On august 24, 2013, i received a call from raleigh that a boating accident had occurred on lake chatuge.  I patrolled to gibson cove to meet with operator1s and eye witnesses.  When i arrived at gibson cove, the ambulance was there and victim was inside.  She was the passenger of vessel 1.  The paramedics told me they had the helicopter on the way and she was going to be flown out to mission hospital.  I talked with her for a couple of minutes and could not make anything out of what she was saying.  I then talked to the operator1 of vessel 1.  I noticed an odor of an alcoholic beverage on his breath.  I performed a couple field sobriety tests and determined that he was not impaired.  I did horizontal gaze mystagmus test, finger to nose test and asked him to do numerous other tasks associated with the accident.  I talked with operator1 and he told me they had operated vessel 1 from georgia to the dam.  They were headed back to georgia when they were hit from behind by vessel 2.  I asked operator1 if his stern light was on.  He said he thought the stern light was on because he had a glare in the cab of the boat.  He never would tell me yes or no.
Vessel 2 operator said that he had been fishing at the dam.  While fishing near the dam, he saw a boat traveling from georgia without a stern light on.  Operator2 said he thought the boat went toward ledford chapel.  He said he was not catching any fish next to the dam, so he was going to move to fieldstone marina.  He had a 200 hp motor on the boat and he was running between 50 and 60 mph.  It was a very dark night with no moon.  He said he caught a glimpse of something from his bow lights and he jerked the steering wheel to the left but it was too late.  They went airborne.  He said there was no stern light on operator1's boat.  Operator2 said "he did not see any lights whatsoever."
At gibson cove i talked a fisherman close by and saw everything.  He said vessel 1 only had front lights on.  witness said that vessel 1 was pointed toward georgia.  Another boat coming from the dam hit vessel 1 from the stern.  witness said he and his partner went over to the accident and asked if they could assist.  He pulled vessel 1 to gibson cove access area.
I talked with 13 witnesses around clay county recreation park campground that heard the accident.  None of them saw a boat without a stern light.  witness was the only witness that saw the accident.
HAYESVILLE