On Saturday May 29,2010 Operator1 and his family were pleasure boating on pool 17 of the Mississippi River in Muscatine County.  On the morning of May 29th, Operator1 launched his boat at a freinds house directly below the spillway at Lock and Dam 16.  Operator1 proceeded to operate his boat downstream to Bass Island a popular beach and recreational boating area located at river mile 448 in northern Louisa County.  The Operator1 family spent the day boating and recreating on the Mississippi River in the Bass Island area.  Early in the evening on the same day the family left the Bass Island area and headed upstream to a friends residence to pull the boat from the river and end the day.  As they headed upstream, the inboard motor stalled at approximate river mile 450.  Repeated attempts to start the motor by Operator1 failed.  At the same time, the motor vessel Coral Dawn was headed upstream pushing a number of barges and approching the disabled Operator1 vessel.  As the Coral Dawm approached the disabled vessel, Operator1 stood up on the seat in the aft portion of their vessel waving towels while occupant of V1 began blowing an air horn in an attempt to alert the Coral Dawn. Captain of the Coral Dawn placed the engines of the motor vessel in reverse in an attempt to avoid a collision.  As the towboat continued upstream approaching the Operator1 vessel, occupant of V1 sensed the collision and jumped overboard with her two daughters.  All three were wearing their life jackets.  Operator1 continued to frantically start the engine and just prior to a collision with the towboat, Operator1 jumped overboard and swam clear of the vessel and the barges. He was wearing a life jacket.  Immediately after Operator1 jumped overboard, the front port side of the leading Coral Dawn barge struck the Operator1 vessel.  The Vessel1 rolled and glanced off of the port side of the barge.  The vessel1 was partially submerged, took on water, and floated clear from the barges.  The 4 subjects were immediately rescued up by another passing recreational boat.  All 4 subjects were uninjured.  The boat then transported the vessel1 occupants to the residence below Lock and Dam 16 where they had launched thier boat earlier in the day.  In the meantime the Operator1 boat was recovered and pulled to the Iowa shore near the Monsanto Corporation.
Muscatine                     