On 5/23/09 at approximately 2:48 pm a request for emergency services was requested to Adams Grove area of Pomona Lake Reservoir.  It was reported a 21-22 year old female had been thrown off a tube and had severe enough neck injuries that she could not be loaded on to a boat.  The female was loaded on to a boat by emergency services by the time Natural Resource Officer and myself arrived on scene.  The female was transported to Stormont-Vail Health Center in Topeka, KS for medical attention.

Officer  and I contacted a Ranger Bass boat that was the boat involved with the accident.  Operator 1 was the boat operator.  When asked what had happened, Operator 1 indicated that he had been towing Passenger 1, Passenger 2 and Passenger 3 on the tube.  He indicated that he had turned a clockwise turn and the tube hit a large wave and Passenger 1 had been thrown off.  He indicated that Passenger 1 screamed her neck hurt.  He indicated that he moved his boat toward her and Passenger 3 jumped off the tube to help stabilize her neck until help arrived.  A passing boater was flagged down and called 911.

Officer and I completed a boat safety inspection.  Operator 1 did not have a skier down flag, a type IV PFD was not accessible and his boat had over capacity.  There were a total of five people on the boat and three on the tube at the time of the accident.  The boat was rated for a capacity of six and they had a total of eight.

I asked everyone if they would fill out a written statement about the accident.  I received a total of six of the eight occupants’ statements.  The following is the occupants of the boat and tube:

I later picked up the witness statements and interviewed the victim and the boat operator.  Operator 1 indicated he had been traveling at about thirty mph and had been turning circles to give the people on the tube a good ride.  He indicated that he had turned once again to the West and then to the North when he saw another boat go by and create a wake.  He indicated the tube was at about a 45 to 90 degree angle to the port side of his boat when the tube hit the oncoming wake.  He indicated he had not seen Passenger 1 hit the wake and fly off the tube.  He indicated that a passenger named Passenger 4, yelled Passenger 1 had fallen off.  He indicated that he had turned around and went to her and she was screaming her neck was hurt.  Medical was then called by a passing boater.

According to other passengers on the boat, Passenger 1 had hit the wake and was thrown about 15 feet into the air and landed on her upper back and neck.  Passenger 1 was taken to Stormont-Vail Health Center in Topeka, KS for medical attention.  She was released later with severe whiplash.  When I interviewed Passenger 1 she indicated she remembers hitting a wave and then realizing her neck hurt and she was floating in the water.

I told Operator 1 that I would be issuing him a citation for over capacity and give him warnings for no flag and inaccessible PFD.  No further action taken.
Michigan Valley               