On 8/4/12 at approximately 6:30 AM, operator and passenger launched at the Baldwin boat launch for a day of fishing.  At approximately 7:30 AM, a thunderstorm blew in and swamped their fishing boat.  Operator estimated the wind speeds to reach 30 miles per hour and the waves to be at least 3 feet.  Operator was anchored when the first waves came over the gunwales.  Operator tried to lift anchor and start heading toward the boat launch, but the wind blew the watercraft toward the Southeast shoreline of Baldwin Lake and the high waves swamped the boat.  Operator and Passenger were close enough to shore that they were able to step out of the watercraft and onto the rock shoreline.  Operator grabbed his fishing gear and cooler and placed them on shore.  Operator then threw an anchor out the front and back of the watercraft onto the rock shore to hold the boat in place.  Operator said he waited several hours to see if someone would come by that he could flag down.  When no one came by, Operator called 911 around 10:15 AM.  Randolph County received the call and dispatched Deputy to the scene.  Randolph County then notified Dapartment of Natural Resources personnel and I, CPO, was dispatched to the scene.  Operator''s boat was found on the Southeast shoreline below the three large stacks of the Baldwin Lake Power Plant.  Baldwin Power Plant security and Baldwin Lake site technician also arrived on scene to help.  Baldwin Power Plant employees used a large pump truck to pump the water out of the watercraft and allow it to return to a normal floating position while I launched a patrol boat.  We used the patrol boat to tow Operator and his boat back to the boat launch.  Operator''s passenger was transported by vehicle  back to the boat launch.  At the boat launch, Operator was assisted in getting his boat trailered.  Photographs of the boat in the water and on the trailer are attached to this report.  No injuries were reported, but there was significant fiberglass damage to the boat''s starboard side due to wave action while the boat was secured to the rock shoreline.  A check of the weather history on www.wunderground.com showed that thunderstorms did move through that area around 7:15 AM, and that wind gusts of over 25 miles per hour were recorded at that time.

Operator had all required safety equipment and current registration on his watercraft.  Operator was given a boat accident report form and explained on how to fill it out.  The cause of the accident was swamping due to high wind and waves.

Baldwin                       