On August 10 2013 at approximately 1819 hours I Officer of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) was on water patrol when FWC dispatch contacted me to be en route to Bird Island on Merritt island due to a boating accident that a vessel was taking on water and sinking.

I arrived on scene at 1856 hours and Brevard County Sheriffs Office marine unit were already on scene. I noticed a large vessel tilting on a sandbar and the transom of the vessel approximately half way under the water and multiple people bailing water out of the back of it using a five gallon bucket. 

The vessel displayed Florida Registration numbers that read: FL 5851 DN and was identified as a 1984 34 foot Silverton.

I spoke to the captain who is the owner/operator of the vessel who was identified by his Florida drivers license.

I then identified all of the other occupants on board the vessel by their Identification cards and drivers licenses.

I then brought the subjects back to the residence where the vessel is kept. There I conducted sworn written statements on all occupants and the captain.

In the sworn written statements I learned the following about the accident:

- They stopped the vessel at Bird Island to go swimming and be on the beach
- They noticed the bilge pump never turned off.
- When Captain looked into the bilge, he noticed a lot of water to be in it.
- They could not reach the area of the leak.  it appeared to be an exhaust duct failure.
- They called United States Coast Guard and two tow boat companies. 
- The vessel sank in 4-5 feet of water and rested on the sand bar on the island.

There were no injuries to any occupants aboard the vessel and the vessel sustained approximately 44,000 dollars of damage.