On 8-14-11, I, Officer with the FWC, responded to a boating accident in Okaloosa County.  The accident location was in the Destin East Pass and involved a single vessel.  Officer and I arrived at the Destin Marina Dock at 5:34 pm and spoke with an employee for Extreme H2O  Watersports who rented one of his personal watercraft out to the people involved in the accident.  Employee advised me that EMS had already transported the injured person to Fort Walton Beach Medical Center.  Employee provided me with his insurance information and said that his vessel (FL 4843 PD) didn't sustain any damage.

Lt went to the Fort Walton Beach Medical Center to check on the injured person.  Lt took witness statements from 2 people: (the operator of the vessel) and (the injured passenger).  In his statement, Operator said that he was heading northeast on Crab Island.  He was going about 25 mph, and he hit a wave which turned the jet ski up a little bit.  He then got hit by another wave which threw Passenger off.  Operator heard her scream and turned around.  The water was shallow enough for Passenger to stand.  Her face was covered in blood, and so Operator got her back on the ski and returned to where he launched from.  Operator stated that it looked like she hit her head.  

Passenger filled out a witness statement for Lt.  In her statement, Passenger said that she was riding as a passenger on a jetski.  She stated that they hit a wave going about 25 mph and she fell to the side.  She reported that she hit her head on the bottom of the jetski when coming up.  Passenger felt her head hit and instantly knew something was wrong.  She was able to stand in the water and immediately told her friend that something was wrong.  She said that Operator quickly took her to the rental place. 

Based on witness testimony and assessment of the situation, Operator was going too fast considering the sea state.  Passenger likely wouldn't have been thrown off the vessel had Operator been operating reasonably and prudently.  Therefore, Operator will be issued a warning for careless operation.
DESTIN                        