V1 WAS TRAVELING SOUTHBOUND AFTER LEAVING THE SARASOTA CHRISTMAS BOAT PARADE. UPON ENTERING THE SIESTA KEY SLOW SPEED ZONE, THE OPERATOR DID NOT SLOW DOWN AND CONTINUED ON FULL PLANE AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH. DUE TO THE COLD CONDITIONS, ALL THREE OCCUPANTS HAD THEIR HEADS COVERED TO STAY WARM, AND NONE OF THEM WERE WATCHING THE WATER. ALTHOUGH NO OTHER VESSELS WERE SEEN OR HEARD BY ANY OF THE OCCUPANTS OR OPERATOR, THE OPERATOR OF V1 STATED THAT HIS VESSEL HIT A BOAT WAKE WHICH CAUSED THE VESSEL TO VEER SHARPLY AND EJECT THE OPERATOR INTO THE WATER. WITHOUT AN OPPERATOR, THE VESSEL CONTINUTED TO VEER SHARPLY TO THE RIGHT AND STRUCK A GROUP OF MANGROVES.
SARASOTA                      