from both subjects.

By the time I arrived at the Lake the vessel was already stopped by nearby boaters by throwing rope into the propeller.  The boat was then towed to State Dock where it was located and photographed.  The vessel appeared to have a disconnected hydraulic line leading to the motor.  This potentially caused the operator to lose control of the vessel and also caused the boat to turn sharply to the right.  While looking for the vessel, I was able to get the phone number for Passenger 2, a passenger ejected from the vessel.  I got the phone number from an individual at State Dock.  Passenger 2 advised that he was at Grider Hill and could meet with me there.  

Once I arrived at Grider Hill I made contact with Passenger 2 and Passenger 1.  Both subjects also gave the same statement as to what happened.  Both subjects advised that the boat suddenly turned sharply and caused everyone to be ejected from the vessel.  Once in the water, they swam out of the path of the circling vessel and were rescued by nearby boaters. Both Passenger 1 and Passenger 2 stated that they were somewhat sore, but did not need medical attention.  I was able to get statements from both subjects.  

In conclusion, it is believe that the broken steering cable that was observed on the vessel is what caused the ejections.  The sudden loss of control of the vessel could have caused the sudden turn which caused all occupants to be ejected.


BARDID: KY-2021-0030
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2021-06-26 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 22:30:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Herrington Lake
NearestCityorTown: Burgin
County: Mercer
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentEvent2: Fall in vessel
AccidentCause1: Inadequate onboard navigation lights
AccidentCause2: Alcohol
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On June 26, 2021 at approximately 2300, myself and Sgt. 2 were patrolling Herrington Lake when we were flagged down by a pontoon boat being towed by another vessel. Upon contact the occupants stated they were struck by another vessel from the rear. They stated they were unsure of what to do, because the other vessel involved had fled the scene moments after the accident. We then escorted the vessels to Pandora Marina where we began our investigation of the boat accident.
	The operator of vessel 1, V1 Operator, stated he and his passengers (V1 Passenger 1, V1 Passenger 2, and V1 Passenger 3) were enroute back to Pandora Marina when his pontoon was struck in the rear by another boat. V1 Operator stated that he heard the boat coming from behind and at the last second saw the boat from the glow of his anchor light before striking the rear of his vessel. Upon contact V1 Operator fell to the floor, cut the wheel to the left causing the other boat to fall off the starboard side of his pontoon. The damage sustained during the collision appears consistent with V1 Operator’s statement. During my interviews with V1 Operator and his passengers, all occupants stated that the operator of vessel 2 would not answer any of their questions and spoke few words. Once a separate pontoon came to render aide and make sure everyone was alright, the operator of vessel 2 drove off leaving the scene of the accident. A witness on the second pontoon, Witness 1, took a picture of the operator and his vessel before he was able to leave. All witnesses said the operator appeared to be drunk stating he was unsteady on his feet and had slurred speech. V1 Operator and his passengers all stated they did not see any navigation lights or anchor light on vessel 2 prior to the accident. They also stated the vessel had no navigation lights or anchor light while leaving the scene. 
	Prior to being flagged down by V1 Operator, Sgt 2 and myself witnessed a runabout boat pass us in the no wake zone around Chimney Rock Marina. The boat passed us above idle speed and had no visible lights. We were assisting another vessel at the time we witnessed this. Once we finished assisting the boat, we tried to locate the vessel we had just observed. We spoke to a couple fishermen and they advised they had seen the same boat running with no lights. We were unable locate the vessel and were contacted by V1 Operator shortly after.  The description of the hit and run vessel matched the vessel we had just observed.
On June 27th, 2021 I received a call from V2 Operator stating he was the operator the vessel involved in an accident on Herrington Lake on June 26th. He stated he saw the accident on the news, social media, and he did not know why people were making him out to be a bad guy. He also wanted to tell his side of the story. I set up an interview with V2 Operator on June 30th, 2021 where he stated he was on Herrington Lake on the evening of June 26, 2021 and was involved in an accident with a pontoon boat. He stated he was operating the vessel and was the only person on board that evening. V2 Operator said during our interview that the pontoon had cut in front of him while he was trying to get back to Pandora Marina. He stated he did not see the pontoon boat until it was too late, because the pontoon did not have any lights on. V2 Operator did however state that his navigation and anchor lights were not on as well. V2 Operator had said that he thought he hit the pontoon on its starboard side towards the rear of the pontoon. He also said that it happened so fast and he was unsure of the damages to his boat. V2 Operator stated a woman on vessel 1 said “we are so sorry” and a guy on vessel 1 asked if he was going to be ok. He replied “I’ll be fine, just bleeding bad and need to get back to the dock”. He stated nothing else was said so he left the scene to make sure his boat was not going to sink and to clean up the wound he sustained to his forehead during the accident. V2 Operator said he felt bad for what happened and he would have never left the boat there had he known anything was wrong with it. During my interview with V2 Operator he stated he thought the accident happened around 9pm close to the no wake zone leading into Sunset marina. This information was not consistent with the statements from Vessel 1 and the witnesses statements. V2 Operator said he had not consumed any alcohol that night while he was on the lake and operating his boat.  
	On June 30th, 2021 after my interview with V2 Operator, I made contact with Witness 2 of Evans Fiberglass Repair. Witness 2 stated that V2 Operator had called him on June 28th, 2021 to get an estimate for the damage done to his boat from the accident that took place on Herrington Lake on June 26, 2021. Witness 2 had said to me he asked V2 Operator if he got the information for the pontoon that had hit him. V2 Operator said to Witness 2 he had been drinking so they parted ways and he was going to pay for the repairs himself. Witness 2 then said he was on Facebook later that evening when he saw a post about a hit and run accident on Herrington Lake and saw the picture taken of the suspected run vessel. He stated after seeing that picture he was almost certain it was V2 Operator’s boat. The next morning drove by V2 Operator’s home and verified that the vessels were a match. 
	On July 1, 2021 I received a call from V1 Operator. He had told me one of his passengers, Passenger 3, was going to her primary care physician to get checked out since she was still having pain from the evening of the accident. I contacted Passenger 3 that same day and she had stated she went to IU Health Physicians to get x-rays done. On July 8th, 2021 she sent me her exam report which states she had sustained minimally displaced fractures of the anterior left seventh and eighth ribs. 


