On 7-5-12 at 15:59 while at the steuben county sheriff's dept squadroom, i was advised by steuben county sheriff's dept deputy that there was a boating accident which steuben county ems and angola fire dept had responded to approximately 20 minutes prior.  I asked conservation officer if he had knowledge of the accident and he stated that he di not.  We called steuben county dispatch who advised at 15:39, they had dispatched ems and fire to a boating accident involving a personal watercraft in the area of lake james estates on the third basin of lake james.  We responded at 15:59 to the area and met the ambulance and fire department leaving the scene while enroute.  Ems left the scen enroute to the cameron hospital at 16:03.  They advised that their patient from the accident was going to be air-lifted to parkview hospital in ft. Wayne from cameron hospital in angola.  We arrived on the scene at 16:06 and found no witnesses left in the area and the pwc which had been involved in the accident was not secured and could not be located.  We left and returned to angola to cameron hospital.  We arrived at 16:39 and found family and friends of the subjects involved in the accident in the emergency room.  We interviewed the operator, as well as the two passengers on the pwc and the injured.
     according to witness statements, Operator was operating the pwc in the middle part of the third basin of lake james.  Occupant1 was sitting behind Operator and occupant2 was sitting third in line, at the back of the pwc.  Due to the high level of boat traffic at the time, the water was rough and choppy.  Operator negotiated at left hand turn and after coming out of the turn, a wake or wave caused occupant2 to lose his balance and begin to fall off of the starboard side of the pwc.  Occupant2 was holding onto the side straps of occupant1's lifejacket.  As occupant2 fell off of the pwc, he pulled occupant1 off of the starboard side as well.  Occupant1 was holding onto the side straps of the operator Operator's lifejacket.  Operator stated that she began to be pulled off of the pwc, but held onto the handlebars as long as she could before losing grip and falling off of the pwc back first.  By this time the pwc had slowed considerably, Operator stated that she realized that someone was falling off of the pwc immediately and let off of the throttle.  Operator stated that when she fell into the lake off of the starboard side of the pwc her fall was slow and her head never went under.  As the three fell off of the pwc, either or both Operator and occupant2 fell onto occupant1 causing her legs to spread resulting in extreme pain and injury to her upper legs and pelvis area.  She was only able to hold her legs to her chest in the fetal position without extreme pain.  A ski boat heard her screaming for help and pulled her up onto the teak swim platform of the boat and transported her into shore where emergency personnel began treating her and preparing her to be transported to the hospital.  The boat and occupants were at the scene until the ambulance left but was gone by the time of our arrival on scene and could not be later identified.   During the interviews, the witnesses were able to describe the boat they were operating and where it was docked at which was on at boat lift at the lake james estates docks near the shore on the far south end of the docks.
    occupant1 ended up with serious muscle pulls on her inner thigh muscles, she did not suffer any fractures or muscle tears.  She is expected to soon recover without and long term issues.
    Operator was administered a prtable breath test by conservation officer and tested 0.00% brac.
    there was no property damage reported.  No charges are being filed as a result of the accident.

Fremont                       