Boat left the area of marker R-26 and was moving on plane back to the DGIF boat ramp at Waterwheel Marina moving at half-throttle approximately 20-25 mph.  Operator saw the lights at the Helmsford Bridge and at that point the boat began bouncing up and down due to crossing wakes (approx 15 sec).  When the operator pulled back the throttle the front of the boat went down, and then the operator noticed the marker 10 feet in front of him.  The boat was still moving approximately 20mph at this time and there was no time to do anything causing him to hit the marker.  He hit the marker in the dead center of the bow of the boat.  He put the boat in neutral after hitting the marker and then he took the boat to the Waterwheel Marina and looked it over for damage.  He noticed that the front navigation lights were busted, and also noted the trolling motor was busted off of the brackett.  He then loaded the boat onto the trailer at the DGIF boat ramp.  He was enroute to the Bridgewater Marina and stopped by an ambulance to ask if he knew about the incident and he told them that he hit the marke pole.  Shortly thereafter I arrived on scene and assessed the damage to be over $2000.00.  According to officer the marker was sitting on a telephone pole and was snapped in half.  Those pieces were recovered and taken to the Waterwheel Marina.  The light from the marker was missing.  The Operator fill out a voluntary statement and was given a boater's accident form.  The front navigation lights were recovered and photographed but the brackets were not.

Update from latest report:  an 18' 7" Nitro bass boat was traveling upstream in the Roanoke River arm of Smith Mountain Lake.  At approximately 2200 hours, operator struck channel marker R28 with the bow of his boar resulting in significant damage to the bass boat and channel marker.
Moneta, Waterwheel Marina Ramp