RedactedNarrative: NC-2021-0137
  
  ON 09/09/2021 AT APPROXIMATELY 1642 HOURS, A BOATING INCIDENT OCCURRED IN MECKLENBURG COUNTY ON LAKE NORMAN. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED IN THE MAIN CHANNEL IN MECKLENBURG COUNTY NEAR ISLAND FOREST DR.  THE ONLY VESSEL INVOLVED IN THE INCIDENT WAS A 10-FOOT, 2019 BRP SEADOO GTI 130 FIBERGLASS PERSONAL WATERCRAFT WITH ONE 90 HORSEPOWER INBOARD JET ENGINE.  THE VESSEL WAS BEING OPERATED AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT BY OPERATOR 1
  ACCORDING TO STATEMENTS MADE BY THE PARTIES INVOLVED, OPERATOR 1 WAS OPERATING A PERSONAL WATERCRAFT ALONGSIDE A LARGER VESSEL CARRYING THE REMAINDER OF OPERATOR 1'S PARTY.   AT APPROXIMATELY 1640 HOURS, OPERATOR 2, THE CHARTER CAPTAIN OPERATING THE LARGER VESSEL, BEGAN TO OPERATE BACK TO NORTH HARBOR MARINA.  OPERATOR 1 VOLUNTEERED TO OPERATE THE PERSONAL WATERCRAFT BACK TO THE HARBOR AND WAS OPERATING ALONG THE STARBOARD SIDE OF THE LARGER VESSEL.  OPERATOR 1 WAS TURNING THE PERSONAL WATERCRAFT AND WAS “NOT GOING TOO HARD” ACCORDING TO OPERATOR 2.  OPERATOR 2 NOTED THAT HE HAD PROPERLY SECURED THE LIFE JACKET ON OPERATOR 1 AND HOOKED THE KILL SWITCH ONTO OPERATOR 1'S LIFE JACKET.  OPERATOR 2 NOTED THAT THE ONLY KILL SWITCH THAT HE HAD ONBOARD THAT DAY WAS “TRAINING KILL SWITCH” WHICH RESTRICTS THE AMOUNT OF HORSEPOWER OF THE PERSONAL WATERCRAFT. 
  AT SOME POINT WHILE OPERATING THE PERSONAL WATERCRAFT, OPERATOR 1 FELL OFF OF THE PERSONAL WATERCRAFT.  ACCORDING TO MEDICAL EXAMINER REPORTS, OPERATOR 1 SUFFERED A CONCUSSION AND TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY CAUSED BY BLUNT FORCE IMPACT.  ACCORDING TO THIS REPORT, OPERATOR 1 MADE CONTACT WITH THE SEADOO WHICH CAUSED HIM TO FALL OFF.  ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, AFTER OPERATOR 1 WAS OBSERVED IN THE WATER.  HE BEGAN SWIMMING TOWARD THE VESSEL.  WHILE HE WAS SWIMMING, WITNESSES OBSERVED A SECOND OBJECT FLOAT UP BESIDE OPERATOR 1 WHICH THEY LATER FOUND OUT WAS HIS LIFE JACKET.  OPERATOR 2 TURNED THE LARGER VESSEL AROUND TO ASSIST OPERATOR 1 AND WHEN THEY WERE TRYING TO GET CLOSER, THEY OBSERVED OPERATOR 1 GO UNDERWATER.  TWO WITNESSES ON OPERATOR 2'S VESSEL JUMPED OFF OF THE VESSEL IN AN ATTEMPT TO SAVE OPERATOR 1 BUT WERE UNSUCCESSFUL.
  WITNESSES ON THE SHORE OBSERVED OPERATOR 1 IN THE WATER AND CALLED 911 AS THEY ALSO JUMPED INTO THE WATER AND ATTEMPTED TO HELP OPERATOR 1 AND THE WITNESSES WHO WERE IN THE WATER.  CORNELIUS FD WAS ASSIGNED AT 1645 HOURS AND ARRIVED ON SCENE SHORTLY AFTER ALONG WITH CORNELIUS PD, HUNTERSVILLE FD, AND IREDELL LAKE PATROL.  SHERILLS FORD AND CHARLOTTE FD DIVE TEAM ARRIVED ON SCENE TO ASSIST AND OPERATOR 1'S BODY WAS RECOVERED AT 1959 HOURS.  NORTH CAROLINA WILDLIFE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS ARRIVED ON SCENE AT APPROXIMATELY 1830 HOURS.
  OPERATOR 1 DROWNED AND WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD BY MEDIC SHORTLY AFTER BEING RECOVERED.  ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, OPERATOR 1 WAS NOT SHOWING SIGNS OF IMPAIRMENT BEFORE THE INCIDENT OCCURRED.  OPERATOR INEXPERIENCE AND ROUGH WATER CONDITIONS ARE BELIEVED TO BE THE FACTORS THAT CAUSED THIS FATAL INCIDENT.
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