On 7/23/09 WCO received a call from OO's brother stating that our department should place bouys on all underwater hazards in the Big Sioux River.  The Brother stated that his brother OO hit some submerged stone and totaled out his boat.  WCO asked if the accident was reported.  The brother stated that is was not.  WCO explained to the brother that failure to report an accident was a crime, and asked to meet with OO.

OO met WCO and WCO (IA DNR) at the Missouri River boat club in Sioux City IA.  OO stated that on July 5th he and his family were boating up the Big Sioux River.  At approximatly 4:00PM they were boating down river at 25-30MPH when they struck some submerged stone.  OO stated that no one was hurt but the boat was totaled.

WCO asked OO: 
-Why he did not report the accident
-Why was he traveling at such a high rate of speed in a risky area
-
OO stated that he did not know that he needed to report the accident.  OO stated that he was boating in the Big Sioux River because the Missouri RIver was packed full of boats and there were no boats up the Big Sioux River from the Missouri River Boat Club.  WCO asked if he thought that the reason no big boats were up there is because it was not safe for larger boats at high speed?  OO agreed that he should have been suspicious.  

OO asked if we could mark the hazards in the Big Sioux River.  WCO explained that it was not feaseable for our department to do so.  OO understood.  WCO issued OO a warning for not reporting the accident.  WCO showed OO the report and that the cause of the accident was operator inexperience.  WCO explained that boaters experienced in the Big Sioux River are aware of hazards in the area and would not have been traveling at that rate of speed in that location of the river.
N SIOUX CITY                  