Operator1 was the operator of vessel 1.  One person accompanied him on the little river near bogues beach.  Operator1 vessel was also pulling a three person tube. Operator2 was operating his vessel in the same area with two people on board

At approximately 5:45pm operator2 had made some wakes and stopped his vessel.  His engine was turned off.  He was adrift just offshore of the bogues beach area with his bow (front of vessel) facing the middle of the river.  Operator1 had pulled the tube up river towards halls creek turned around and was heading back down the river pulling the tuber back and forth across the wake of his boat.  Operator1's attention was being directed towards the tube and the riders.  As he approached bogues beach area, he was making a right hand turn when he looked forward to see vessel 2 in the path of the tube he was towing.  The tube arced out past the wake of operator1's vessel and impacted the starboard (right side) rear of vessel 2.

Operator2 were sitting in vessel 2 talking and watching vessel 1 pulling a tube.  As vessel 1 approached them, they noticed operator1 looking back at the tube.  Operator1 vessel appeared to be close to vessel 2 as he made the right hand turn.  Vessel 2 occupants began yelling for the tube ridges to jump off just before the tube impacted their vessel.  One tuber rolled off of the tube just before it made contact with vessel 2.  He was not injured.  The other two stayed on the tube as it crashed into vessel 2.  Tuber3 was ejected from the tube and presumably hit the outboard motor and landed on the other side of vessel 2.  Tuber2 hit the side of the vessel and was ejected from the tube into vessel 2.  Operator1 turned vessel 1 around and jumped into the water to assist tuber2 back to vessel 2.  When he got her to the stern (back) of the vessel, operator2, and two occupants brought her into vessel 2.  Operator2 called 911 and requested ems to meet them at the boat ramp at dances bay.  When operator2 attempted to start towards dances bay, he realized that his steering rod on his engine was bent due to the accident.  The girls were then moved to vessel 1 and operator1 took them to meet ems at dances bay.  Tuber2 was transported by ambulance to albemarle hospital in elizabeth city and later transferred to norfolk general.  She suffered a broken left arm and fractured pelvis.  Tuber3 was transported by nightingale helicopter to norfolk general.  She suffered a broken arm, ruptured spleen, lacerated liver, the loss of a kidney, and severe internal bleeding.  As of the writing of this report she is still in the hospital.

All three individuals on the tube were wearing coast guard approved pfds and all individuals on board the two vessels had the appropriate coast guard approved pfds readily available to them.
No drugs or alcohol contributed to this accident.

The operator of vessel 1 is being investigated for violations pertaining to ncgs 75a-10(a); 75a-13(d).

ELIZABETH CITY                