On 7/18/10 at 00:30 hrs, i responded to whittenburg reference a reported boat accident from alexander county sheriffs communications.  I arrived at wittenburg access area within 5 minutes.  Alexander co rescue, paramedics arrived on scene to assist operator of vessel 1, with an open laceration to his right arm.  The passenger was uninjured but was considerably shaken from the accident.  Operator1 was transported immediately to the hospital.  I didn't talk to him reference the incident until later.

subject was at the access area parking lot.  He transported the damaged boat to Operator1's residence.  He advised he was sitting in the passenger's seat across from Operator1 at the time of the accident.  He didn't see the other boater at all.  They had the navigation lights on because he recalled talking to Operator1 how the water was rough.  He advised they had been fishing in a tournament that started at 8:00pm and were heading to fish one more spot before weigh in at 1:00am.

Operator1 advised the same information the tournament and fishing.  Operator1 stated that he was heading from the h2y 127 bridge in direction toward oxford dam.  He believed he was around the middle of the river.  He stated he may have seen boat 2 possibly 5 feet before impact.  He stated his boat speed was 32 mph by his gps depth finder.  They left immediately after the accident to the access area.  Operator1 had an open laceration to his right arm.  He had one broke rib and one fractured rib.  His boat sustained damage approximately one foot above the driving console on the right side outside hull and immediate areas inside the boat.  The damage continued to the engine cowling.  A depth finder on the driver's console and the windshield was broken and missing.  The rub rail was bent and off the right side of the boat.  A chrome rail t along the right gunwales was broken and lying next to the driver's console and deck.  Other miscellaneous fishing equipment was missing or broken.  I observed at the access area, Operator1's boat had on navigation lights on a single pole red and green.  The place where the stern light was on the right side of the stern had been damaged, no pole was present.

Operator2 and a passenger of vessel 2 were brought in on another bass boat to the access area.  They were immediately taken by paramedics to the hospital.  They were given medicine for pain and were released with internal emergent injuries.  They were both considerably sore.  Operator2's boat was towed in to the access area due to no power.  I spoke to both later.  Operator2 advised he was fishing a cove on lake hickory the catawba county side.  Later he advised the cove was on the alexander side of the lake.  He then left the cove in his boat traveling at his estimate 60 mph toward the 127 bridge.  He advised he didn't see any boat at the time of the impact.  Operator2 and passenger were both ejected from the boat into the water.  They were not wearing pfds.  They both swam to the boat and climbed on.  Operator2 tried to get his lights on for safety and couldn't get power to his boat.  He stated he got a flashlight and signaled for help.

A fisherman in the bass tournament advised he had seen Operator2's boat leave near where he was fishing with his navigation lights on.

Operator2's boat received damage from the point of the bow to the stern on the outside hull and the immediate areas inside the boat.  His trolling motor mount was broken from impact.  The bow eye was bent down.  The right side had a large holes and cracks.  The rub rail was broken and the top of the boat separated from the bottom portion.  The console was intact with no bent steering wheel.  The large side scan hummingbird depth finder located on the right of the console was undamaged.

Boat 2's windshield was broken on the console.  The engine appeared undamaged.  I observed the boat at the access area a
HICKORY                       