On 07/01/2011, at 10:22 a.m., wildlife agents were on truck patrol in plaquemines parish.  While on patrol, the agents received a phone call from the plaquemines parish sheriffs office concerning a single vessel boat incident.  The agents were told that the vessel had run aground in south pass. The vessel had 4 people on it when it went aground.  The agents were also informed that one subject had facial injuries.  The agents picked up a paramedic and two ppso officers in venice and headed to the incident location.  Once on scene the agents were notified that the uscg had a paramedic on the vessel and that a helicopter was in route to evac the injured passenger.  At 12:39 p.m., the uscg helicopter removed the injured passenger and flew him and his brother (the boat owner and operator) to west jefferson medical center.  After the helicopter left the scene, the agents approached the vessel to talk to the two remaining passengers.  The agents were told that ap approximately 8:00 a.m., the vessel was running at approximately 25 knots inside the marked channel.  The operator was favoring the right side of the channel.  The vessel came to a sudden stop when it ran aground on a sand bar inside of the marked channel. The injured passenger was sitting in a chair on the port side of the vessel.  The chair was near the stem of the vessel.  When the vessel hit the sand bar, the passenger flew from the chair and made contact with a fiberglass bulkhead near the center of the vessel.  The other 3 passengers escaped injury.  During the course of the investigation, it appeared that drugs or alcohol were not a factor in the incident, and the vessel had all the required safety equipment including pfd's for every passenger on the vessel.
VENICE                        