On 10/4/11 at approx 1500hrs dispatch received a mayday that a vessel was sinking in wahweap bay and that people may be in the water. We arrived on scene within minutes of the call. I observed a houseboat(v1)with passengers on board drifting outside the breakwater. Approx 35 yards away was a capsized vessel(v2)with only the hull visable above the water line. After confirming no one was in the water i boarded the houseboat to obtain the account of the incident. Operator1 stated he was operating v1 at the time of the capsizing. He said along with the passengers that they were towing v2 behind the houseboat. Strong winds in the bay were creating swells that began to break over the towed vessel. They attempted to bail the water out but were unable to keep up with the water. The vessel eventually capsized. While attempting to save the vessel the tow line prop fowled one of the motors on the houseboat and the rear railing was torn off. The tow line was cut in fear that the capsized vessel would sink the houseboat. According to Operator1 v2 belonged to a friend that rented the vessel to him. He was unsure if the owner had insurance or not. I spoke to an employee at aramark rentals on 10/11 and the employee stated that the railing was retrieved from the water. The renter was charged $100 in addition to the insurance fee. The fowled prop had the tow line removed from it and there was no additional damage to the motor. V2 was retrieved from the water by aramark services. Weather conditions at lake powell on the day of the incident were likely the cause of vessel 2 capsizing.
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