On 07-10-2013 at 10:02 a.m. a vessel accident involving a single vessel with one operator and one occupant occurred at the Amelia Island Yacht Basin. The vessel, 18' Angler reg# FL3394PL, hereinafter known as V1 and occupied his wife. Operator untied from the floating dock within the marina and began idling out of the marina. He underestimated distance between V1 and another vessel and applied the throttle of V1, harder than he intended, as he described. Doing this, he caused V1 to pitch rapidly and turn to the right, in which case his wife, Wife lost her balance, fell and hit her head in the rear of the boat. Wife sustained a two inch laceration to the head.

Operator immediately noticed his wife was injured and attempted to dock V1. While doing so, he inadvertently left V1 in forward gear and held on to the bimini top in an attempt to pull V1 to the dock to gain control of V1 and place it in neutral. Operator was pulled into the water by grasping on to the bimini top while V1 remained in forward gear. Operator began yelling to his wife to place the boat in neutral and Wife yelled for help. Two people heard Wife yelling for help and came to provide assistance.

Wife was taken to Amelia Island Urgent Care by her husband and was redirected from there to Shands Hospital in Jacksonville. I went to Shands Hospital to make contact with her and was told she was discharged. I interviewed and received statements from operator and Wife at their residence. I also received statements from the two above mentioned gentleman, who provided assistance. The only damage to V1 was to the bimini top and should be $500.00 or less in damage. No charges will be filed against Operator.; Wife sustained a two-inch laceration to the head. She also complained of neck soreness and swelling in her right leg. She was admitted to Shands Hospital in Jacksonville, treated with sutures and discharged in the same day.
FERNANDINA BEACH