On 07/03/11 at about 4:00 pm I, CPO, was informed by CPO of a boat crash on Slocum Lake near Island Lake, IL.  CPO gave me the contact information for owner whose PWC (Vessel #1) had been involved in the crash.  I proceeded to Owner''s residence.  Once there, I observed the damage to Owner''s PWC, which had been struck amidships on the port side.  Pictures of Owner''s PWC are attached to this report.  I talked to Operator2 who had been operating the PWC and a passenger on the PWC.  Their statements are also attached to this report.  Operator2 and Passenger indicated a female on a PWC had turned abruptly in front of them and, when Operator2 turned to the right to avoid a crash, the other PWC had struck his vessel on the port side.
I proceeded to the residence to talk to Operator1, who maintained her vessel was not the striking vessel because she had made an abrupt turn and had fallen off of her vessel before the crash occurred.  Thus, Operator1 believed Operator2 should have avoided her unmanned vessel.  A copy of Operator1 statement is attached to this report.
I then talked to a witness to the crash.  witness said she was on the north shore of the lake when she saw the crash.  witness indicated Operator1 had taken an abrupt turn and had fallen off of her vessel before the crash.  A copy of statement is attached to this report.
Finally, I talked to another witness who witnessed the crash from a beach on the southeast corner of Slocum Lake.  Witness1 indicated Operator1 had been operating erratically throughout the day, characterizing her riding as, "hot-dogging".  Witness1 contradicted both Operator1 and witness in that he said Operator1 was not thrown from her vessel prior to the crash, but that Operator1 slid off the back of her PWC when it crashed into the PWC operated by Operator2.  Several other witnesses at the same beach as witness concurred with his statement, but were unwilling to provide written statements.
Based on the location and extent of the damage to Vessel #2 (Operator2 and Owner), and the location and relative lack of damage to Vessel #1 (Vetter), I conclude that Vessel #1 was the at fault vessel in this crash.   If Operator1 was not thrown from her vessel prior to the crash, she was obligated to give way to Vessel #2 based on navigation rules.  Further, if Operator1 was thrown from her vessel before the crash because of her abrupt turn at a speed she estimates at 25 mph, her inattention to other vessels in the area led to her unmanned PWC striking Vessel #2.  EOR

Island Lake                   