On 04/13/2013 at 1020 hours the adult operator and two juvenile passengers of vessel #01 were traveling south bound on the northwest side of Lake Houston. The vessel was traveling approximately 35 mph when the steering link rod separated from the vessel's outboard motor. This separation caused the motor to disengage from the steering, causing the vessel to make a hard turn to the left. When the vessel made the hard turn to the left, the operator fell overboard on the right side of the vessel. The operator of vessel #01 was not wearing a safety lanyard and the vessel continued to the left and circled back around toward the operator of the vessel who was in the water and not wearing a PFD. The vessel and the vessels propeller struck the operator causing fatal blunt force trauma and lacerations to the operators torso, face and top of head. 

The remaining two passengers remained with the vessel and did not fall overboard. As vessel #01 continued to circle to the left, the two minor passengers started yelling for help. Another vessel came upon the scene and told the 9 year old passenger to turn the key off, which turned the motor to vessel #01 off. The operator of this vessel then towed Vessel #01 with the two juvenile passengers to the nearest shore and then called 911 for a water rescue. 

The Houston Fire Department arrived on scene on 4/13/2013 at 1040 hours and found and recovered the body 10 minute later at 1050 hours. The operator of vessel #01 was removed from the water and transported to shore where Houston Fire Department paramedic's pronounced the operator of Vessel #01 dead at the scene. On 4/13/2013 at 1507 hours the Harris County Medical Examiner's Investigator made the scene and transported the body to the Harris County Medical Examiners's Office for further examination 

Officers from the Houston Police Department marine Enforcement Unit arrived on the scene on 4/13/2013 at 1131 hours and began the investigation into this Boat Accident Fatality. Officer observed the steering link rod had separated from the ball attached to the outboard motor. This faulty equipment was a major factor in the operator falling overboard. Another major factor in the death of the operator was the operator  was not wearing a safety lanyard which would have turned the motor off once the operator fell out of the vessel. 
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Houston