RedactedNarrative: SYNOPSIS:
  
  On 7/21/18, during a short micro-burst/monsoon storm, a vessel was attempting to offload its passengers on Lone Rock Beach.  The operator of the boat believed all the passengers were exiting off the bow of the boat and then backed off the beach quickly to go ride out the storm in the bay.  When the vessel reversed off the beach it ran over one of the passengers that had exited the vessel over the side.  The passenger received multiple propeller cuts to both legs.  She was flown out to St. George for Hospital treatment.
  
  
  INVESTIGATION:
  
  I arrived on scene at approximately 1640 hours.  I met with two NPS Rangers and they identified which vessel had been involved and the associated group of people as well as the boat operator. I identified the vessel operator/owner and asked him to walk down to the boat with me to retrieve his vessel registration and insurance information.  Ranger remained with a large group of associated people and began having all the passengers of the vessel fill out witness statement.
  
  At the vessel I interviewed operator.  He stated that the micro-burst storm was rolling in and he wanted to get all the people off his boat at their campsite on Lone Rock beach. He put the vessel bow into the beach and told the passengers to exit the vessel from the bow.  The wind was blowing out of the north gusting to 25 mph at the time of the accident.  OPERATOR1 stated that when most of the passengers had quickly exited the vessel he quickly reversed his vessel back off the beach and went out into the bay to ride out the storm.  He stated that he returned to the beach approx. 20 minutes later when the storm had receded and learned that Victim had been injured.  I had OPERATOR1 fill out a witness statement.
  
  I then returned to the group and assisted Ranger in making sure everyone who had been on the vessel filled out a witness statement, whether they saw anything or not.  In speaking with the group it became apparent that it had been a hectic time.  The storm was picking up intensity when they were trying to get off the boat.  The wind was blowing tents down the beach and group members were trying to retrieve tents and belongings that were blowing away.  Nobody seemed to have witnessed exactly what had happened to the injured party, Victim.
  
  In speaking with the group and reviewing witness statements that included everyone's dates of birth it was apparent that most of the group had been drinking alcoholic beverages.  Some were still drinking in our presence (those over 21 yrs of age).  During my contact away from the group with OPERATOR1, I did not detect any odor of alcohol or any signs of impairment.  OPERATOR1 stated to me that he had not been drinking any alcoholic beverages that day.  Before departing the scene I informed the group that I was aware that there were people under 21 years of age that had been drinking and I advised them to stop and to not drive or the accident would not be the only bad event that happened to them that day.
  
  On 7/22/18 Ranger spoke with Victim at Dixie Regional Hospital. He had her fill out a witness statement and verified that her injuries were all propeller cut lacerations. She had lacerations to both legs but more to her left leg, including her buttocks. Ranger asked if she had been drinking alcohol that day and she stated she had not. In her statement she remembered jumping off the side of the boat when they had beached it. When she came up to the waters the boat was already reversing and ran over her. She had to be all the way under the vessel to get struck by the propeller.
  
  OPERATOR1 would have reversed over her made a quick turn and shifted into forward heading into the bay. One person heard VICTIM screaming in the water and ran to her aid discovering she had been injured
  
  The causes of the accident were the stormy weather conditions causing waves, blowing tents and other items around the beach while a chaotic off-loading of the vessels passengers took place. This hectic scene was surely distracting to OPERATOR1 while he was trying to keep the vessel bow into the beach and he failed to observe that VICTIM had exited the vessel on the side. He failed to keep a proper lookout when reversing off the beach and struck VICTIM with the vessel and the propeller. Another contributing factor is likely that Victim was at least somewhat impaired by alcohol when the accident occurred as were other passengers. 
  
  On 7/23/18 I spoke with NPS Ranger, who had been first to arrive on scene and to evaluate and treat Victim. He informed me that he could detect the odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from VICTIM and that her boyfriend had informed him that they had both drank alcohol that day.
  
  