Operator said he took his friend and her family out on the airboat to spread her husbands ashes. The airboat is registered to Friend's deceased husband. Operator was requested by Friend to drive the airboat because she does not know how to operate it. After spreading the ashes Friend asked Operator to do 360's like her husband would do. Friend was sitting in the front left seat. During one of the 360's rotating counter clockwise Friend lost her balance and fell off the starboard side of the airboat. Friend was run over by the airboat and knocked unconscious. Friend's daughter and son in law pulled her back on board. Operator drove the airboat back to his residence and called 911. Friend had consumed alcohol prior to the accident. Operator wrote a witness statement (see attached). Friend was transported to Bayonet Hospital in Hudson. I photographed the airboat (see attached).
On May 12th 2013, I went to Operator's residence. I issued Operator a citation for careless operation of a vessel (see attached). Friend was still in the hospital recovering from her injures. She stated that she had multiple cracked ribs. I asked her if she had suffered a concussion from the impact with the boat. She said no.
HUDSON