RedactedNarrative: On 08/26/2019 at approximately 1511 hrs, I, Officer with Maryland Natural Resources Police, received a call from another Natural Resources Police officer about a boat accident, property damage only, with a rental boat from Bill's Marine service located on 20721 Garrett Highway, Oakland, Maryland 21550.
  
      When I arrived on scene,I reviewed the copy of the rental agreement, and spoke with owner of Bill's Marine Service, who informed me that the boat was being towed from Stump point back to the dock and would be pulled up on a trailer to view the damages. The family who had rented the boat was still at the docks. 
  
      I approached the family and spoke with Operator, who I later identified through his Driver's License. Operator had signed the rental agreement and told me that he was the operator of the boat at the time of the accident. I asked him and his family if anyone was hurt, to which they replied and said no. There were six people on board at the time of the accident. I then asked to speak with everyone on-board the boat and to get their information for my report.
  
  Operator informed me that they were coming back from the dam heading back towards Bill's traveling between 20-25 knots when they heard and felt a bang and the boat shut off. I asked if they saw the danger buoy's to which they replied they saw them but they were to the right of the boat and they thought that only the area around the buoy's was dangerous. 
  
  Stump point is clearly marked with five danger buoy's, blocking a section of the lake that has shallow water and numerous stumps. In order to safely navigate through that section the Operator's should have had the danger buoys on the left of their boat instead of the right. 
  
  Operator was grandfathered into the boater safety requirement due to his age and he told me that he had driven a boat a long time ago, but it had been a while. Operator and his family stated that they had a hard time seeing the buoys. The weather was a little cloudy and the wind was traveling from South South East at approximately 12 mph, which would have created a head wind for the Operators. Visibility was clear for up to 10 miles. 
  
  Operator and his family had rented a 2018 Crownline 18 SS speed boat Maryland registration MD 1717 LB with a Mercury Crusier inboard engine serial number 2A581250. When the boat arrived at the docks and was pulled up on the trailer the whole lower unit was sheared off from the back of the boat. There were also scratches along the bottom hull of the boat. 
  
  Pictures were taken and are attached to this report. 
  
  There are two separate estimates for repairs. 
  Retail value is estimated at $8,238.07 including parts and labor.
  Cost value is estimated at $5,516.00 including parts and labor. 
  
  Copies of both estimates are attached to this report. 
  
  I then issued Operator a Citation for Negilent Operation. Which he then tried to tell me that he was not the operator, after he had told me twice earlier that he was. He then said again that he was and received the citation. 
  
  All events occurred in Garrett County Maryland. 
  
  When contacted on 08/27/2019 to complete the boat accident form, Operator refused to speak with me and told me that he thought that if he stepped up and said he was operating he could protect his kids. I asked again if he was the operator, which he would not give me a clear answer. He stated that someone was driving the boat and that he felt it was sly on my part to give him a citation, after he was already having to pay to fix the damage. He also informed me how disgusted he was with me and how I handled the situation, then refused to talk with me anymore, and told me to speak to his lawyer and hung up the phone.