On february 22, 2011 officers were dispatched to a boating accident under the fleming key bridge in key west.the accident was involving a big vessels wake, vessel 1, that swamped and capsized a smaller vessel,, vessel 2. U.s.c.g. was on scene but since everyone was safe they left. We were dispatched to meet the victims that were in vessel 2 at their residence on the doplhin docks at city marina in key west where investigators were located. 

The victims were then identified all of them are from ohio. There is where i obtained sworn written statements from all three aboard. They told me that they lost about $3500 in property in the accident, they said the motor on their boat is ruined, one person lost his cell phone, and another lost her perscription eyeglassess. they then told me that the person that waked them help flip their boat back upright and then towed them back to their house and then left in a hurry. They said that they asked the captain for his information and the captain responded he did not have his license on him but he did write down his address on a piece of paper. The 3 victims said that they also got the vessels registration numbers before he quickly sped off. After obtaining my statements and conducting interviews, i found out they were in a j12 carolina skiff which is vessel 2 with registration numbers fl 1358 hk and they were going out towards key west harbor when a bigger boat vessel 1 came through the channel in a no wake zone throwing out a very large wake. They advised me that the wake swamped them and then their vessel flipped over and it got pinned onto the piling, wedging two of the victims in between the vessel and the piling nearly drowning them. 

I then checked the vessel known as vessel 1 that swamped them through dispatch by the registration numbers the victims obtained, the registration number came back to a 25 foot bertram. Investigator then advised me that he knows the boat and where it is kept. He also advised me that he has pulled over this vessel many times. Investigator then printed out a picture of the owner and showed it to the victims to make sure it is the right person, the victims then agreed that was him and the victims then signed the picture swearing that was the person operating the vessel at the time of the accident. We then went to the location. we inspected the vessel which by the condition of the vessel it showed us operator1 was in a hurry to go somewhere because he had his boat put on the dry dock very quickly, niether the boat nor the motors have been washed down, the keys were still left in the ignition, the electronics were still left on, and his clothes were still left on the motor bracket. We then left sunset marina and was told by u.s.c.g station key west that one of their retired officers watched the whole accident while walking his dog. We then got in touch with the witness and he then filled out a sworn written witness statement saying everything he saw and did. 
On februrary 22, 2011 i showed up at operator1’s residence and wrote him a citation for not notifying florida fish and wildlife commission after being in an accident involving injury or damages. Citation (v318955)
On feburary 25, 2011 officer returned to the residence of vessel 2 occupants to read the coast gaurd plate on the vessel that capsized to make sure the vessel was not over loaded. The plate read three persons and thats all that they had on board the day of the accident. Later this same day i wrote another citation to operator1 for violation of a coast gaurd navigation rule resulting in an accident. Citation (v318956).

KEY WEST                      