State Conservation Officer was notified via Cedar Rapids State Radio of a boating accident on 5/31/2010 at approximately 2:30 PM.  The accident occurred on the Cedar River in Benton County just on the north side of Vinton.  The accident involved one vessel and 5 occupants.  Officer contacted the vessel operator.  Operator explained to Officer that the vessel had capsized and all the occupants went into the water.  Operator thought maybe they hit a log in the river and that caused the vessel to take on water.  The vessel was towed to the Vinton city boat ramp down river.  Benton County Deputy ran Operator through Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFST) and tested Operator on the PBT.  Operator registered 0.00 on the  PBT and no clues on SFST.  Victim, a passenger was transported to the  Virginia Gay Hospital in Vinton for anxiety as she could not swim and was visibly shaken.  The vessel did have 5 personal Flotation Devices on board but only 2 were adult jackets that would fit the passengers.  The other three were 2 type IV PFDs and 1 type II child PFD.  Officer cited Operator for being short 3 PFDs.  None of the passengers were wearing PFDs.  Officer could not ascertain what cause the vessel to capsize.  It is possible the vessel hit an obstruction in the water as the operator stated.  Officer believes the vessel may have taken a wave over the bow and capsized the vessel due to two passengers sitting on the bow.
Vinton                        