ON AUGUST 22, 2009 operator and two friends LEFT FROM ISLAND HARBOR MARINA ON TWO PWCS.  THEY THEN RODE TO SWANSBORO, WHERE THEY HAD LUNCH.  THEY THEN DECIDED TO GO TO BEAR INLET TO JUMP WAVES.  THEY DROPPED OFF AMY ON THE BEACH AT BEAR ISLAND TO LOOK FOR SHELLS.  Operator1 AND friend THEN HEADED OUT INTO THE INLET.  THE CONDITIONS THIS DAY WERE VERY ROUGH.  HURRICANE BILL WAS PASSING BY THE COAST.  ONCE OUT IN THE INLET, THEY STARTED JUMPING WAVES.  FRIEND SAID THAT HE THROUGHT THE WAVES WERE TOO BIG AND STARTED TO TURN BACK.  AT THIS TIME HE LOOKED FOR OPERATOR1.  HE SAID HE SAW THE PWC OPERATOR1 WAS ON GO UP IN THE AIR AND OVER A WAVE.  OPERATOR1 WAS NOT ON IT.  HE THEN HEADED OVER TO THE AREA HE LAST SAW OPERATOR1.  HE FOUND OPERATOR1 IN THE WATER.  WHEN FRIEND FOUND HIM, HE WAS UNRESPONSIVE.  FRIEND SAID HE TRIED TO PULL HIM ON TO HIS PWC BUT WAS UNABLE TO DO SO.  FRIEND THEN JUMPED INTO THE WATER TRYING TO SAVE HIM.  HE WAS UNABLE TO SWIM WITH OPERATOR1.  FRIEND WAS ALSO SEPARATED FROM HIS PWC BY THE WAVES.  OPERATOR1 WAS STILL UNRESPONSIVE AT THIS TIME.  SHORTLY AFTER FRIEND TRIED TO RESCUE OPERATOR1, good Samaritan AND HIS BROTHER-IN-LAW PROCEEDED TO THE SCENE ON THEIR PWC'S RESPONDIDN TO CALLS FOR HELP BY friend on shore.  THE TWO MEN ARRIVED AND SAW OPERATOR1 FACE DOWN IN THE WATER.  GOOD SAMARITAN JUMPED OFF HIS PWC AND SWAM TO OPERATOR1. HE TURNED HIM OVER AND TOOK HIS HEAD OUT OF THE WATER.  THEN A LARGE WAVE, 8FT OR SO, HIT THEM.  THIS WAVE SEPARATED GOOD SAMARITAN AND OPERATOR1.  GOOD SAMARITAN'S PWC WAS ROLLED AND SUBSEQUENTLY SWAMPED.  HE REPORTED IT TO BE A TOTAL LOSS.  GOOD SAMARITAN SWAM TO SHORE ALONG WITH HIS BROTHER-IN-LAW.  THEY TRIED TO LOCATE OPERATOR1.  THEY FOUND HIM APPROXIMATELY 50 YARDS OUT AND PULLED HIM ASHORE.  OPERATOR1 WAS STILL UNRESPONSIVE.  THEY THEN CALLED 911.  OPERATOR1 WAS UNABLE TO BE REVIVED BY THE PEOPLE AT THE SCENE OR BY THE PARAMEDICS.  HIS BODY WAS BROUGHT ASHORE ON BROWNS ISLAND.  THE PWC HE WAS ON WASHED ASHORE ON BROWN ISLAND AS WELL.  THE MEDICAL EXAMINER SITED THE CAUSE OF DEATH TO BE DROWNING AS A RESULT OF A JET SKI ACCIDENT.  THE ME ALSO NOTED BRUISING ON HIS LEFT ARM AND UPPER CHEST AND A DISLOCATED/BROKEN SHOULDER.  THE SURF CONDITIONS WERE VERY ROUGH ON THIS DAY WITH WAVE HEIGHTS REACHING 8 TO 10 FT.  THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER CONDITIONS COUPLED WITH operator1’s OPERATIONAL INEXPERICEN ON A PWC CONTRIBUTED TO HIS DEATH.  HE WAS SEPARATED FROM THE PWC WHILE JUMPING WAVES IN THE INLET AND SUBSEQUENTLEY DROWNED.  Operator1 WAS WEARIN A TYPE III PFD THAT WAS OF PROPER SIZE AND IN SERVICEABLE CONDITION.  THERE WAS NO ALCOHOL INVOLVED.  THE PWC HE WAS ON HAD ALL PERTINENT SAFETY EQUIPMENT AND A VALID REGISTRATION.
SWANSBORO                     