On the 27th of March 2011, operator and occupant were traveling north in the Vermilion River in Lafayette Parish in a 1990 15 foot Duracraft tiller operated vessel.  Operator advised that approximately 7:00 p.m. his vessel struck an unknown object causing his vessel to suddenly list to the port side causing Occupant to be ejected from the vessel.  Operator stated that the propeller on his vessel struck Occupant after he was tossed into the water.  Operator advised that he assisted Occupant back into the vessel and called for help.  Operator appeared to be operating his vessel while under the influence of an alcoholic beverage and performed poorly on Standardized Field Sobriety Tests.  Operator was arrested for LRS 14:98 Operate a Vessel while intoxicated and refused chemical tests for intoxication.  All necessary safety equipment was located in the vessel.  Investigation revealed that Operator stuck two steel pipes were located approximately 50 feet south of the location the vessel was recovered after the accident.  The pipes were located approximately mid way between the center of the channel and the east bank of the Vermilion River.  Operator was traveling north in the river when he struck a 3 inch rusty, steel pipe and a 1 1/4 inch steel pipe.  The pipes were approximately 36 inches apart.  The 3 inch pipe, wrapped with orange flagging, stuck up approximately three feet out of the water and the 1 1/4 inch pipe stuck out of the water approximately 12 inches.  Operator's vessel caused a scratch in the rusty 3 inch pipe approximately twenty-four inches in length.  There was an obvious abrasion to the lip of the 1 1/4 inch pipe (see attached photographs) .  As Operator's vessel traveled over the 1 1/4 inch pipe, it caused a gouge on the starboard side of the hull of the vessel before punching a hole through the floor of the vessel near the transom.  The steel pipes were located a N 30 09.476' W 092 03.838'.  Investigation was unable to determine if PFD's were worn or engine cutoff switch attached at the time of the accident.
Lafayette                     