ON 7/13/12 @ APPROXIMATELY 6:40pm IN CALABOGUE SOUND BETWEEN MIDDLE MARSH ISLAND AND BRAHMS POINT THERE WAS A BOATING ACCIDENT INVOLVING TWO PWCS RENTED FROM PALMETTO BAY WATERSPORTS. THE GROUP PF RENTERS AS WELL AS TWO GUIDES FROM PALMETTO BAY  WATERSPORTS HAD JUST LEFT BROAD CREEK. AS THEY LEFT THE CREEK THE RENTAL GROUP SCATTERED AND BEGAN RIDING AROUND. THE TWO GUIDES INCLUDING (UNIT 1) BEGAN GATHERING THE RENTERS UP TO GIVE THEM INSTRUCTIONS ON BOUNDARIES. OPERATOR1 (UNIT 1) RODE TO CATCH UP WITH ONE OF THE RENTERS, OPERATOR2 (UNIT 2), . OPERATOR1 STATED THAT HE APPROACHED UNIT 2 AND WAVED HIM FORWARD TO BRING HIM BACK TO THE GROUP. AS THE TWO UNITS  WERE MAKING THEIR WAY TOWARDS THE GROUP UNIT 2 BEGAN OVERTAKING UNIT 1. THE OPERATOR OF UNIT 1 STATED THAT HE MOTIONED FOR UNIT 2 TO SLOW DOWN BECAUSE HE WAS HEADED STRAIGHT TOWARDS HIM. HE STATED THAT AT THE LAST SECOND HE HIT THE THROTTLE AND TURNED TO THE RIGHT TO ATTEMPT TO AVOID COLLISION. THE OPERATOR OF UNIT 2 STATED THAT HE HAD LET OFF THE THOTTLE BEFORE THE COLLISION WHICH TOOK AWAY HIS STEERING ABILITY. UNIT 2  STRUCK UNIT 1 ON THE PORT SIDE STERN NEAR THE WATERLINELEAVING A GASH IN THE FIBERGLASS OF UNIT 1. THE IMPACT CAUSED BOTH OPERATORSTO BE THROWN OVERBOARD. OPERATOR2 (UNIT 2) SUSTAINED MAJOR INJURY TO HIS HEAD AND NECK DURING THE COLLISON. OPERATOR1 (UNIT 1) NOTICED THAT OPERATOR2 WAS FACE DOwN IN THE WATER AND SWAM TO HIM. OPERATOR1 TURNED OPERATOR2 FACE UP AND SWAM HIM TO ONE OF THE PWCS. OPERATOR1 CALLED FOR HELP AND THE OTHER GUIDE ARRIVED. 911 WAS CALLED AND OPERATOR2 WAS TAKEN TO THE BANK OF BRAHMSPOINT BY TWO GUIDES WHERE FIRE RESCUE AND EMS TOOK OVER. DUE TO US COAST GUARD NAVIGATION RULE 13 ON OVERTAKING, UNIT 2 WAS FOUND TO BE AT FAULT FOR NOT KEEPING OUT OF THE WAY OF UNIT 1 WHILE ATTEMPTING TO OVERTAKE. OPERATOR INEXPERIENCE OF UNIT 2 ALSO PLAYED A PART. AS STATED ABOVE OPERATOR2 ADMITTED THAT HE RELEASED THE THROTTLE BEFORE THE COLLISION WHICH GAVE HIM NO ABILITY TO STEER AWAY TO AVOID THE COLLISION.