ACCORDING TO STATEMENTS MADE BY THE VICTIM AND THE OPERATOR, THERE WERE FOUR PEOPLE ABOARD AND 1 PERSON BEING TOWED ON A TUBE BEHIND VESSEL NUMBER ONE, WHICH WAS BEING OPERATED IN THE CURRITUCK SOUND BY OPERATOR.  AFTER THE PERSON BEING TOWED FELL FROM THE TUBE, THE OPERATOR TURNED THE BOAT SHARPLY TO THE LEFT TO RETURN TO THE TUBER WHICH CAUSED A PASSENGER RIDING ON THE GUNWHALE NEAR THE BOW TO FALL OVERBOARD.  THE BOAT THEN TRAVELED OVER FORMER OCCUPANT AND HE WAS STRUCK BY THE PROPELLER.  FORMER OCCUPANT RECIEVED A DEEP LACERATION TO HIS RIGHT FOREARM. HE WAS TRANSPORTED BY AMBULANCE TO NORFOLK GENERAL HOSPITAL WHERE HE UNDERWENT SURGERY TO REPAIR DAMAGED LIGAMENTS AND TENDONS.  FORMER OCCUPANT STATED THAT HE HAD CONSUMED ABOUT HALF OF A BEER, AS THE GROUP HAD ONLY BEEN ON THE WATER APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT OCCURED.  OTHERWISE, ALCOHOL AND/OR DRUG USE IS NOT BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN A CONTRIBUTION FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT.  THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT APPEARS TO BE FORMER OCCUPANT'S POSITION ON THE GUNWHALE, WHICH ALLOWED HIM TO BE THROWN OVERBOARD DURING THE SHARP TURN.  NO CHARGES WHERE FILED AS A RESULT OF THIS ACCIDENT.
KITTY HAWK                    