On 5/12/2012, I received a call from Ogelthorpe Police Chief in reference to a possible drowning in the Flint river, south of Hooks Landing.  I advised Chief that we would be on the way.  I asked him to have his officer at the scene to call me which was Officer.  Off. called me and said that EMS was down river with victim and that he had almost cut his hand off when his motor hit an underwater object which knocked the motor off of the transom and landed in the boat with the two occupants.  I placed a call to Sgt. and DNR SOC and advised them of the situation.  RFC and I arrived at Hooks Landing and met Fire Chief.  Chief updated us with a brief description of the incident.  While preparing to launch our patrol vessel, another person drove up and told us that he had picked up the victim by boat, and taken him to Stagecoach rd. to meet with EMS.  Other person stated that we could follow him to Denton's Landing (private) and he would take us to the incident location in his boat.  After getting with Other person, we went down river approximately 1/2 mile and met rescue personnel going back to the landing along with occupant. We briefly spoke with Occupant about Operator's injuries and also inquired if she was injured or not.  She said that she was not injured.  We continued to where their boat was tied up.  Once we arrived, RFC Lawrence began taking numerous pictures of the boat.  We tied the boat to Other person's boat and brought it back to Denton's Landing. 

     RFC and I went to the Flint River Community Hospital Emergency Room to meet with victim and Occupant to take a report.  I took several pictures of left hand and asked Occupant if she could give me a detailed description of what had taken place.  Occupant stated in writing and verbally that while heading up the river towards Hooks Landing, her husband sped the boat up after coming around a curve and into a straight away when the motor flew up in the boat with them toward her husband and he pushed it off of himself.  Occupant stated that the motor fell into the water.  She then wrapped her husband's hand in a towel to keep pressure on it.  Occupant said that they drifted a short distance when she was able to tie their boat to the bank of the river and called 911.  I asked Occupant about the type of outboard that it was and she said that it was a new 20 horsepower motor, one that you operate while sitting in the back of the boat.  
    
     On 5/20/12, I met with Operator at his residence to get a written statement from him. Operator stated that while coming up river towards Hooks landing, he hit a stump and the motor did a somersault into the boat with him and landed between his legs.  Operator said that while trying to push the motor away from him, he noticed that he had cut his hand. Operator also said that his wife wrapped his hand up in a towel and called 911.  they drifted approximately 60 to 70 yards to where they tied up the boat and waited for help to arrive. Operator said that on Thursday  (5/17/12) that he and son went to the river and recovered his motor from the river bottom.  End of report.  ***
OGLETHORPE                    