VESSEL 1 WAS TIED TO THE DOCK AT THE TIME.  THE OWNER LIVES IN FLORIDA AND WAS NOT IN NC AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.  OWNER RETURNED TO NC ON 5/8/11 AND NOTICED HIS DOCK APPEARED TO BE OUT OF PLACE.  UPON FURTHER EXAMINATION HE FOUND THAT HIS VESSEL HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WHILE HE WAS AWAY.  HE FOUND THAT THE PORT SIDE OF THE VESSEL HAD BEEN CRUSHED IN.  I ARRIVED ON THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT ON 5/9/11 AT APPROXIMATELY 9:00.  I BEGAN INTERVIEWING OWNER AND INVESTIGATED THE DAMAGE TO HIS VESSEL.  I FOUND THAT THE PORT SIDE HAD BEEN STRUCK WITH ENOUGH FORCE TO PUSH HIS DOCK APPROXIMATELY TEN INCHES OUT OF PLACE.  I FOUND THERE TO BE DAMAGE TO THE LOWER RAIL OF THE PONTOON THAT APPEARS TO BE CAUSED BY A BOW EYE WHICH LEADS ME TO BELIEVE IT WAS AN OPEN MOTORBOAT WITH A MODIFIED VEE HULL THAT CAUSED THE DAMAGE.  I ALSO NOTICED SOME RUB RAIL TRANSFERS WITH SOME FIBERGLASS SPLINTERS IMBEDDED IN THE TRANSFERS.  UPON COMPLETION OF PHOTOGRAPHING THE SCENE AND INSPECTING THE DAMAGE, I PROCEEDED TO CANVAS THE NEIGHBORHOOD.  I INTERVIEWED OWNER'S ELDERLY NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR WHO STATED THAT HE HAD HEARD A LOUD NOISE LAST WEEK AND THEN HEARD A BOAT SPEED AWAY.  A SHORT TIME LATER HE OBSERVED A TEENAGE MALE AND FEMALE WALK DOWN OWNER'S DRIVEWAY STAY FOR APPROXIMATELY 15 MINUTES THEN LEFT.  THE ELDERLY NEIGHBOR COULD NOT PINPOINT A SPECIFIC DATE NOR TIME THAT HE HEARD THE LOUD NOISE BUT WAS SURE IT WAS BETWEEN 5/2/11 AND 5/8/11.  I THEN PROCEEDED DIRECTLY ACROSS THE LAKE WHERE TWO DIFFERENT HOUSES WERE BEING BUILT.  I INTERVIEWED MOST OF THE WORKERS AT EACH JOB SITE BUT NONE HAD HEARD OR SEEN ANYTHING RELATING TO THE ACCIDENT IN QUESTION.  I THEN PATROLLED BY WATER ALL OF THE DOCKS WITHIN A CLOSE PROXIMITY TO OWNER'S DOCK IN SEARCH OF A DAMAGED VESSEL.  I DID DISCOVER SEVERAL EMPTY BOAT LIFTS BUT NO DAMAGED VESSELS.  I THEN PROCEEDED TO ALL OF THE LOCAL BOAT REPAIR FACILITIES ASKING THEM TO BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR A 16-20 FOOT RUNABOUT WITH EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE BOW AREA.  TO DATE I HAVE NOT GAINED ANY FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE STRIKING (HIT AND RUN) VESSEL.
SHERRILLS FORD                