BARDID: KY-2021-0031
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2021-08-14 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 17:00:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Laurel River Lake
NearestCityorTown: Warsaw
County: Gallatin
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Fire/explosion (fuel)
AccidentCause1: Failure to vent
AccidentCause2: Operator inexperience
AccidentCause3: Machinery failure
MachineryFailure: Fuel
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
Operator and his girlfriend Witness 1 were launching their boat at Craig's Creek Boat Ramp on      8-14-2021. Operator was in the boat while Witness 1 backed the boat into the water. Sgt. 1, Officer 2, Officer 3 and I were tied off to the courtesy dock at the time of the incident. We heard and saw the engine compartment explode on Operator's boat. Operator jumped out of the boat and into the water. 
 
Sgt. 1, Officer 2, Officer 3, and I ran over to help. Sgt. 1 had brought the fire extinguisher from our boat. Sgt. 1 passed the fire extinguisher to Operator while he was in the water. Operator was able to use a fire extinguisher for a minute to help put out the fire until he realized how much pain he was in. Sgt. 1, Officer 2 and I used four fire extinguishers to put out the fire. The fire had grown significantly in the time it took us to retrieve our fire extinguishers. Sgt. 1, Officer 2 and I were able to completely put out the fire and then helped with treatment of Operator.  Officer 3 and Witness 2 (Off Duty Nurse) helped treat his burns. Witness 2 advised us to soak rags with cool water to place them on Operator's burns. Officer 2 retrieved some towels from his patrol truck and soaked them to place on Operator's burns. Officer 2, Officer 3, and I helped soak and hold wet towels on Operator’s burns while Sgt. 1 notified EMS. 
 
Gallatin County EMS arrived on scene and transported Operator to a nearby landing zone to fly him to University of Cincinnati Hospital to treat his wounds. 
 
Owner showed up on scene while EMS was treating Operator. Owner is co-owner of the boat. 
 
Officer 4 and Officer 5 interviewed Operator at the University of Cincinnati Hospital. Operator stated he had tried launching the boat earlier in the day but had to leave to replace the fuel line. They had fueled the boat on their way back to Craig's Creek after replacing the fuel line. Operator stated he did not run the blower to ventilate the engine compartment before starting the engine. Also, this was his first day on the water in this boat. 
 
Operator received burns on his head, arms, legs, and neck. Operator's boat sustained burn damage to the passenger compartment and engine compartment.


BARDID: KY-2021-0032
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2021-08-28 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 17:09:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake Cumberland
NearestCityorTown: Jamestown
County: Russell
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentCause1: Improper lookout
AccidentCause2: Operator inattention
AccidentCause3: Navigation rules violation
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On August 28th, 2021 at approximately 1800 hrs CST I, Officer 1, was notified by KSP Post 15 of a boating accident at the Jamestown Marina Ramp involving two boats. Upon my arrival Vessel 1, a 24 ft 2021 Benninton Tritoon operated by V1 Operator was docked at the temporary docking and Vessel 2, a 2005 28 ft Eliminator operated by V2 Operator was trailered sitting on the ramp access. Three occupants (V1 Passenger 1, V1 Passenger 3, and V1 Passenger 2) on Vessel 1 at the time of the accident stated that they were leaving the dock to wait to be loaded onto the trailer when Vessel 2 cut them off causing Vessel 1 to strike Vessel 2 in the starboard stern and rear starboard side. I could smell the odor of an alcoholic beverage so field sobriety was conducted on the operator, V1 Operator, of Vessel 1 but no clues of impairment were present. I then spoke to 2 occupants (V2 Passenger 2 and V2 Passenger 1), the operator (V2 Operator) and the owner of Vessel 2. All occupants on Vessel 2 stated that they were idling towards their trailer when the operator of Vessel 1 pushed the throttle too hard causing her vessel to accelerate quickly striking their vessel causing damage. An odor of an alcoholic beverage was present so I conducted field sobriety on the operator, V2 Operator, at which time no clues of impairment were present. Both vessels had all required safety equipment onboard. No injuries occurred as a result of this accident.

	Damage Assessment

Vessel 1 (2021 Bennington Tritoon) sustained scratches to the starboard side bow toon that were approximatley two feet by two feet.

Vessel 2 (2005 Eliminator) sustained damage to the starboard side stern that penetrated the fiberglass approximately two feet in length.

         Summation of Findings

Upon viewing the damage sustained by both vessels as well as the statements given by parties on both vessels involved it appears as if the operator of Vessel 1 failed to adhere to Proper Lookout (33 CFR 83 Rule 5) and Actions to Avoid Collision (33 CFR 83 Rule 8) by not observing for other vessels while releasing their mooring lines and getting underway.  Had a proper lookout been utilized the releasing of the mooring lines and moving of the vessel would have allowed for the danger of the passing vessel to be removed prior to the moving of Vessel 1.  Had the operator take any of several maneuvers available they also could have avoided making contact with Vessel 2. The operator of Vessel 2 failed to adhere to Proper Lookout (33 CFR 83 Rule 5) and Actions to Avoid Collision (33 CFR 83 Rule 8)  by not observing for other vessels while underway and by failing to alter course by several available maneuevers available to avoid the vessels making contact.  


