ON 3/5/2009 AT APPROXIMATELY 5:10 P.M., THE OPERATOR OF VESSEL 1 (2005 YAMAHA GP 800 R PERSONAL WATER CRAFT HIN# USYAMA 10931405) WAS DRIVING EAST ALONG THE SOUTHERN SHORELINE OF LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN BETWEEN THE BONNABEL BLVD BOAT LAUNCH AND THE U.S. COAST GUARD STATION ROCK JETTY IN JEFFERSON PARISH. BASED ON THE EVIDENCE AT THE SCENE, IT APPEARS THAT VESSEL 1 WAS TRAVELING PARALLEL TO THE WESTERN WALL OF THE ROCK JETTY (IN A NORTHERLY DIRECTION) AT HIGH SPEED. VESSEL 1 STRUCK THE ROCK JETTY. APPROXIMATELY 36FT PAST THE POINT OF INITIAL CONTACT, VESSEL 1 CAME TO AN ABRUPT STOP LODGED AT A 75 DEGREE ANGLE AND LISTED THE VESSELS PORT SIDE.  THE OPERATOR WAS PROJECTED FORWARD APPROXIMATELY 46 FEET, ALONG THE ROCK JETTY. THE OPERATOR STRUCK SEVERAL OBJECTS SUSTAINING FATAL INJURIES AND WAS FOUND BY FIRST RESPONDERS FLOATING FACE DOWN IN THE WATER AT THE BOTTOM OF THE JETTY. VESSEL 1 WAS THE LONE VESSEL IN THE ACCIDENT AND THE OPERATOR WAS THE ONLY PERSON INVOLVED.  DUE TO LACK OF ANY EYE WITNESSES OF THE ACTUAL COLLISION ALL STATEMENTS MADE HERE ARE BASED ON THE EVIDENCE FOUND ON SCENE.
METAIRIE                      