RedactedNarrative: On Sunday July 3rd, Deputy and I were leading boat traffic with the patrol boat at a slow speed following the annual fireworks show on Lake Rabun when we received a call that a boat was sinking in the Big Basin.  We proceeded from our location in the Narrows along with RFC and Deputy, who were in another patrol boat, to the Big Basin approximately two miles away.  
  
  When we arrived on scene, the sinking vessel was already submerged except for the bow area which was still above the waterline.  Its occupants had already been pulled from the water and were on board the Rabun County Fire / Rescue Cobia.  
  
  I asked if everyone was accounted for and if there were any injuries.  Each member of the group stated that they were not hurt and the owner stated that everyone was present.  
  
  RFC and I began off loading some of the victims onto the patrol boats.  We transported these individuals to the sunken vessel's boat house which was approximately a half mile away.  We returned to collect floating items from the vessel such as seat cushions, unused life jackets and small personal items.  
  
  We next assisted the large fire boat, which had arrived on scene, with tying the sunken vessel to it in an attempt to move it to the nearest shore.  While this was taking place, I asked the vessel owner/ operator to step into my vessel so I could get his statement and collect his information.  
  
  He identified himself and his account of the event is as follows:  Operator stated that he had eleven occupants on board his vessel and was coming home from the fireworks show when a "wake boat" passed in front of his vessel at about half throttle creating a large wake.  He further stated that the wake created by this boat came over the bow of his boat causing the floor to fill with water.  
  
  He said that he immediately moved two of the passengers from the bow area to the back of the boat.  Operator next stated that the rear of the vessel lowered to the level of the water and began to fill up and sink.  According to Operator, he immediately began handing out life jackets to those who did not already have one, the vessel then sank and all occupants went into the water.  
  
  The rescue Cobia was on scene in less than five minutes and everyone was removed from the water.  Operator's boat, a 20 foot 8 inch Centurion ski inboard was moved closer to shore by the fire boat before it completely submerged below the waterline and sank to the bottom of the lake in 45 feet of water.  After it was on the bottom, the fire boat was unable to move it any further.  I made the decision at that point to attach the tow line to a series of buoys and leave it until an under water recovery effort could be made.  
  
  I returned Operator and his wife to their dock and all units went back in service.  The following day I spoke to a boat mechanic on Lake Rabun, about raising the sunken vessel.  Mechanic stated that he had removed several vessels from similar situations over the years using air bags or large inner tubes.  I placed a call to Operator and advised him to contact Mechanic about possibly recovering his boat.  I spoke again to Mechanic on July 5th and he stated that he and Operator had made arrangements for a recovery attempt on July 8th. *** On July 8th, recovery service, was able to raise Operator's boat from the 45 feet of water it had sank in on July 3rd.  The recovery effort alone cost $3100.00 and damages to the vessel are pending. *** I spoke to Operator on August 3rd and he stated that his insurance company had totaled the vessel and sent him a check for $26,600.