ON FEBRUARY 23, 2009 AT APPROX. 1832HRS I WAS DISPATCHED TO CONTACT a person in REFERENCE to HIS BOAT SINKING AT APACHE LAKE AROUND 1100 HOURS THE DAY BEFORE. A SHORT TIME LATER I CONTACTED BOAT OWNER. HE IDENTIFIED HIMSELF VERBALLY AND PROVIDED ME HIS DATE OF BIRTH . BOAT OWNER RELAYED THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION TO ME REFERENCE THIS INCIDENT: HE ARRIVED AT APACHE LAKE AT APPROX. 2100 HOURS ON SATURDAY 2/21/09. HE TRAILERED HIS 2007 KACHINA BOAT FROM THE KACHINA BOAT DEALER. THE BOAT WAS AT THE DEALER FOR MAINTENANCE OR REPAIRS. BOAT OWNER WAS EXCITED TO TEST THE BOAT OUT THEREFOR HE LAUNHCED IT AND MADE A COUPLE OF PASSES UP AND DOWN THE LAKE. HE REPORTED THE WAS TRAVELING APPROX. 50MPH AND BECAUSE IT WAS COOL OUT AND THE GAUGES WERE STARTING TO FOG OVER HE HEADED BACK TO THE BOAT RAMP. WHEN JUST OUTSIDE THE BOAT LAUNCH AREA, BOAT OWNER STRUCK AN UNKNOWN OBJECT WITH THE BOAT. HE WAS NOT TRAVELING FAST AND HE DID NOT NOTICE ANYTHING OUR OF THE ORDINARY WITH THE MECHANICAL OPERATION OF THE VESSEL AFTERWARDS. HE LOADED THE BOAT ON THE TRAILER AND PARKED IT IN FRONT OF THE HOTEL FOR THE NIGHT. HE DID NOT NOTICE ANY OBVIOUS DAMAGE TO THE HULL OR THE STERNDRIVE WHEN HE WALKED AROUND THE BOAT. THE NEXT MORNING AROUND 9AM HE LAUNCHED THE BOAT AND MADE A COUPLE OF PASSES UP AND DOWN THE LAKE. HE SAID THE BOAT WAS RUNNING GOOD. STILL REACHING SPEEDS OF 50MPH. HE STOPPED THE BOAT JUST SOUTHEAST OF TURTLE ISLAND AND DRIFTED FOR AN HOUR WHILE HE NAPPED ON THE SUNDECK. AFTER HE AWOKE, HE ATTEMPTED TO START THE ENGINES. ONE ENGINE WOULD NOT START, THE OTHER STARTED THEN DIED. HE RAISED THE ENGINE HATCH AND OBSERVED IT TO BE FILLED 3/4 OF THE WAY WITH WATER. BOAT OWNER DID NOT HAVE A WAY TO BAIL THE WATER OUT. THERE WERE NO OTHER BOATS NEARBY TO ASSIST HIM. THE BOAT CONTINUED TO TAKE ON WATER QUICKLY, FORCING BOAT OWNER TO DON A PERSONAL FLOATATION DEVICE, "ABONDON SHIP" AND PADDLE TO SHORE IN AN INNERTUBE HE HAD ON BOARD. BOAT OWNER ARRIVED AT THE MARINA APPROX. 1.5 HOURS LATER. THE OWNER OF THE MARINA DROVE BOAT OWNER BACK OUT TO THE AREA WHERE HIS BOAT WAS SEEN AND IT WAS GONE. THEY RECOVERED SOME OF THE FLOATING DEBRIS. BOAT OWNER WAS NOT SURE WHO TO CONTACT SO HE DROVE BACK TO TUCSON AND CALLED HIS INSURANCE COMPANY. THE NEXT DAY THEY ADVISED HIM TO FILE A POLICE REPORT. HE ALSO NOTIFIED TONTO NATIONAL FOREST AND ARIZONA GAME AND FISH DEPT. I WAS ADVISED BY marina owner THAT THE BOAT WAS RECOVERED BY VESSEL ASSIST LAKE MOHAVE ON SATURDAY 2/28/09 AND TRASPORTED TO THE KACHINA BOAT DEALER IN PHOENIX. SHE SAID IT WAS LOCATED IN 126 FEET OF WATER APPROX. 50 FEET OFF OF THE SHORELINE OF FROG BEACH. BOAT OWNER SAID HE OWES APPROX. $113,000 ON THE BOAT AND HAS PROGRESSIVE INSURANCE. NOTHING FURTHER BY THIS DEPUTY. VESSEL ASSIST WAS CONTACTED BY AZ GAME AND FISH AND THEY STATED THAT WHEN RECOVERED THE PLUG WAS NOT IN THE BOAT. BOAT WAS CLEANED AND "PICKLED" (MOTORS FLUSHED AND NEW OIL PUT IN). BOAT IS AT THE VESSEL ASSIST YARD PER PROGRESSIVE INSURANCE INVESTIGATION.
MESA                          