ON SEPTEMBER 6, 2009 operator1 LEFT A RESIDENCE ON HIGH ROCK LAKE BY BOAT (VESSEL #1) ON THE BUDDLE CREEK PORTION OF THE LAKE.  OPERATOR1 WAS ACCOMPANIED BY HIS DAUGHTERS, (13 YEARS OLD) and (11YEARS OLD).  ACCORDING TO OPERATOR1, HE WAS PLOWING ALONG AT A SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH, WHEN HIS DAUGHTER, SAID “LOOK OUT” AND HE THEN SAW A STATIONARY VESSEL (VESSEL #2) IN FRONT OF HIM.  HE STATED THAT HE QUICKLY TURNED TO THE RIGHT IN AN ATTEMPT TO AVOID COLLISION AND STRUCK THE STATIONARY VESSEL IN ITS STARBOARD SIDE.

Operator2 SAID THAT HE JUST DROPPED ANCHOR AND HE AND THE OTHER OCCUPANTS OF HIS VESSEL WERE FISHING, WHEN HE NOTICED VESSEL #1 WAS MOVING TOWARD THEM.  OPERATOR2 AND OTHER OCCUPANTS OF VESSEL #2 STATED THAT VESSEL #1 WAS MOVING  TOWARD THEM WITH THE BOW HIGHER THAN THE STERN.  ONCE VESSEL #1 STRUCK VESSEL #2 OPERATOR2 FELL INSIDE THE BOAT AND two occupants FELL OVERBOARD.  occupants CLIMBED BACK ON BOARD OF VESSEL #2 UNDER THEIR OWN POWER.

AFTER THE COLLISION, OPERATOR1 CHECKED TO SEE IF HIS GIRLS WERE OK.  ONCE HE FOUND THEM TO BE FINE, HE ASKED THE OCCUPANTS OF VESSEL #1 IF THEY NEEDED MEDICAL ATTENTION.  OPERATOR1 STATED THAT HE TIED A ROPE TO VESSEL #2 TO TOW THEM TO SHORE.  AFTER DOING SO, HE STATED THE operator2 BECAME BELLIGERENT AND STARTED CURSING HIM.  OPERATOR1 STATED THAT OPERATOR2 MADE THREATENING COMMENTS AT HIM BECAUSE HE HAD STRUCK THEIR BOAT.  AT THIS POINT, OPERATOR1 SAID HE UNTIED HIS VESSEL FROM VESSEL #2 BECAUSE HE FELT THAT HE AND HIS GIRLS WERE IN DANGER.  OPERATOR1 STATED THAT THEY BACKED AWAY FOR THEIR SAFETY AND WAITED FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO ARRIVE ON SCENE TO ASSIST VESSEL #2 AND THEN HE WENT BACK TO THE RESIDENCE ON THE LAKE FROM WHERE HE HAD JUST LEFT.  ONCE BACK AT THE RESIDENCE HE STATED THAT HE CHECKED HIS VESSEL FOR DAMAGE AND TENDED TO HIS GIRLS TO ENSURE THAT THEY WERE OK. AFTER TAKING CARE OF HIS CHILDREN, OPERATOR1 STAT4ED THAT HE WENT BACK OUT  TO THE LOCATION OF THE INCIDENT AND TAKING CARE OF HIS CHILDREN, OPERATOR1 STATED THAT HE WENT BACK OUT TO THE LOCATION OF THE INCIDENT AND TO THE BOAT RAMP AND FOUND NO ONE THERE. (NOTE: OPERATOR1 WENT BY THE DAVIDSON COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT ON SEPTEMBER 8, 2009 AND REPORTED THAT HE HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN THE INCIDENT.)

VESSEL #2 WAS PULLED BACK TO SHORE BY ANOTHER BOATER ON THE LAKE WHO HEARD THE COLLISION.  EMS WAS NOTIFIED, AND two occuapntsWERE TRANSPORTED TO BAPTIST HOSPITAL.  OPERATOR2 WAS TREATED FOR BROKEN RIBS AND A DISLOCATED SHOULDER.  Occupant1 WAS TREATED FOR BROKEN RIBS AND A BRUISED HIP.  OPERATOR2 TRANSPORTED HIMSELF TO THOMASVILLE HOSPITAL AND WAS TREATED FOR A BRUISED RIGHT ARM.

UPON INVESTIGATION, MOST OF THE DETAILS OF THE ACCIDENT WERE THE SAME FROM BOTH PARTIES, INCLUDING THE FACT THAT VESSEL #1 WAS PLOWING IN THE WATER AT THE TIME OF THE COLLISION, THUS THE OPERATOR HAD LIMITED VISIBILITY BECAUSE OF THE HEIGHT OF THE BOW AND THAT OPERATOR2 WAS BELLIGERENT AFTER THE ACCIDENT HAD OCCURRED. HOWEVER, OPERATOR1 STATED THAT VESSEL #2 DID NOT HAVE THEIR LIGHTS TURNED ON.  THE OCCUPANTS OF VESSEL #2 STATED THAT THEY WERE EXHIBITING PROPER LIGHTING AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT.   AFTER EXAMINING THE LIGHTS, I WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE IF IN FACT THE LIGHTS WERE IN OPERATION AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.

BOTH VESSEL HAD ADEQUATE NUMBER AND SIZE OF PFD’S.  WITNESSES WHO TALKED WITH OCCUPANTS OF VESSEL #2 SHORTLY AFTER THE ACCIDENT STATED THAT IT DID NOT APPEAR THAT ALCOHOL WAS INVOLVED.  IT IS UNKNOWN IF ALCOHOL
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