On 06/22/12, at approximately 1300 hours, the renters departed Las Vegas Boat Harbor (LVBH), Lake Mead National Recreation Area (LMNRA) aboard V1.  They traveled to the area around the mouth of Las Vegas Bay and drifted for most of the day.  At approximately 1825 hours, SUBJECT, LVBH, observed V1 in that same area.  He approached them and informed them they were overdue and V1 was supposed to be back to LVBH at 1730 hours.  V1 began following SUBJECT''s vessel back to LVBH.  After travelling approximately one mile, SUBJECT looked back and saw V1 wasn''t near him and appeared "dead" in the water.  He operated back to V1 and noticed the transom was low in the water and the "ski hook" was beneath the surface.  He ordered everyone aboard V1 to disembark and board his vessel.  After everyone was accounted for onboard his vessel, SUBJECT observed V1 to be approximately 80% submerged.  Within 10 seconds, V1 was then completely underwater.  He transported all occupants back to LVBH.

During interviews of the occupants of V1, they stated the vessel had been operating sluggishly all day, but hadn''t taken on any water until right near the end.  They stated they struck no submerged objects nor had they beached the vessel the entire day.  The time between when they first noticed water inside V1 until it sank was probably less than five minutes.  When the vessel went down, the wind had blown the stern into the waves.

The approximate depth in the area where V1 sank was 280''. The closest submerged object to the area where V1 went down was approximately 10'' below the surface. No plans to recover the vessel were made by NDOW, LVBH, or the National Park Service.

Boulder City                  