INITIAL CONTACT: I was contacted by Box Elder County Dispatch by phone at my home and informed of a disabled boat on Willard Bay. As I was responding to the disabled boat Dispatch informed me that they had received another call from a female in Brigham City who said that she had received a phone call from another female screaming for help, saying that they were about to hit the rocks on the North side of Willard Bay. Dispatch attempted to call the original caller but could not get through, so they left a message. I asked Dispatch to put the phone number in the call details and that I would attempt to call as I left the dock. As I arrived at the docks Dispatch informed me that they had made contact with the original caller and that this was a separate call from the original disabled boat. Dispatch also informed me that they were along the dike on the North end of the reservoir. 

ASSISTANCE: Before leaving the dock I made contact by phone with the caller and learned that they had ran aground along the North Dike. I also learned that all of the occupants were safely ashore. I responded to the location of the disabled boat and found that it had washed up on the rocks of the dike and that the waves had filled the passenger compartment of the boat with water. I checked with the occupants of the boat verifying that they were all safely ashore, and that they were the boat that I had contacted by phone. I informed them that it would not be possible to tow their boat that night due to the storm, and that I had another disabled boat to assist, but that I would return and pick them up by truck. I then went and assisted the boat for which I was originally called out for. Upon returning to the dock I found two of the occupants of the boat, that had been given a ride to their vehicle by the Willow Creek Campground Host. I followed them back to the other two occupants where I obtained accident information.

ACCIDENT: The owner of the boat had just made approximately $3000 in repairs to the boat. They had been out earlier in the day testing and operating the boat without incident. A thunderstorm hit the area around the reservoir as they were headed into the marina. Enroute to the marina the engine of the boat died and they were unable to re-start the boat. The wind from the storm pushed the boat until it ran aground along the North Dike. After running aground the waves caused by the storm filled the boat with water and continued to slam the hull of the boat against the rocks.

RECOVERY: The following day I returned to the boat and pumped out most of the water. I then towed the boat to the North Marina courtesy docks and turned it over to subject. While attempting to load the boat on the trailer subject let the starboard stern of the boat dip below the waterline filling the boat with water and sinking it at the boat ramp. With the assistance of park staff we were able to pull the boat far enough onto the ramp to bail out enough water to re-float the boat. It was then placed on the trailer and turned over to subject once again.

Willard                       