Call:
I responded to a call from dispatch regarding a boating accident with a possible broken arm being transported to the Bullfrog launch ramp.  I provided medical treatment to the passenger of the PWC before beginning my investigation into the boat accident.  V1 OCCUPANT had a contusion on his right elbow from impact with vessel two during impact and some bruising on upper arm.  He was transported by request in the ambulance with V1 OPERATOR.

Investigation:
Vessel one:
I began by questioning the people that brought the two PWC occupants in who said that the PWC had hit another vessel that had returned to their houseboat.  One of the occupants was a passenger on the tube of the vessel hit and said that they had just picked up some fallen passengers and were straightening out when they were hit by the PWC.  They told me that they just received a call from the houseboat and that a girl on board hit her head and they needed to return.  I asked if they would like us to respond to provide medical treatment and they said no that they had EMT's in their group.  I gave them my card and asked them to have the operator return to the launch ramp with the vessel involved in the accident.  I also took contact information on the operator of that vessel so I could contact them.  I then went to the clinic and started to take a statement from V1 OCCUPANT about what happened then V1 OPERATOR.  Based upon their statements this was my finding:

Vessel one was traveling at an approximated speed of 40 MPH based upon the operator and passengers statements while following another PWC and jumping each other’s wakes when the first PWC turned sharply and the two occupants watched to see where he was going while continuing straight ahead.  When the operator looked forward he saw the vessel in front of him and turned to the left and also coming off the throttle impacting vessel two in the forward portion towards the bow of the port side then hitting side to side.  They reported that vessel two was not going very fast.  subject said that he was the PWC owner but when he provided paperwork for registration out of Alaska it had another person with Utah address listed as owner who subject said was his partner.  The following day I had made arrangements to meet SUBJECT for insurance information and to take pictures of the PWC but he had trouble and took it to the NPS office where NPS Ranger took a copy of the insurance and  pictures of the PWC for me.  The insurance was in a third person was from Utah.  based upon the pictures and report of Ranger we determined that the PWC was totaled with significant damage to the starboard side and multiple places of broken fiberglass.  See pictures.

Vessel two:
Vessel two did not return to the launch ramp so the next day I called the contact that I had who said that he was back in Hanksville and that he had forwarded the information on to OPERATOR2 who was the operator of the other vessel involved in the accident.  I got a name on the house boat and approximate location and went to locate the group.  I talked with OPERATOR2 who did not remember seeing the other vessel just feeling the impact.  I also talked with others that were there during the accident.  Through that I deducted that Vessel two was picking up fallen tubers and beginning to go again at less than 10 MPH when passengers on vessel two/tube reported that the PWC's were coming towards them and the first turned away but the second kept going then turned last minute but was not able to avoid a collision which threw occupants of vessel two across the vessel.  They told me there were several minor injuries but everyone was ok and that they did not need and medical assistance.  In the process I asked OPERATOR2 for registration and proof of insurance and he provided Utah registration but I noticed that the bow numbers were for Colorado.  He also said that he did not have any insurance for the boat.  I performed vessel inspection # 30565 finding

Bullfrog                      