BARDID: KY-2021-0033
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2021-09-04 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 12:33:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake Barkley
NearestCityorTown: Lake City
County: Lyon
WaterConditions: Choppy
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Force of wake/wave
AccidentCause2: Sharp turn
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On 9/4/2021 at approximately 12:33 my self & Sgt. 2 were notified of a PWC wreck on Lake Barkley between Demumbers bay and the canal. After arriving on scene at approximately 13:13 Sgt. 2 and myself spoke with the family of the operator of the PWC that had wrecked. Operator's father stated that his neither him or his family did not see the accident, but his son had lots of experience on the PWC he was operating. I spoke with the original caller Witness 1 who was operating a boat with his family onboard near by that noticed Operator floating face down in the water and the PWC floating near by. Witness 1 rushed over and pulled Operator from the water onboard his vessel.  When they got Operator onboard he was unconscious and they started towards Green Turtle Bay Marina while calling 911. Witness 1 and his family stated that Operator gained consciousness about 2 to 3 minutes after being on board. Operator was air lifted to Evansville, IN.  There was no witnesses that seen how Operator wrecked. There was no visible damage on the PWC that he was operating.  

On 9/18/2021 I was able to make contact with Operator. Operator stated that on 09/04/2021 he was jumping waves on his PWC that were being made by another vessel. Operator stated that he felt like he was a safe distance behind the vessel. Operator then stated that he had tried to while jumping a wave and lost his balance. Operator believes that when he lost his balance he fell off hitting his face on Front of the PWC knocking him unconcise, but couldn't say for sure due to the fact he had been knocked out.


BARDID: KY-2021-0034
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2021-09-10 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 11:34:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake Cumberland
NearestCityorTown: Somerset
County: Pulaski
WaterConditions: Choppy
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Force of wake/wave
AccidentCause2: Operator inattention
AccidentCause3: Sharp turn
OtherAccidentCause: Operator inexperience
DayofWeek: Friday
RedactedNarrative:
On September 10th, 2021 at approximately 11:41 hrs. EST  I, Officer, responded to a boat accident on Fishing Creek near Needle Point, involving a 2021  Mystic Powerboat 42' in length. Upon arrival at Lee's Ford Marina I met the Somerset/Pulaski County EMS as they were attending to the injured. They advised me that Air Evac was in route. I assisted the Air Evac medical team to the marina to assist the Somerset/Pulaski County EMS. After all subjects were transported from the marina I followed up with them at the Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital. Two subjects were flown to Lexington UK Medical Center, one with a possible pelvic bone break, lower lumbar injury, internal bleeding  and injured ribs with his run being XX. The other subject had a severe cut to his lower right leg/foot area with his run being XX.  At the Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital I spoke with the operator of the vessel. He stated that they were traveling toward Needle Point and hit a wave nearly capsizing the boat, ejecting all occupants but one. Subject was uninjured and remained on the vessel and was able to get the vessel back under control. Due to the engine lanyard not being used by operator the vessel was still underway after ejecting the passengers. The owner/operator was later sent to Lexington to the UK Medical Center due to his injuries. The total number of subjects on the vessel were eleven with ten of them having injuries beyond first/aid. There was no noticeable damage to the vessel and no sign of blood on the vessel from any injuries. Photos were taken at the marina before the vessel was returned back to State Dock. Paper work from the vessel was obtained verifying that it was a new boat that had not been registered as of 09/10/2021 and also showed having verification of being insured. Statements were taken from the owner/operator at the Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital. I observed the vessel having a engine lanyard attached to the kill switch in the on position but was not being used and was wrapped around the control area on the dash of the vessel. The vessel did contain the required number of PFD's and other required safety equipment.


BARDID: KY-2021-0035
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2021-08-10 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 16:51:00
CoordinatesConfidence: C
NameOfBodyOfWater: LAKE CUMBERLAND
NearestCityorTown: MONTICELLO
County: WAYNE
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Unknown
AccidentEvent1: Falls overboard
AccidentEvent2: Person struck by propeller
AccidentCause1: Operator inexperience
AccidentCause2: Alcohol
AccidentCause3: Improper lookout
DayofWeek: Tuesday
RedactedNarrative:
On August 10, 2021 at around 1700 hours I, Sergeant, was phoned by Officer 1 in regards to a boating accident that had occurred at Conley Bottom Marina.  Officer 1 had been sent via KSP Post 11 to respond along with Officer 2.  I came on duty and went to assist as it had been reported that a subject had been struck with a boat and was being flown out.  While enroute to Conley Bottom it was relayed to me that the victim had been taken to the Wayne County Hospital Emergency Room in lieu of being flown from the landing zone.  It was also relayed to me that the operator of the vessel as well as other occupants who had been on board were en route to the hospital via personal vehicles.  I directed Officer 2 to respond to the ER and Officer 1 to respond to Conley Bottom.  I responded to the hospital and arrived just shortly after Officer 2 had made contact with the individuals involved.  As I arrived I was met by Passenger 3, a passenger on the vessel involved.  When asked what had happened Passenger 3 relayed that Passenger 1/ Injured had fallen into the water from the rear deck of a pontoon after the pontoon struck the dock.  He had then disappeared and was located after the pontoon had been moved out of the slip it had been attempting to moor in.  Passenger 3 stated that Passenger 1/ Injured had been badly injured and bystanders and marina employees had been able to pull Passenger 1/ Injured from the water and were trying to stop his bleeding upon arrival by Wayne County EMS.  Passenger 3 also reported that his wife had been the operator of the pontoon and that she was inside the emergency room waiting area along with Passenger 1/ Injured's wife.  I smelled the odor of alcoholic beverage emitting from Passenger 3 as he spoke however he showed no signs of impairment.  

