Operator stated he shoved V1 from the ramp and got seated to start it.  The motor of V1 was an electric start motor.  Operator stated he turned the key and the motor went crazy in reverse ejecting him.  He was struck by the prop twice and his wife (passenger) was also ejected and struck by the prop.  A witness rushed to the scene just as V1 got hung up on the ramp.  He pulled the kill switch, thus stopping the motor.  He then pulled the victims from the water and began 1st aid until medical personnel arrived.  Operator was air-vacced to UAMS in Little Rock and his wife was taken to a local hospital in Clinton.

Upon investigation of V1, this investigator started the motor at the scene and was unable to get the motor to start in gear.  I also tried to start the motor in gear at the owner's propery and the motor failed to start at any time in gear.  It is my opinion the motor started at a high rate of speed and somehow the motor was put into reverse ejecting the victims from V1.

V1 had no HIN or legal registration numbers.  V1 was a test boat and had never been issued a HIN.  

Citations were issued to the owner for failure to register and display numbers and a warning was issued to the operator for failure to use the kill switch lanyard.
CHOCTAW                       