ON 5-25-10 WCO WAS ON LAKE MITCHELL IN HIS PATROL BOAT. WCO WAS DOING A FAMILIARIZATION RIDE WITH PERSONneL FROM THE CITY OF MITCHELL FIRE AND RESCUE PERSONNEL. WCO SAW A PWC NEAR SANDY BEACH ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE LAKE. THE OPERATOR APPEARED TO NOT BE WEARING A PFD. THE PWC LEFT THE AREA HEADING BACK TO THE EAST. WCO FOLLOWED BUT LOST SIGHT OF THE PWC. WCO THEN DROVE TO THE SPORTSMAN’S BOAT RAMP AND SAW A VEHICLE WITH A TWO SPACE PWC TRAILER. ONE PWC WAS ON THE TRAILER AND IT LOOKED SIMILAR TO THE ONE HE HAD JUST SEEN. WITHIN A FEW MINUTES A PWC CAME INTO THE BAY AND WAS HEADING TO SHORE. THE PWC NOW HAD TWO OCCUPANTS AND NEITHER ONE HAD A PFD ON.

WCO THEN GOT OUT OF THE DRIVERS SEAT AND STOOD ON THE BOW. WCO THEN WAVED THE PWC OVER TO HIS PATROL BOAT. THE PWC TURNED TOWARD WCO’S BOAT, AND MOTORED OVER. THE PWC WAS POINTED RIGHT AT THE BOAT INSTEAD OF A COURSE TO COME ALONG SIDE. THE PWC WAS GOING TOO FAST TO STOP AND THE DRIVER WAS TOO INEXPERIENCED TO KNOW THAT PWC'S DO NOT STOP UNLESS THEY ARE SHUT OFF AND THEY ALSO DO NOT HAVE BRAKES. WCO REACHED DOWN TO TRY TO PUSH THE BOAT AWAY, BUT COULD NOT BECAUSE IT WAS GOING TOo FAST. OPERATOR 1 ALSO TRIED TO STOP THE BOATS FROM COLLIDING. WHEN OPERATOR 1 REACHED DOWN TO PUSH THE BOAT HIS HAND BECAME PINCHED BETWEEN THE TWO BOATS. WHEN THE PWC STOPPED WCO PULLED IT ALONG SIDE. AT THAT TIME OPERATOR 1 WAS HOLDING HIS HAND LIKE IT HAD BEEN INJURED. WCO ASKED IF OPERATOR 1 WAS ALRIGHT. OPERATOR 1 REPLIED THAT HE THOUGHT HE WAS BUT HAD PINCHED HIS HAND. WCO LOOKED AT OPERATOR 1’S HAND AND IT APPEARED THAT THE NAIL ON THE RIGHT THUMB HAD BEEN PARTIALLY RIPPED OFF AND THE MEAT ON THE THUMB WAS CUT. WCO EXPLAINED TO OPERATOR 1 THAT HE HAD BEEN STOPPED BECAUSE HE AND HIS PASSENGER DID NOT HAVE PFDS ON WHILE RIDING A PWC. OPERATOR 1 SAID HE KNEW THAT AND THAT HE WORKED FOR PALACE MOTOR SPORTS AND WAS TESTING THE PWC AFTER HE HAD WORKED ON IT. WCO ASKED OPERATOR 1 WHY HE DID NOT HAVE A PFD ON AND OPERATOR 1 SAID THEY DID NOT HAVE ANY AT THE SHOP. AFTER A SHORT TIME OPERATOR 1’S THUMB STARTED TO BLEED PROFUSELY AND OPERATOR 1 SAID IT WAS BEGINNING TO HURT. THE TWO MITCHELL FIRE AND RESCUE PERSONNEL ADMINISTERED FIRST AID WITH WCO’S  FIRST AID KIT IN HIS PATROL BOAT, BUT DID NOT HAVE THE PROPER EQUIPMENT TO CARE FOR IT. WCO INSTRUCTED OPERATOR 1 TO LOAD HIS PWC AND GET TO THE HOSPITAL WHERE WCO WOULD TALK TO HIM AGAIN.

WCO DROVE TO QUEEN OF PEACE HOSPITAL IN MITCHELL. WCO MADE CONTACT WITH OPERATOR 1 AND MADE SURE HE WAS ALRIGHT, AND THEN WAITED FOR HIM IN THE WAITING ROOM. WHEN OPERATOR 1 WAS FINISHED WCO EXPLAINED THE PFD LAW AND ISSUED OPERATOR 1 A CITATION FOR NOT WEARING A PFD ON A PWC. OPERATOR 1 HAD BROKEN HIS THUMB IN TWO PLACES AND NEEDED SEVERAL STITCHES.
MITCHELL                      