ON AUGUST 1ST, 2009 AT APPROX. 7:20PM, TWO PERSONAL WATERCRAFTS (PWC) WERE TRAVELLING UP RIVER AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. THE VESSELS WERE VEERING TOWARD ONE ANOTHER AND SPLASHING EACH OTHER WITH THEIR WAKES IN THE AMITE RIVER DIVERSION CANAL AS THEY APPROACHED ITS INTERSECTION WITH THE PETITE AMITE RIVER. OPERATOR 1 (OPERATOR OF VESSEL #1) AND OPERATOR 2 (OPERATOR OF VESSEL #2) WERE OPERATING THE PWC'S. OPERATOR 2, OPERATING VESSEL #2, PASSED OPERATOR 1 WHO WAS OPERATING VESSEL #1. OPERATOR 2 EXECUTED AN ABRUPT U-TURN AND WAS STRUCK BY VESSEL #1 OPERATED BY OPERATOR 1. OPERATOR 1'S  VESSEL STRUCK OPERATOR 2'S VESSEL NEARLY HEAD-ON CAUSING INJURY TO OPERATOR 2. OPERATOR 2 WAS TRANSPORTED BY EMS (AIRMED) TO OUR LADY OF THE LAKE HOSPITAL IN BATON ROUGE, LA. FOR MEDICAL TREATMENT. OPERATOR 2 SUFFERED BROKEN BONES IN HIS FACE. ALCOHOL IS BELIEVED TO BE A FACTOR IN THIS INCIDENT FOR BOTH SUBJECTS. PFD'S WERE PROPERLY USED. BOTH OPERATORS WERE LATER BOOKED FOR VIOLATING THE PROVISIONS OF LOUISIANA REVISED STATUE 14:98 - OPERATING A VESSEL WHILE INTOXICATED AND FOR LRS 34:851.5 - RECKLESS OPERATION OF A WATERCRAFT.
MAUREPAUS                     