THE OPERATOR OF VESSEL 1 WAS TRAVELING ON PLANE IN THE AVOVE NAMED LOCATION AND WAS LOOKING AT ANOTHER VESSEL, WHICH WAS RUNNING SOME CRAB TRAPS NEARBY.  BECAUSE THE OPERATOR WAS NOT PAYING ATTENTION, HIS VESSEL, VESSEL 1, STRUCK A 10FT TALL PILING IN THE OPEN WATER OF THE BAY.  THE OPERATOR WAS EJECTED FROM THE VESSEL AND SUSTAINED MULTIPLE INJURIES.  VESSEL 1 CONTINUED TOWARDS SHORE AND TRAVELED APPROXIMATELY 20 FEET ONTO THE LAND.  THE NEARBY BOATERS SUSEQUENTLY RETRIEVED THE OPERATOR FROM THE WATER AND TRANSPORTED HIM BACK TO HIS CAMP, WHERE FAMILY MEMBERS THEN TRANSPORTED HIM TO THE HOSPITAL.

THE OPERATOR WAS NOT WEARING A PFD AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, NOR WAS HE WEARING THE ENGINE CUT-OFF LANYARD.  THERE WERE NO PASSENGERS ABOARD THE VESSEL AND ALCOHOL DID NOT APPEAR TO BE A FACTOR.  HOWEVER, THE OPERATOR SUBMITTED A BLOOD SAMPLE FOR ANALYSIS.
LAFITTE                       