On June 8, 2013, at approximately 18:10, operator put his boat on the water at the Bull Creek boat ramp, also know as Flippers, on Old Hickory Lake, Gallatin, TN.  Operator was the operator of the boat (V1).  Two others were passengers in the boat.  Operator’s son was seated in the middle seat and Occupant2 in the left passenger''s seat.  All three persons were wearing type III personal floatation devices.  Operator drove the boat from the ramp and proceed upstream towards the Gallatin Steam Plant.  Operator was operating the boat at approximately 45 miles per hour.  Approximately 0.9 miles upstream from the Bull Creek access, and adjacent to the Gallattin Steam Plant''s ash pond discharge, the bolts conecting the steering control on the motor broke.  The boat turned sharply and abruptly to the right, ejecting Operator’s son and Occupant2.  Operator did not connect the engine''s kill switch to himself.  Operator jumped out of the boat and into the water to assist Operator’s son and Occupant2.  He did not put the boat into neutral before exiting the vessel.  The boat was equiped with a Hotfoot throttle control.  The boat proceed to stay in motion, at idle speed, in a circular pattern.

A witness observed the accident and provided assisted to the victims.  Good sam was operating his boat (V2), traveling downstream, when he observed the accident occur.  He assisted all three victims into his boat.  Occupant2 was "dazed".  Once in Good sam''s boat, Operator called 911.  Good sams used the left side of his boat''s bow to stop V1.  This action caused paint transfer scuff marks on V2.  Operator got into his boat (V1) and took control of it.  Good sams took Occupant2 and Operator’s son to the Bull Creek access area to meet Sumner County EMS.  Operator stayed with his boat (V1) and was towed back to Bull Creek by another vessel.  Occupant2 was transported, by ambulance, to Sumner Regional Medical Center.  They evaluated him there and decided to send him to Vanderbilt Emergency Center, via Life Flight.  

Officer and I spoke with Occupant2 at the Vanderbilt Emergency Room.  He had no recollection of the accident.  Within 20 minutes of interviewing Occupant2, he asked several times if he had been involved in a boating accident.  The doctor on duty stated Occupant2''s right zygomatic arch was fractured, and he had a laceration approximately four inches long on the right side of his head.  The laceration was between his right eye and ear.  It is not clear what caused the laceration.  I''m not sure if the cooler in the boat struck Occupant2 in the head, or if he struck his head on the boat.  Occupant2 also sustained a concussion.

There was no evidence of alcohol use or possession during this incident.  I observed no evidence of operator impairment during this investigation.
GALLATIN