I then went into the emergency room, met with Officer 2 and asked him to interview the other occupants who had been on board.  At that time Officer 1 called and told me that the witnesses to the accident described the driver as being a female.  I noticed the EMS crew walking out at the time and walked out with them to check the status of the victim.  They advised he had not been stable enough to be flown out and that they had lost his pulse a couple times on the way to the ER but that the doctor was still working with him.  I then went back inside and spoke with who had been identified as the operator of the vessel.  She was very emotional as were the others.  She admitted to having been the operator and volunteered blood to prove no impairment.  She did admit to having half of an alcoholic beverage earlier in the day.  I did not smell the odor of alcoholic beverage upon her breath and did not notice any indicators of impairement.  I asked the operator if she would submit to sobriety testing which she promptly stated she would.  Officer 2 then administered the seated battery of SFSTs during which time no clues of impairment were observed.  As impairment of the operator was not present we then began trying to gather all information needed for reporting.  After interviewing the three present regarding what each believed had occurred, it became clear that Passenger 1/ Injured had went to the rear of the vessel as it was nearing the dock.  No one saw exactly the location Passenger 1/ Injured entered the water from nor did anyone see Passenger 1/ Injured actually enter the water.  This was also relayed from bystanders interviewed by Officer 1 at the marina.  After making contact with the dock the people on the pontoon became aware that Passenger 1/ Injured was no longer on board and he was subsequently located floating under the deck of vessel 1 face down.  After hearing screams and feeling/hearing the vessel make contact with the dock several people ran to the area with some assisting in placing Passenger 1/ Injured on a tube and floating him close enough to the dock to pull him upon the dock.  Bystanders began what triage they could at the scene and 911 was called nearly immediately.  Two of the bystanders were reported to be nurses and at least one off duty policeman had came to aid.  Once Wayne County EMS arrived Passenger 1/ Injured was taken by EMS to the Wayne County Hospital.  Most witnesses were unwilling to leave any information other than name and contact numbers.     

The vessel involved is a 2019 Manitou Explode 240 tritoon powered by a 300 horsepower Mercury outboard engine.  The vessel shows KY registration and is listed as being owned by Owner, the son of Passenger 3, who had been one of the passengers on the tritoon.  Passenger 1/ Injured had been on the rear swim deck area of the vessel prior to entereing the water.  Passenger 2 had been seated in the front starboard side lounge seat facing forward.  Passenger 3 had been on the front port outside the railing while preparing to tie the vessel to the dock.  No one on board reported wearing personal flotation devices at the time of the accident.  The vessel did have all required safety equipment on board.  The operator said she was not wearing the engine lanyard as required by Federal regulation.  Upon inspection of the vessel the engine lanyard switch was not tethered however the switch was in the  "run" position.  A beer bottle cap was located on the console of the vessel.  An empty alcoholic beverage container was observed in one of the cupholders.  Inside a cooler located on the vessel were several alcoholic beverages as well as a bottle of "Ancient Age" bourbon.  Two alcoholic beverage cans were also observed in a trash bag on board the vessel.  It was relayed that the bourbon had belonged to Passenger 1/ Injured and that he had consumed more alcoholic drinks than anyone else on board.  

While speaking with Operator regarding boating experience she stated it was probably the third time she had driven the vessel involved.  She said she did not have very much experience with that vessel and had no boater education.  She stated the vessel was going so slow she did not understand how the events had occurred.  She also stated that as she started into the slip that had been rented for the pontoon everyone noticed that another vessel was in that slip just as she began to maneuver toward the slip.  She said she had to change direction to then enter a neighboring slip.  Upon Officer 1's arrival at the marina the vessel involved had been secured to a different slip by bystanders after the accident.  Officer 1 was able to speak with several individuals who had been in the area and came to aid during the accident.  Officer 1 was also able to photograph the tube and a type 4 throwable device that had been utilized in the attempted rescue of Passenger 1/ Injured.  While a couple of the bystanders that came to aid during the accident provided their contact information, several did not cooperate in the gathering of contact information and provided only brief statements.  Some of the people could only mention in their statements what the result of the accident had been and were not able to provide anything related to the events leading to the accidents.  Statements will be attached to this report however some contact information will be missing as they were not willing in providing anything other than brief statements. 


BARDID: KY-2021-0036
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2021-08-21 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 13:36:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: CUMBERLAND RIVER
NearestCityorTown: WHITLEY
County: MCCREARY
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: No wind
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentEvent2: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Improper lookout
AccidentCause2: Operator inattention
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On August 21st, 2021 at approximately 1330 hrs EST I, Officer 1, received a phone call from a McCreary County Deputy stating that there had been an injury boating accident involving two personal watercrafts in the vicinity of the Turkey Creek Boat Ramp. Upon my arrival to the Turkey Creek Boat Ramp both Vessel 1, a 2006 Honda Auqatrax F12, operated by V1 Operator and Vessel 2, 2006 Sea Doo GTI SE 130, operated by V2 Operator were trailered. I observed damage to both Vessel 1 and Vessel 2. McCreary County EMS was already on scene treating the injuries sustained by the operator of Vessel 2, V2 Operator, and preparing to meet PHI Medial Transport so that she could be flown to University of Kentucky Hospital. The injured, V2 Operator, was coherent and did not appear under the influence, so no sobriety testing was conducted on her. She was being given pain medication at the time of my initial interview for injuries sustained as a result of the accident. The injured, V2 Operator, stated that she was "cranking donuts" on Vessel 2 when the operator of Vessel 1 struck Vessel 2, knocking her into the water. The operator of the Vessel 1, V1 Operator, stated that he thought that V2 Operator was turning around in front of him so he continued straight when she turned back into his path. He stated that he jumped into the water directly after knocking the injured into the water to attempt to get her back onto the PWC. V1 Operator did not appear to be under the influence so no field sobriety was conducted. I was able to speak with four more individuals (Witness 4, Witness 2, Witness 1, and Witness 3) who were meeting up with the vessels but did not see the accident occur. All four stated that they saw both vessels unoccupied when driving by but saw both, V1 Operator and V2 Operator, waving at them so they pulled over to them. Witness 4 pulled her onto a pontoon that he was operating and transported her back to the Turkey Creek Boat Ramp so that he could report the accident. 
	                                                  
Injuries Sustained
V2 Operator suffered broken bones in her femur, tibia and a shattered pelvis on her left side. V2 Operator was transported by McCreary County EMS to meet PHI Medical Transport to be flown to University of Kentucky Hospital because of her injuries.

		               Damage Assessment
Vessel 1 (2006 Honda Aquatrax F-12 sustained cosmetic damage to the Port Bow Hull approximately 4 inches by 4 inches in a circular area.

Vessel 2 (2011 Sea Doo GTI SE 130) sustained damage to the fiberglass on the Port Side measuring approximately 12 1/2 inches long and another spot approximately 3 inches, damaged the fiberglass under the seat mount measuring approximately 5 inches in 2 different spots, broke the seat mount on the Port side and suffered a tear to the seat vinyl and cushioning. 


BARDID: KY-2021-0037
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2021-08-17 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 19:13:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: LAKE CUMBERLAND
NearestCityorTown: MONTICELLO
County: WAYNE
WaterConditions: Choppy
StrongCurrent: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Skier mishap
AccidentCause1: Improper lookout
AccidentCause2: Machinery failure
MachineryFailure: Steering
DayofWeek: Tuesday
RedactedNarrative:
On August 17th, 2021 at approximately 1913 EST KSP Post 11 contacted me, Officer 1, in reference to an injury boating accident. The accident was reported as occurring in the Cumberland Point Vicinity on Lake Cumberland and the injured was being brought into Conley Bottom Marina to meet EMS. Upon my arrival at Conley Bottom Marina, I encountered Passenger 1 and Passenger 2 along with the vessel that had been involved. The vessel was a 2008 twenty-four foot Harris Pontoon powered by a 150 HP Honda outboard engine. The pontoon showed an Ohio registration and was in effect until 2024. On the floor of the vessel was Injured's PFD that had been ripped due to the impact with the shoreline. While speaking with Passenger 1 and Passenger 2 they informed me that the injured as well as the operator of the vessel at the time of the accident, Operator, had been transported to Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital neighboring Pulaski County by Wayne County EMS. Both Passenger 1 and Passenger 2 stated that Injured had been riding on the inter-tube with Passenger 3. While they were on the tube with the vessel underway the steering in the vessel stopped responding, leading to Operator not being able to control the direction that the vessel and tube were going. Passenger 3 let go of the inter-tube handles falling into the water while Injured did not. Because of this, Injured struck the shoreline while riding on the tube. After documenting the information, I then went to Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital to talk with Injured and Operator. Upon my arrival, hospital staff were taking Injured to get a CT scan. Operator was able to tell me that while pulling the inter-tube with Injured and Passenger 3 riding it, the steering stopped responding and he was unable to control the direction of both the vessel and tube causing the tube and Injured to strike the shoreline. Both Injured and Passenger 3 were wearing a PFD at all times while riding the inter-tube.

On August 20th, 2021 I spoke to Passenger 2 so that I could get more identifying information from him. He told me that Injured had suffered more severe injuries than what was initially thought and documented.

On August 22nd, 2021 I spoke to the owner of the vessel (Owner) and he told me that the steering caps were damaged causing the steering to not function correctly. He also told me that the steering caps had been replaced in November of 2020.

Injured was transferred to University of Kentucky Hospital due to his injuries and remained there until 8/29/2021.



		     Injuries Sustained

Injured suffered sever injuries to include; a large laceration to the left side of his abdomen, a few small lacerations on his left shoulder, 6 broken ribs, a bruised kidney and pancreas.


BARDID: KY-2021-0038
State: KY
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2021-09-12 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 15:47:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Barren River Lake
NearestCityorTown: Glasgow
County: Barren
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Flooding/swamping
AccidentEvent2: Sinking
AccidentCause1: Hull failure
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On 9/12/2021 at 15:47 CST, I received a call from the Narrows Marina owner (no relation to the victims) stating a pontoon boat had sunk and Marina owner was heading to check on the occupants of the sunken boat. I contacted the occupants of the boat at Bailey's Point boat ramp. 
Operator stated he was driving the boat and he wasn't sure why, but it began taking on water and sank. The other two occupants were Passenger 1 and Passenger 2 and they stated the same. There were three children onboard at the time of the accident. The adult occupants advised all the children were wearing life jackets. Marina owner stated when he arrived to pick them up all six occupants were wearing life jackets. 
I was unable to examine and determine reason the vessel sank due to it being submerged. No injuries were reported, and EMS was not needed. I was able to obtain the registration for the boat from the owner. The vessel bears Kentucky registration and the vessel is a 1984 Aqua Patio pontoon boat. 
After the boat was recovered, I was able to contact the owner via phone. Passenger 1 had text me four pictures of the vessel, and I asked her if I could come by in person and take photographs myself, but she never responded back. They stated to me they thought there was a hole in one of the toons on the pontoon and that’s what caused the vessel to sink.


BARDID: KY-2021-0048
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2021-12-09 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 08:15:00
CoordinatesConfidence: C
NameOfBodyOfWater: Ohio River
NearestCityorTown: Smithland
County: Livingston
WaterConditions: Rough
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: -1
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Moderate
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Flooding/swamping
AccidentEvent2: Capsizing
AccidentEvent3: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Hazardous waters
AccidentCause2: Weather
AccidentCause3: Operator inexperience
DayofWeek: Thursday
RedactedNarrative:
At 8:54 AM on December 9th, 2021, we received a 911 call concerning a boating accident on the Ohio River above Smithand Dam near Birdsville, KY. 
The incident concerned a small 17' aluminum jon boat that had been capsized as a result of very heavy wave action as two men were returning from hunting waterfowl earlier that morning. 

The initial wave came over the bow and filled the entire vessel with water effectively "swamping" the boat. The operator then tried to maneuver the boat left toward the bank. Upon turning, a second wave then capsized the vessel throwing both men overboard a significant distance from shore. 

According to Operator, the survivor, he managed to swim to shore by holding on to either one or two very bouyant duck decoys despite wearing waterproof chest waders and not wearing any personal floatation device (PFD).
While swimming he did see Subject trying to swim but only immediately after the capsizing. Before reaching the shore and while actively swimming, Operator continued to look for Subject but lost sight of him in the heavy wave action. Subject was also wearing chest waders and not wearing any PFD. 

Upon reaching the bank, Operator called 911 and happened into a passerby driving down the highway who put him into their car and drove to the nearby ramp where Livingston Co. EMS and Emergency Management eventually arrived. 
Operator was transported by EMS to Western Baptist Hospital in Paducah for hypothermia where he was interview by Conservation Officer and gave a written statement. 
Search and rescue efforts were conducted all day and into the night for Subject, including unsuccessful after-dark dive efforts. Efforts were resumed at 8:00 AM the following morning on the 10th until conclusion at dark with the impending severe weather. 
Efforts were postponed on the 11th due to catastrophic tornado/storm damage. 
Efforts resumed on the 12th until termination on the evening of 12/14. 
***Recovery efforts terminated per Livingston County EM at dusk 12/14/21.***

Subject was last seen wearing full camouflage consistent with waterfowl hunting including a heavy set of waterproof chest waders. 
He also had a lanyard of duck calls around his neck as well as a jewelry-style necklace constructed with small beads and displaying a cross. His wife also stated he should have been wearing a silver wedding band on his left hand. 
He has 3 tattoos on his upper right arm near his shoulder. Two of them consist of names. The third was described as a tattoo of either a Canada Goose or some kind of waterfowl between the names. 
His wife also stated that Subject does not have any teeth on his upper jaw as a result of dental surgery and two scars, one on his throat from surgery and one on the back of his neck, also from surgery. 


BARDID: KY-2021-0049
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2021-09-06 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 12:15:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake Cumberland
NearestCityorTown: Jamestown
County: Russell
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Unknown
AccidentEvent1: Falls overboard
AccidentEvent2: Person struck by propeller
AccidentCause1: Operator inexperience
AccidentCause2: People on gunwale, bow, or transom
DayofWeek: Monday
RedactedNarrative:
On September 6th, 2021 at approximately 12:35hrs CST, Officer 1 was dispatched to a female who had fallen overboard and received a prop cut to her leg around the idle zone of Jamestown Marina on Lake Cumberland. Upon his arrival he learned that Vessel 1, KY Registration was being operated by Operator. Operator was travelling out of the idle zone when she states Injured who was standing on the front of the boat holding onto a rope lost her balance and fell overboard. Operator states they heard a loud thump before Injured surfaced from behind the vessel. Injured was assisted back onto the boat where a kayaker applied a tourniquet to the injured leg. EMS was called and Injured was transported to Jamestown Marina for medical treatment. Russell County EMS treated Injured and called for Air EVAC to transport her to UK Medical Center for treatment for her injuries. 

Officer 1 then travelled to State dock where he took photographs of the vessel and obtained witness statements from the dockworkers who helped deal with getting the vessel to the marina. Upon his arrival, the other passengers on the vessel had left to head to UK medical center. He collected contact information as well as rental agreement from the State Dock staff. Officer 2 and Officer 3 traveled to UK medical center to obtain a statement from Operator pertaining to the accident. While they were there Injured was coming out of surgery and they were informed she had lost the leg due to injuries sustained. 

In a written statement provided by Operator, the operator of the vessel, she stated the victim, Injured, was standing at the front of the boat in front of the gate holding on to a "cord". She stated the victim lost her balance and fell overboard. The victim traveled under the boat and the occupants heard a "loud thump" believing the boat struck her. 

According to statements gathered at the scene by responding officers, a subject in a kayak observed the accident and was able to locate the victim and pull her from the water. This good samaritan utilized a belt and applied as a tourniquet to her leg in an attempt to stop the bleeding.   

In a written statement provided by Witness 1, an employee at State Dock, she states that she had been notified of the accident. She stated she called 911 and then traveled by boat to meet the boat carrying the victim. She stated she escorted the boat carrying the victim to Jamestown Marina where she assisted with first aid until EMS arrived on scene. 

In a written statement provided by Witness 2, an employee at State Dock, he stated he traveled from State Dock to Jamestown Marina where he assisted with First Aid to the victim. 

Medical personnel report Injured as suffering multiple propellor strikes to her left leg.  These injuries began just below her left buttocks and continued down to her ankle.  He left tibia and fibia were fractured by the propellor as well.  

Personal information as well as some contact information is limited in this report as the other passengers were gone prior to officers arrivals.  Subsequent searches for this information has failed to produce as some occupants appearing to have given false contact information or having chaging telephone numbers since being interviewed.       


BARDID: KY-2021-0050
State: KY
AVesselLoss: -1
Date: 2021-11-29 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 00:08:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake Cumberland
NearestCityorTown: Albany
County: Clinton
WaterConditions: Calm
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Fire/explosion (non-fuel)
AccidentCause1: Equipment failure
EquipmentFailure: Auxiliary
DayofWeek: Monday
RedactedNarrative:
On Monday, November 29, 2021 I, Officer 1, was dispatched to the Grider Hill Boat Dock to the report of a houseboat that had apparently caught fire and sank in a slip of the marina. Upon contact with manager of Grider Hill Marina, he stated he had arrived at about 0830 and observed light smoke in the area of the slip. He traveled to the area and observed a houseboat missing from slip beloging to Owner. He also observed the walkway the houseboat had been tied to was burned severely. He returned to the marina office and reviewed video surveillance footage of the area. Although the camera was positioned several hundred yards away from the incident, he stated he observed a fire start at about 1230 hours this date in the area of the slip. He stated the fire was visible on video surveillance for the next few hours. At the time of this initial report, the damaged vessel has not been recovered due to the depth of the water (about 105'). Upon obtaining a partial description of the vessel it is described as a 1988 Sumerset 60' aluminum hull houseboat. Prior to leaving Grider Hill Marina, I asked Marina manager to provide an estimate for the damage to the dock. He stated he would speak to his maintenance director and they would provide me with an estimate.

