RedactedNarrative: This is a single vessel accident involving an occupant falling overboard.  Vessel 1 was traveling at a speed between 20-25 miles per hour on Fontana Lake near windy point. The operator of vessel 1 had told the occupant to stay off of the bow of the pontoon boat she was operating a couple of times.  At the time of the accident, the operator did not know the occupant had moved to the bow of the boat and she could not see him.  The occupant was sitting on the starboard side of the bow of the boat sitting with his feet dangling over the front of the pontoon into the water.  The occupant had a pair of sandals on and his feet were touching the water at times.  The occupant stated that he had consumed 5 to 6 beers and was allowing his feet to touch the water as they were traveling up the waterway.  At the time of the accident, his left foot went into the water causing him to react and put his right foot down as well.  The sandals he had on provided resistance to the water and caused his body to be pulled into the water.  At the last second, the occupant stated that he dove to his right because he knew if he allowed himself to go in the way he was headed that he would be hit by the propeller of the boat. 
  
  When the occupant fell from the boat, a nylon rope that was attached to the bow of the pontoon wrapped around his left leg. The nylon rope that was wrapped around his left leg pulled and caused a severe cut to his left leg. The cut was so deep that it barely missed the femoral artery.  After realizing the occupant had fallen from the boat, the operator turned the vessel around and picked him up.  After that, 911 was called. 
  
  The operator then transported the injured person to Almond Boat Park due to it being a closer drive for the ambulance.  This is about a 12 minute boat ride at a speed of 25 mph.  Upon their arrival, the operator was asked if she had been drinking and she said no. The Sheriff''s deputy then asked her to blow into an alco-sensor, in which she tested negative for alcohol.  The Sheriff''s deputy then asked the injured person to blow into the same instrument; and he did so and tested positive for alcohol consumption(.04). He then gathered all information and passed it onto me for my investigation.
  
  I interviewed both the driver and the occupant that fell from the vessel.  No one in the boat actually observed the occupant fall until he was already in the water. The driver herself could not see the occupant at the time of the accident. The driver was upset that he had fallen from the boat and said that the occupant had previously joked about falling into the water.  She had asked everyone in the boat not to sit on the bow.  She also stated that in her opinion that this accident could have been avoided if the occupant would not have been consuming alcoholic beverages.
  
  It is in my opinion that the fallen occupant's intoxication level caused him not to think clearly of his actions. There were no charges filed against the operator of this vessel.  No further investigation is needed in this investigation
  
  
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  PLEASE NOTE:  ALCOHOL USE WAS BY THE OCCUPANT THAT FELL FROM THE VESSEL.  THE OPERATOR OF THE VESSEL WAS NOT INTOXICATED AND DID NOT CONSUME ANY ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES.