ON MAY 29TH AT APPROXIMATELY 9:30PM A BOATING ACCIDENT OCCURRED ON LAKE NORMAN IN MOORESVILLE, NC.  THE FIRST VESSEL WAS A YAMAHA WAVERUNNER WITH A JET PROPELLED MOTOR.  HIS DAUGHTER WAS THE OPERATOR AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.  HER FRIEND, WAS SEATED DIRECTLY BEHIND HER, FOLLOWED BY one other person.  ALL 3 OCCUPANTS WERE WEARING TYPE III PFDS. 

THE SECOND VESSEL WAS A SUNDANCER PONTOON BOAT WITH A 70 HP FORCE OUTBOARD MOTOR.  THE VESSEL HAD A STRBOARD SIDE CONSOLE.  IT WAS BEING OPERATED BY the owner's SON AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.  There were three other passengers onboard.  Five others had JUMPED OFF THE PONTOON BOAT INTO THE WATER TO SWIM.  VESSEL 1 APPROACHED VESSEL 1 TURNING SUDDENLY TO AVOID A COLLISION AND STRUCK 10 YEAR OLD AND HIS SISTER AS THEY WERE SWIMMING.  ALCOHOL/DRUGS WERE NOT A FACTOR IN THIS ACCIDENT.

WITNESSES STATED THAT VESSEL 1 HAD MADE SEVERAL CIRCLES THROUGH THIS AREA AND THAT THE OCCUPANTS WERE LAUGHING AND SINGING.  THIS WAS APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR AFTER SUNSET ON A VERY DARK NIGHT.  THE PWC WAS TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 25-30 MPH.  VESSEL 2 WAS DRIFTING WHILE 5 OF ITS PASSENBGERS WERE SWIMMING.  VESSEL 2 WAS PROPERLY DISPLAYING THE RED/GREEN BOW LIGHTS.  HOWEVER, IT FAILED TO DISPLAY THE ALL AROUND WHITE LIGHT IN THE STERN.  THE OPERATOR OF V1 COULD NOT SEE V2 AS IT APPROACHED FROM BEHIND DUE TO THE MISSING STERNLIGHT.  WHEN V1 WAS WITHIN 15 FEET OF THE STERN OF V2, THE OPERATOR TUURNED TO HER RIGHT AND PROCEEDED TO CROSS THE PATH OF THE SWIMMERS.  V1 STRUCK BOTH swimmers AS IT ZIPPED BY.  THE OCCUPANTS OF V2 WERE SHOUTING AT THEM AS THEY PASSED, AND V1 FLED AWAY TO THE OPERATORS RESIDENCE.  One swimmer WAS FLOWN TO CAROLINAS MEDICAL CENTER IN MECKLENBURG COUNTY.  HE SUSTAINED A SLIGHT CONCUSION, BADLY BRUISED ANKLE, AND BROKEN RIBS AS A RESULT OF THE ACCIDENT.  the other swimmer COMPLAINED OF PAIN IN HER LEFT WRIST, BUT DID NOT SEEK MEDICAL TREATMENT THE NIGHT OF THE ACCIDENT.  NO VISIBLE DAMAGE WAS NOTED ON EITHER VESSEL DURING THIS INVESTIGATION.

V1 WAS BEING OPERATED APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR AFTER SUNSET.  IT IS UNLAWFUL TO OPERATE A PWC ON THE WATERS OF NC FROM SUSET TO SUNRISE.  V2 DID NOT HAVE AN ALL AROUND WHITE LIGHT VISIBLE FROM ALL SIDES IN THE STERN AS REQUIRED BY LAW.  AS A RESULT, V1 COULD NOT SEE V2 AND ALMOST STRUCK IT FROM THE STERN.  AFTER TURNING TO THE RIGHT, IT STRUCK 2 OF THE SWIMMERS IN THE WATER.  THE COMBINATION OF OPERATING APWC AFTER SUNSET, NO STERNLIGHT ON V2, AND SWIMMERS IN THE WATER ON A DARK NIGHT APPROXIMATELY 3 YARDS FROM SHORE CONTRIBUTED TO THIS ACCIDENT.  THE FATHER OF V1'S OPERATOR WAS ISSUED A CITATION FOR ALLOWING HER, A MINOR, TO OPERATE A PWC AFTER SUNSET.  WITNESSES STATED THAT THEY SAW HIM AND OTHERS SITTING ON THE BACK DOCK AS THE 3 TEENS RODE WELL AFTER DARK.  Owner of V1 ADMITTED TO ALLOWING operator TO RIDE, BUT DIDN'T FOLLOW UP WITH HER WHEN THEY DIDN'T RETURN PRIOR TO SUNSET.  THE OPERATOR OF V2 WAS ISSUED A CITATION FOR FAILING TO DISPLAY THE PROPER NAVIGATIONAL LIGHTS AS REQUIRED BY LAW.
MOORESVILLE                   