RedactedNarrative: On 7-21-2016, at approximately 9:14pm, Operator was operating his boat about 200 yds downstream of the Rt. 47 bridge on the Illinois river when he struck what he believes to be a log floating in the river. Operator said that he was traveling approximately 10 mph.   After striking the object, the boat began taking on water.  Operator said he checked and found that the lower unit of his boat was missing.  Operator called his father who then called 911.  Morris Fire Dept. responded and put a boat in the water to rescue the occupants of the boat.  By the time the fire dept. got to the boat, it had floated approximately 2.35 miles downstream.  It should be noted that the water level was high and the current was fast due to recent heavy rains.  When the fire department came back to the launch with the occupants of the boat, CPO had arrived on scene.  He arrested Operator for OUI.  See his supplemental report for details of the arrest.
  
   When I, CPO, arrived on scene I had the remaining occupants of the boat write statements describing the incident.  (attached)  All statements concurred with Operators accounting of the events of the accident.
  
  The next day the boat was found by CPO and myself 4.9 miles downstream from the Rt. 47 Bridge.  It was recovered that same day by Tow Boat U.S.  After it was removed from the water I inspected the boat.   The lower unit was broken off but still attached to the boat by wires and hoses.  I located the applied for registration form that Operator said was in the glove box of the boat.  It was mostly washed out, but I could decifer enough to be satisfied that proper application had been made.  I checked the steering and it appeared to be functional.   I could not find a fire extinguisher on the boat but that doesn’t mean that it wasn''t there before the boat sank and capsized.  There was no other damage that would have lead to the sinking of the boat. The boat was then released to Operator.