On 06-11-11 at 9:10 p.m. I, CPO, was notified of a sinking boat along the rocks near Rend lake Dam Road.  I arrived at 9:20 p.m. and met US Corp of Engineer Rangers.  A brown/gray bass fishing boat had 6" to 2'' waves pushing it into the rocks approximately 1/2 mile East of Rend City Road North of Rend Lake Dam Road.  The operator said he was cruising across the South end of Rend Lake when his boat ran out of gas.  He used the trolling motor to operate to the rocks and let his wife out with the gas can to walk on Rend Lake Dam Road to their vehicle in the parking lot.  At 8:24 p.m., the boat was hitting the rocks and the plug came out.  The boat flooded and he was unable to use the trolling motor to keep off the rocks.  Operator said he called Franklin County to report the sinking boat and they notified the Corp of Engineers Rangers.  I photographed the watercraft and started the boat accident report.  Operator tied the boat up to the rocks and said he would retrieve the watercraft the next morning.  Operator took possession of the valuable''s and equipment from inside the flooded watercraft.  The hull already had significant hull damage from the hour it was on the rocks.  
     I met Operator at his residence at 2:45 p.m. on 06-12-11.  I photographed the hull damage.  Multiple spots of the hull are punctured.  Operator said the waves pushed the boat onto the rocks and the engine broke off when he tried to lift the boat off the rocks and place it back in the lake.  Operator said he paid $2150.00 for the boat on 06-11-11.  Operator said he has insurance for the boat but had not made the payment yet.  The vessel appears to be a total loss.  I called the registered owner and spoke with his daughter.  She confirmed father sold the watercraft.  I gave Operator the paperwork to have the registration transferred and a BAR to complete.  The contributing factors in the accident are 1.)  operator inexperience, failure to know getting too close to the rocks could cause damage to the watercraft and 2.)  the weather/wind was keeping the flooded boat  against the rocks.

Benton                        