ON JULY 4, 2011, Operator AND 5 PASSENGERS IN HIS VESSEL HAD LAUNCHED AND DEPARTED SHADY GROVE ACCESS AREA IN DANDRIDGE, TN IN operator's 1976 GALAXY RUNABOUT BOAT. THE WEATHER AT THE TIME OF LAUNCH WAS CLOUDY. AFTER OPERATING HIS BOAT UPRIVER IN AN EASTERLY DIRECTION FOR APPROXIMATELY 20-30 MINUTES, A SEVERE STORM THAT HAD WINDS IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH CAME FROM THE WEST. SOON THE BOAT WAS SURROUNDED BY HUGE WAVES FROM 5'-12' HIGH. operator TURNED THE BOAT TOWARD THE NEAREST SHORE AND WAS TRYING TO GET TO LAND WHEN SEVERAL WAVES CAME OVER THE BOW OF THE BOAT AND THEN WAVES BEGAN COMING OVER THE STERN AT THE SAME TIME, SWAMPING THE BOAT AND KILLING ALL POWER. THE BOAT BEGAN TO SINK AND ALL OCCUPANTS GRABBED EITHER A PFD OR A THROW CUSHION AND HAD TO SWIM TO SHORE. ALL BUT THE BOW OF THE VESSEL SANK BELOW THE SURFACE, AND APPROX 30 MINUTES LATER THE BOW WAS NO LONGER VISIBLE. THE 6 OCCUPANTS HAD BEEN ABLE TO SWIM APPROX 75-100 YARDS TO A NEARBY ISLAND. UPON MY ARRIVAL, ALL 6 OCCUPANTS WERE ACCOUNTED FOR, AND ALL DENIED ANY INJURIES. THE VESSEL WAS COMPLETELY SUBMERGED BELOW THE SURFACE AND NO LONGER VISIBLE.
DANDRIDGE                     