On 070512 around 0920 hours, I was contacted by the Department of Natural Resources Region Three office in reference to a boating incident on Lake Oconee.  Subject provided me a phone number for the complainant.  I called Complainant and he advised me a vessel had hit a dock and the boat was sitting on the shore.  I asked Complainant if there were any injuries and he stated he did not think anyone was injured.  I advised Complainant I would be en route after I dropped off a patrol boat.  I responded to the scene in the twenty two foot Pro Line.

I arrived on scene and saw damage to the right side of a dock and the seawall at the shoreline.  I also saw a vessel on the shore which was identified as a Cobalt.  I spoke with the owner of the dock and seawall.  Complainant stated the vessel came around the point while he and workers were working on his dock lights.  Complainant stated a female was driving the vessel and was looking towards the back of the vessel.  Complainant stated he and the two workers began yelling and waiving their arms in the air trying to get the operators' attention.  Complainant stated they ran off the dock and the vessel hit his dock and came to rest on the shoreline. I asked Complainant to complete a witness statement.

I spoke with the owner of the vessel.  I asked if they needed medical attention.  Operator stated he was a doctor and did not think they needed medical treatment at the time I was there.  I did note both had ice packs and was using them on the side of their head.  I asked Operator  what had happened.  Operator stated they had gotten a snake out of their vessel a day earlier and while they were cruising down the lake, a snake tried to enter the vessel through the back walkway.  Operator stated he instructed his wife to take the wheel while he tried to get the snake out of the vessel with a net mounted on a pole.  Operator stated he heard his wife scream and saw they were headed for a dock and tried to get to the wheel to turn the vessel.

I spoke with Wife.  Wife stated she took the wheel after she told her husband there was a snake in the boat.  Wife stated her attention was focused on the back of the vessel and did not know the vessel was turning for a dock and when she looked forward, it was too late to avoid the collision with the dock.

The vessel had damage on the port side along the first chine.  There was a hole in the vessel approximately three feet long by one and a half foot tall.  I was unable to see the damage on the bottom of the vessel.  The starboard side came to rest on small trees and did not seem to have damage.  The throttle also was all the way forward.  I took photographs and video of the scene with my vid mic.  They provided me with witness statements.  There was no alcohol involved in the incident.

I took the subjects by vessel to the Ritz.  The vessel was removed by Fricks Dock Builders, which was worked out between the two.  I advised the subjects that I would list them as a complaint of injury and advised them to call me if medical treatment was needed for either of them.

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GREENSBORO                    