On Thursday April 4, 2013 at approximately 16:30 I received a call from RFC informing me of a boat incident that occurred on Lake Seminole.  I was told that both the operator and passenger had been taken to Bainbridge Memorial Hospital for treatment and that the boat was located at the Bainbridge Boat Basin. RFC Cox instructed me to go to the hospital to speak with the operator and the passenger.  When I arrived at the E.R., I identified the operator, and the passenger.  I first spoke with Passenger and asked him what had occurred.  Passenger stated they were coming from Spring Creek traveling through the cut to the Flint River when the incident happened.  He stated they were approaching the no wake zone when Operator began to slow their speed and at that point he lost control of the vessel.  He also stated that it felt like Operator had no control over the steering of the vessel when they came off plane.  He stated that the vessel went towards the left bank and the front of the vessel struck a tree that was at the edge of the water. 

Passenger also stated that the impact broke the operator's console from the vessel and threw both of them into the center of the vessel.  I then spoke with Operator, but due to his accent it was difficult to understand him.  His statement was not clear, but was close to what Passenger had said.  He stated that when he was slowing down to enter the no wake zone he lost control of his vessel.  The vessel veered left and the bow of the vessel struck a tree at the edge of the water.  Both the operator and the passenger were injured.  The operator sustained a fractured right foot, and the occupant sustained a bruised and swollen right foot. 

While I was interviewing the vessel occupants, Cpl. went to the Bainbridge Boat Basin to get the information off the vessel and to take photographs.  Once I finished interviewing the occupants I met Cpl. at the Bainbridge Boat Basin to make sure we had all the needed information off the vessel.  Cpl. gave me his memory card with the photographs and all the information taken off the vessel.  I then went to the scene of the incident and photographed the area where the incident occurred  and the tree that was struck.
BAINBRIDGE