BASED ON INFORMATION TO DATE:  On or about Saturday April 4, 2009 at approximately 17:00 P1 (14) was operating a vessel owned by his grandfather P2 who was also on board in position to take control of the vessel when 2 passengers were thrown from the vessel resulting in a serious injury to one of the passengers.  On board the vessel were his grandfather P2, his sister P3 (11) and his cousin P4 (13) who were both thrown from the vessel.  This resulted in P4 being injured and transported to the Emergency Room by the Bradley County EMS service.  

The party had been fishing on the Hiwassee River portion of Chickamauga Lake since approximately 14:15.  They had decided to return to BandB Marina to return home.  Prior to this time P2 had been operating the vessel.  He decided to let P1 operate the vessel on their return trip.  The vessel was traveling upstream at maximum throttle (approximately 35 mph according to P2) with the motor trimmed all the way down when P1 initiated a left turn to return to the marina without reducing his speed.  It appears that the force of the turn on the steering wheel caused P1 to lose control of the steering wheel thrusting the boat into a very sharp turn.  The force of the turn threw P3 and P4 who were sitting on the rod storage lockers on the port side of the vessel into the water.  P4 appears to have been struck by the boat's propeller causing her injuries to her arm.  P2 was seated beside P1 and was able to take control of the vessel and operate it to the girls' location in the water and together P1 and P2 were able to retrieve them back into the vessel.  P2 then operated the vessel back to BandB Marina where Bradley County EMS transported P4 to SkyRidge Hospital for treatment of her injuries.  She was later treated and admitted to the hospital.

The operator at the time of the incident has some experience operating a vessel, but not extensive experience.  He has not completed any sort of boat safety operational training.  He is also 14 years of age and not currently licensed to operate a motor vehicle.  His operator inexperience and excessive speed while initiating the turn with the motor trimmed all the way down along with his inability to maintain control of the vessel appear to be causes of the incident.
CHARLESTON                    