I then made contact with the owner of the vessel, Owner, who advised the boat had been unoccupied at the time of this incident. Owner stated he did not know what could have started a fire on board of the boat, that most of the electricity had been turned off and the boat had been winterized. He stated the only thing electrical he knew of that was being used was the battery charger. He also stated that a friend of his, Friend 1, and his wife Friend 2 had been at the Marina on Saturday, November 27, 2021 to check on their boat that was tied up a short distance from his. He stated Friend 1 had called and told him that everything looked fine on his boat at that time. 

I made contact with Friend 1 by phone to determine what he had observed. He stated he had checked on his boat on the previous Saturday. He stated he had several friends with houseboats tied up at the same dock so he visually checked on each one to make sure everything was fine. He stated Owner's boat had been properly tied as well as all the canvases had been properly secured. I asked if he had boarded Owner's boat to check the interior. He stated he had not boarded the boat only observing it from the dock.  On Tuesday, February 15, 2022, I made contact with Grider Hill Marina to see if they had figured an estimate for the damage. At that time, there was no estimate yet available.  

At the time of this report, the houseboat has not been recovered from the bottom of the lake.  This report has only been compiled based on witness statements and information provided by employees of the marina and the owner of the vessel.  The estimate used in this report has been provided by the insurance agency covering the assessed value of the houseboat.  If and when the houseboat is recovered the damage will be able to be assessed and possibly evidence obtained with this report being revisited.


BARDID: KY-2021-1000
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2021-04-17 00:00:00
CoordinatesConfidence: C
NameOfBodyOfWater: Ohio
NearestCityorTown: Lousiville
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: -1
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with commercial vessel
AccidentEvent2: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentCause1: Unknown
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
The victims were observing a fireworks show on the Indiana banks of the Ohio River.   

A commercial tow was pushing four barges with dry cargo.  The front starboard barge is a bull nose that drafted roughly 5 feet.  The port barge was a slant nose and was slightly higher than the starboard.

A recreational vessel (V2) had just completed a wide left turn to travel south to return to the Greenwood boat ramp.  As V2 transitioned form plowing to plane, it struck v1’s starboard tow which was northbound.  Based on interviews with v2 subjects, it did not appear that Operator2 saw the barge.  According to Operator1, when he noticed V2 was going to cross in front, he sounded the danger signal, took the tow out of gear and into reverse, then sounded the general alarm to begin a rescue operation.  The crew deployed a life ring with strobe and recovered two males.  They launched a rescue boat and recovered 1 unconscious male and two conscious females.  

Operator2 was intoxicated at the time of incident; Operator1 tested negative for alcohol.
 The recreational vessel was last registered in 2012.

The commercial vessel crew confirmed the head barges were lit and had been checked prior to dusk.


BARDID: KY-2022-0001
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2022-05-15 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 10:40:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Bullock Pen Lake
NearestCityorTown: Verona
County: Boone
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Unknown
AccidentEvent1: Grounding
AccidentEvent2: Person ejected from vessel
AccidentEvent3: Fall in vessel
AccidentCause1: Machinery failure
MachineryFailure: Shift
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On the morning of 5/15/2022, owner and operator of the boat, along with passenger took his 1995 Skeeter out on Bullock Pen Lake. They were accompanied by subject who was on his own vessel. They were idling around the lake while fishing and all parties stated that the Skeeter was idling rough and smoking more than normal. 

At one point Operator1 engaged the gear release lever in attempt to rev the engine in attempt to fix the rough idle and heavy smoke. It was at this time that the gear release lever failed, the boat went into gear with the throttle in forward motion. 

The boat lurched forward and the engine turned hard to the port side. Operator1 did not have time to recover and the boat struck the bank on the starboard side at the property. At the point of initial contact the passenger was ejected from the boat as he was sitting on the raised fishing seat located in the rear of the vessel. He landed on the bank. Operator1, the operator struck his face on the windshield of the Skeeter. The boat continued along the bank striking more rocks before Operator1 regained control placing it in neutral and killing the engine. 

Two people were in the yard when the incident took place. Both stated that they heard the vessel accelerate then witnessed it strike the bank and eject occupant onto the bank. One person called 911 reporting the incident. Boone County Sheriff Department responded along with Verona FD/EMS. 


BARDID: KY-2022-0002
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2022-05-29 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 11:51:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Lake Barkley
NearestCityorTown: Kuttawa
County: Lyon
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Fire/explosion (fuel)
AccidentCause1: Failure to vent
AccidentCause2: Ignition of spilled fuel or vapor
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
At approximately 11:51 AM Central Time on May 29th, Operator1 had just completed filling his 41.5' Sea Ray cabin cruiser with over 100 gallons of fuel (gasoline-300 gal. total capacity) at Hu-B's Marina on Lake Barkley in Kuttawa, KY. According to Operator1 during interview, he had started the port engine without issue and then turned on the starboard engine igniting fuel vapors within the engine compartment. He and two dockhands described a loud "boom" followed by smoke coming from the port and starboard side vents. Only a few minutes later and after pushing off the fuel dock, fire became visible from the starboard vents. At this time Operator1 felt confident that he heard his Halon fire extinguisher system activate and consequently extinguish all fire on board. The vessel was then towed a short distance out from the marina to the break-wall and tied up waiting for first responders from KDFWR, Lyon County EM and Kuttawa Fire Dept. No injuries were sustained and there was no damage to any other property aside from the boat.   

During interview, Operator1 claimed to have vented his hold removing fuel vapors. However, a witness statement from one of the dockhands indicated Operator1 either didn't vent the fuel vapors at all before ignition or didn't leave them on long enough. 


