ON JUNE 3, 2009 AT APPROXIMATELY 7:15PM, OPERATOR AND HIS GIRLFIREND HAD PUT OPERATOR’S BOAT, A 16FT ALUMINUM LANDAU, WITH A 25HP TILLER DRIVE MOTOR ONTO HOODS CREEK AND WERE HEADING OUT TO GO CAMPING.  OPERATOR WAS OPERATING AND OCCUPANT WAS SITTING IN THE MIDDLE SEAT WITH HER BACK RESTING ON THE GUNWALE ON THE STARBOARD SIDE.  ACCORDING TO OPERATOR, AS SOON AS THE BOAT GOT ON PLANE HE STRUCK SOMETHING THAT WAS SUBMERGED UNDER THE WATER.  WHEN THE MOTOR CAME INTO CONTACT WITH THE SUBMERGED OBJECT, OPERATOR LOST CONTROL OF THE TILLER HANDLE AND TH BOAT IMMEDIATELY TURNED HARD TO THE STARBOARD.  IT IS AT6 THIS TIME THAT OCCUPANT, BECAUSE OF HER POSITION IN THE BOAT, WAS THROWN OUT THE STARBOARD SIDE INTO THE WATER.  AS SOON AS OPERATOR REGAINS CONTROL OF THE TILLER HANDLE HE LOOKS UP TO SEE THAT HE IS HEADING FOR A TREE ON THE CREEK EDGE SO HE IMMEDIATELY TUNS TO THE PORT TO AVOID HITTING THE TREE.  BECAUSE HE TURNED TO THE PORT IT WOULD CAUSE THE OUTBOARD MOTOR TO FOLLOW A PATH THAT WOULD TAKE IT RIGHT OVER WHERE OCCUPANT HAD JUST FALLEN OUT OF THE BOAT, IT IS THEN THAT IT APPEARS SHE WAS STRUCK WITH THE PROPELLER AND SKEG.  THIS SERIES OF EVENTS APPARENTLY HAPPENED IN A MATTER OF JUST A FEW SECONDS FROM IMPACT WITH THE SUBMERGED OBJECT, TO THE TURNEING OF THE BOAT TO AVOID COLLISION WITH THE TREE, TO THE PROPELLER STRIKING OCCUPANT, AND TO THE IMPACT WITH THE TREE NEAR THE SHORE IN WHICH OPERATOR WAS THROWN OUT OF THE BOAT.  WHEN HE CAME UP OUT OF THE WATER HE ADVISED THAT HIS BOAT WAS DRIFTING ACROSS THE CREEK ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE.  HE ADVISED HE THEN NOTICED OCCUPANT FLOATING FACE DOWN IN THE WATER A FEW FEET AWAY, HE SWAM OVER TO HER AND HELD HER SO SHE WOULD NOT DROWN, HE GRABBED ONTO A NEARBY LIMB AND HELD ONTO IT BECAUSE HE WAS SO EXHAUSTED FROM TREADING WATER AND HOLDING ONTO OCCUPANT.  OPERATOR ADVISED THAT SHE WAS "FIGHTING HIM IN THE WATER", THIS WAS PROBABLY A RESULT OF HER INJURY CAUSING CONVULSIONS OR SOME TYPE OF INVOLUNTARY BODY MOVEMENTS.  TRYING TO HOLD HER ABOVE WATER WHILE DEALING WITH HER MOVEMENTS EXHAUSED OPERATOR TO THE POINT THAT HE COULD NOT RISK SWIMMING TO SHORE OR THE BOAT FOR FEAR THAT THEY WOULD BOTH DROWN.  THAT IS WHY HE HELD ONTO THE OVERHANGING LIMB OF A TREE AND YELLED FOR HELP.  FORTUNATELY THERE WAS A COUPLE FISHING AT THE LANDING WHERE OPERATOR HAD LAUNCHED FROM, WHO HEARD THE SCREAMS FOR HELP AND CALLED 911.  THERE WAS ALSO TWO MEN FISHING THEIR SET HOOKS UP THE CREEK.  ACCORDING TO THEM, THEY WERE WORKING THEIR WAY BACK TO THE LANDING WHEN THEY HEARD THE YELLS FOR HELP, THEY PROCEEDED TO PULL THE TWO OUT OF THE WATER AND TAKE THEM TO THE BOAT LANDING.  BY THIS TIME OPERATOR AND OCCUPANT HAD BEEN IN THE WATER FOR OVER HALF AN HOUR.  ONCE THEY ARRIVED AT THE LANDING LOCAL FIRE AND EMS WERE THERE AND THEY TRANSPORTED OCCUPANT TO NEW HANOVER REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER WHERE SHE IS BEING TREATED.  ALTHOUGH ALCOHOL WAS INVOLVED IN THIS ACCIDENT IT DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR, DRUGS WERE NOT INVOLVED.  THE BOAT WAS CARRYING USCG APPROVED PFD'S, BUT THEY WERE NOT UTILIZED IN THIS INCIDENT.  IT IS THE OPINION OF THIS INVESTIGATOR THAT THIS WAS JUST THE RESULT OF HAZARDOUS WATER CONDITIONS.  FROM THE EXPERIENCE ON HOODS CREEK I CAN SAY THAT EACH DAY THERE ARE NEW AND OFTEN TIME, UNSEEN, OBSTACLES IN THE WATER THAT COULD CAUSE JUST SHUCH AN ACCIDENT.  HOODS CREEK IS NARROW AND WINDING AND AS A RESULT OF HIGH TIDES, NEW OBSTACLES, SOME FLOATING AND SOME SUBMERGED, ROUTINELY FIND THERE WAY INTO THE MAIN CREEK CHANNEL.
LELAND                        