On 10/08/11 at approximately 5:59 PM I, CPO, received a call about a jet ski going over the Marseilles Dam. At 6:05 PM, I arrived on scene. The Marseilles Fire Department was pulling two individuals out of the water below the dam''s Gate 7. I relocated to the fire department''s operation area to find that the passenger had been taken to the Ottawa Hospital. I met with the operator after she refused medical treatment.
Operator stated she had been on the water since 1:00 PM, putting in at Morris. There had been a group of 8 individuals on a pontoon boat and the jet ski. They had taken turns operating the jet ski. During the day they had stopped three times, once at the Katy Hooper in Seneca to eat, once at a beach, and finally at Snug Harbor in Marseilles to use the bathroom. Operator stated as they left Snug Harbor she and Victim got on the jet ski. She had been operating the watercraft for approximately 5 minutes when she went over the dam. Operator stated she had never been on that part of the river before and thought the dam was a bridge. She stated she had about 6 hours of experience operating a jet ski. Operator admitted to drinking 2 or 3 Bloody Mary''s in a 4 hour period before the accident. At this point CPO took to Operator to conduct Field Sobriety Testing. 
I met with subject who was with Operator''s group. He stated the same basic information about the day''s activities leading up to the accident. He stated Operator and Victim had taken off on the jet ski before the pontoon left Snug Harbor. The group in the pontoon tried to find the jet ski by going down the channel to the lock and could not find them. As they returned to the dam they noticed activity around the dam and determined the jet ski had gone over the dam.
A witness stated the jet ski had gone over the dam at a high rate of speed. 
I met with Victim at the hospital. Victim stated the same basic day''s activities as Operator. Per Victim, when Operator started to operate she "gunned it straight towards the dam". Prior to striking the dam, Victim stated she was yelling at Operator to stop and they were heading for the dam.  Victim stated it was "stupid to get on the back of a vehicle with someone who had been drinking". Victim estimated they were going about 40-50 mph when they stuck the dam. 
CPO recovered the jet ski from the river. Per CPO he was able to start the jet ski and operate it to shore. The only visible damage was to the bottom gel coat on the hull. See attached photo.
On 10/13/11 I met with the Marseilles Lock personnel. They gave me a video, Evidence Tag - 27996, of the accident from one of the camera on the dam. The video shows the jet ski going over the dam at a high rate of speed. There appears to be no maneuvering by the operator to avoid the dam.

Marseilles                    