BARDID: KY-2022-0003
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2022-05-29 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 11:15:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Laurel River Lake
NearestCityorTown: Corbin
County: Whitley
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Skier mishap
AccidentCause1: Improper lookout
AccidentCause2: Excessive speed
AccidentCause3: Force of wake/wave
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
On May 29, 2022, Officer received a call from the manager of Grove Marina, stating that one of the persons that rented a houseboat had suffered a leg injury while tubing from a personal watercraft (PWC). The rental houseboat was located in Whippoorwill Creek on Laurel River Lake. Subject1 stated he called Whitley 911 and had EMS enroute to the marina.  Officer relayed to Kentucky State Police Post the details and proceeded to Grove Marina to transport EMS personnel to the accident location. 

Upon arrival, Officer made contact with 3 subjects that were involved in the accident. All 
subjects were friends that had rented a houseboat from Grove Marina for the weekend. Subject2 was complaining of a leg injury. There no apparent alcohol or drug usage among the subjects.

Subject2 was transported to the Grove Marina boat ramp to a waiting ambulance. She was then 
transported to Corbin Baptist Hospital for treatment. The operator stated he was pulling the tube and making a left hand turn going in a circle. He stated he was travelling at 18 mph. He stated when the tube made contact with a wave, it ejected the 2 occupants of the tube. Operator stated that he was the only person on the PWC and the PWC did not have a 160 degree mirror attached.

Tube passenger stated that the PWC was making a left handed turn and the tube swung out. The tube hit a wave and she was ejected. She stated that she was not injured. Tube passenger stated that the jet ski was making a left handed turn and the tube swung out. The tube hit a wave and she was ejected. She stated that when she made contact with the water, she felt a pain in her right leg.

Subject2 was treated for injuries at Corbin Baptist Hospital. She was treated for a right broken femur head and right dislocated hip. 

The tube details:
Brand: WoW Watersports
Model: Zoom DUO 
Rating: 1-2 persons


BARDID: KY-2022-0004
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2022-05-29 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 17:11:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Herrington Lake
NearestCityorTown: Burgin
County: Mercer
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Unknown
AccidentEvent1: Collision with recreational vessel
AccidentCause1: Operator inexperience
AccidentCause2: Force of wake/wave
DayofWeek: Sunday
RedactedNarrative:
At approximately 1900 on May 29, 2022 while on boat patrol on Lake Herrington in Mercer County, a Fish & Wildlife patrol boat (Vessel #1) was in an accident with another vessel near the Kentucky Utilities dam. Officer was operating a Fish & Wildlife Epic (FW28712) when he and Officer2 observed a boat with an orange registration decal traveling the opposite direction. Because orange was the color of the 2021 Kentucky vessel registration decal and had expired April 30, 2022, Officer turned the boat around to make a vessel stop. 

As the other vessel, a Hallett 270 with registration (Vessel #2), approached the danger buoys near the dam, it turned around prior to reaching the buoys. Once the operator of Vessel #2 saw our blue lights, he brought the vessel into neutral and began drifting toward Vessel #1. 

As Officer approached Vessel #2, he crossed in front of Vessel #2 to steer Vessel #1 toward the operator's side to make contact. When Vessel #1 neared Vessel #2, Officer2 began to make contact. At that time Officer 2 realized the orange registration decal was through Arizona, not Kentucky.

While Vessel #1 was crossing in front of Vessel #2, the momentum of Vessel #2 carried it into the starboard (right) side of Vessel #1. The nose of Vessel #2 made contact with the middle of Vessel #1 causing damage to both vessels.  

Following the incident, Officer photographed the damage to each vessel and collected information from the operator and the four passengers on board. 

There were no injuries on either vessel.  

The engine serial number was unreadable.

Officer then provided subject with his business card that included his name and phone number.
Subject took Vessel #2 to Evans Fiberglass Repair located at 426 Bennett Dr., Nicholasville, KY 40356 to get an estimate on the damage, and then sent a copy of that estimate to Officer on June 2, 2022


BARDID: KY-2022-0005
State: KY
AVesselLoss: 0
Date: 2022-06-25 00:00:00
Time: 1899-12-30 15:50:00
NameOfBodyOfWater: Green River Lake
NearestCityorTown: Columbia
County: Adair
WaterConditions: Calm
StrongCurrent: 0
HazardousWaters: 0
CongestedWaters: 0
Wind: Light
Visibility: Good
AccidentEvent1: Collision with submerged object
AccidentEvent2: Flooding/swamping
AccidentEvent3: Sinking
AccidentCause1: Other
AccidentCause2: Machinery failure
OtherAccidentCause: Unseen water hazard
MachineryFailure: Engine
DayofWeek: Saturday
RedactedNarrative:
On June 25, 2022 at approximately 1550 Kentucky State Police Post received a call from a passenger who stated that she and operator/owner were aboard a vessel on Green River Lake, near Plum Point, that was taking on water. I Conservation Officer arrived on scene at approximately 1606, on my arrival the two individuals were standing in the boat wearing lifejackets. I also observed a substantial amount of water in the vessel. (a 20-foot blue and white Sting Ray.) 
     
     I told Subject2 that by policy, I was not allowed to tow the boat to a dock or to shore since it was taking on water, and he understood stating it would just have to sink since the engine wouldn't start. Both individuals and their belongings were put on my vessel and transported back to the State Dock where their vehicles were located.
   
   When asked about the incident Subject2, stated that they were traveling down the lake when he felt, and heard, a loud boom; at which time the engine cut off and wouldn't start back up. He stated that he thought he had hit something in the water, and later noticed that the vessel was taking on water.
    
   The Vessel did sink after the passengers and personal belongings were removed. Subject2 stated that he would contact his insurance company to see if they would pay to get the vessel removed from the water. The Corps of Engineers was also contacted, and as of, July 4, 2022, the vessel is still submerged in the lake with no definitive timeline of removal.


