ON THE AFTERNOON OF AUGUST 25, 2009 OPERATOR AND HIS WIFE TOOK THEIR PONTOON BOAT TO THE BACK OF A SMALL COVE, OFF THE MAIN CHANNEL, SOUTH OF JACKRABBIT CAMPGROUND TO ANCHOR AND SPEND THE NIGHT.  AFTER SPENDING A FEW HOURS SETTING UP AND WATCHING A MOVIE ON A DVD PLAYER, WIFE NOTICED THE BOAT WAS LISTING TO ONE SIDE.  AFTER A SHORT EVALUATION OF THE SITUATION, OPERATOR DETERMINED THAT ONE OF THE PONTOONS WAS TAKING ON WATER.  AT THIS TIME HE DECIDED TO TAKE DOWN THE PLASTIC WINDOWS THAT WERE ATTACHED TO THE CANOPY BY VELCRO SO HE COULD SEE TO DRIVE THE BOAT.  AFTER DOING THIS, HE WALKED TO THE FRONT OF THE BOAT TO PULL UP THE ANCHOR.  The boat capsized.  ONE OF THE LIFE JACKETS FLOATED OUT FROM UNDER THE UPENDED BOAT.  OPERATOR PUT ON THE PFD AND ASSISTED HIS WIFE UP ONTO THE FLOATING PORTION OF THE BOAT.  THE couple SPENT THE NIGHT WITH THE BOAT AND WERE ABLE TO GET THE ATTENTION OF SOME HIKERS ON SHORE THE NEXT MORNING AROUND 7:30 OR 8AM.  THE HIKERS THEN CALLED 911 TO REPORT THE ACCIDENT AND THE CLAY COUNTY RESCUE SQUAD WAS DISPATCHED TO GET THE PEOPLE AND BOAT OUT OF THE WATER.  THE MEMBERS OF THE RESCUE SQUAD WERE ABLE TO GET THE couple OUT OF THE LAKE AND TRASPORTED TO MURPHY MEDICAL CENTER BY APPROXIMATELY 9:15AM, WHERE THEY WERE BOTH TREATED FOR MILD HYPOTHERMIA.  THE RESCUE SQUAD WAS ALSO ABLE TO RIGHT THE BOAT AND TOW IT TO THE BOAT RAMP, WHERE THEY LOADED IT ON OPERATOR'S TRAILER.  IT WAS LATER FOUND THAT THE LEFT PONTOON HAD A BROKEN DRAIN PLUG, CAUSING IT TO FILL WITH WATER.  THERE WERE TWO PEOPLE ONBOARD AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.  ALL REQUIRED SAFETY EQUIPMENT WAS ONBOARD THE VESSEL.  NO DRUGS OR ALCOHOL WERE INVOLVED IN THIS ACCIDENT.  NO CHARGES WERE FILED.
HAYESVILLE                    