ON SUNDAY 05/24/09 AT APPROXIMATELY 6:45PM OPERATOR1 AND HIS WIFE WERE HEADING NORTH ON THE INTRACOASTAL WATERWAY COMING BACK TO THE WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH BOAT ACCESS AREA.  AS THEY APPROACHED NEAR THE WRIGTSVILLE BEACH DRAWBRIDGE THEY RAN OUT OF FUEL AND THEIR MOTOR DIED.  AT THIS TIME THEY WERE DRIFTING NORTH UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE CURRENT AND WERE TELLING OTHER BOATERS TO GET OUT OF THEIR WAY BECAUSE THEY HAD LOST POWER.  WHEN THEY GOT UNDER THE BRIDGE THEY WERE DRIFTING TOWARD ANOTHER VESSEL THAT WAS UP AGAINST THE WEST SIDE OF THE BRIDGE.  THEY YELLED TO THE SUBJECTS IN THE OTHER VESSEL TO MOVE BECAUSE THEY HAD LOST POWER AND THE SUBJECTS IN THE OTHER VESSEL STATED THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE ANY POWER EITHER.  AT THIS POINT IT WAS IMMINENT THAT THE TWO VESSELS WERE GING TO COLLIDE SO OCCUPANT ATTEMPTED TO HOLD THE VESSELS APART WITH HER HANDS.  SHE WAS UNSUCCESSFUL IN PREVENTING A COLLISION AND THE TWO VESSEL HIT AND BOUNCED AWAY FROM EACH OTHER WITH VESSEL #1 CONTINUING TO DRIFT NORTH.  WHEN THE TWO VESSEL COLLIDED OCCUPANT'S INDEX FINGER GOT PINCHED BETWEEN THE TWO VESSELS AND SEVERED THE END OF HER FINGER.  (OPERATOR STATED THAT IT HAPPENED SO FAST THAT HE DID NOT KNOW ANY INFORMATION ABOUT VESSEL #2 OR ITS PASSENGERS.  OPERATOR1 AND OCCUPANT BOTH STATED THAT THEY DID NOT BELIEVE THAT THE PASSENGERS ON VESSEL #2 KNEW THAT OCCUPANT HAD BEEN INJURED.)  AFTER OPERATOR1 AND OCCUPANT REALIZED WHAT HAD HAPPENED OPERATOR1 STATED HE LOOKED DOWN AND SAW THE END OF OCCUPANT FINGER LAYING ON THE PORT GUNNEL OF THE BOAT.  AT THIS TIME SEA TOW CAME AND ASSISTED OCCUPANT TO THE BOAT RAMP AND ASSISTED OPERATOR1 WITH HIS BOAT.  I WAS AT THE BOAT RAMP WHEN OCCUPANT AND HER SON CAME UP TO ME AND ASKED HOW TO GET TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM.  I CALLED FOR EMS AND ASSISTED OCCUPANT AND HER SON BY LYING HER DOWN IN THE BACK OF HIS TRUCK AND PUTTING ICE ON THE SEVERED PORTION OF HER FINGER IN A PLASTIC BAG.  OCCUPANT'S SON APPLIED PRESSURE TO HER FINGER UNTIL EMS ARRIVED.
WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH            