RedactedNarrative: On February 11, 2017, at approximately 12:30 p.m. a bass boat - one person on board- collided with an airboat -3 people on board- at the mouth of the C36 (a canal connecting Lake Hatchineha to Lake Cypress, located in Osceola County). The bass boat was travelling southwest through the canal, it struck an airboat that was traveling northeast in the canal. There were no fatalities, injuries or missing persons. There was approximately $3,000 worth of damage to the bass boat and about $15,000 worth of damage to the airboat (estimates are made by owners of respective vessels). The bass boat towed the airboat to Camp Mack’s River Resort boat ramp where the boating investigation took place.
  
  Operator1 stated that he was driving his bass boat (35-38 MPH) southwest through the Cypress Canal, he glanced over his left shoulder at an anchored vessel. Operator1 stated when he looked ahead again he saw the airboat and tried to turn his vessel. He managed to slightly turn his steering wheel to the left, but did not have time to avoid the airboat. The bass boat’s starboard side hit the airboat’s starboard side. Operator1 stated he did not see the airboat because he was looking ahead at two other vessels heading northeast towards the canal. 
  
  Operator2 stated that he was driving his airboat through an airboat trail and came to the opening for the Cypress Canal. He idled (less than 5 MPH) his airboat into the canal heading northeast towards Lake Cypress. He was on the left (north) side of the canal, hugging the cattails. Operator2 stated he saw the bass boat heading southwest through the canal towards Lake Hatchineha. Operator2 stated the bass boat was also on the north side of the canal heading straight towards them. Operator2 stated that since airboats do not have reverse, he turned his vessel left, pushing more into the cattails to get out of the way. 
  
  Operator2, and two occupants, all stated that Operator1 was not looking straight ahead. They stated that Operator1 was looking over his back left shoulder at an anchored pontoon boat on the south side of the canal, and he continued to look at this vessel instead of looking forward.  
  
  V2 occupant1 stated she stood up on the airboat and shouted at Operator1, trying to get his attention. V2 occupant1 stated that when Operator1 looked forward again, he tried to turn the boat. The bass boat struck the starboard side of the airboat close to the bow. The bass boat then banked up on the airboat, scraping the airboat down the entire starboard side colliding with the cage of the airboat. The cage and prop of the airboat were caved in. Operator1 towed the airboat to the Camp Mack boat ramp. I asked V2 occupant1, Operator2, and v2 occupant2, if there were any other boats in the canal. They all stated that the only other vessel in the canal was the anchored pontoon boat. V2 occupant1 stated that there was a white vessel further south in Lake Hatchineha. She stated that at the time of the accident it was far away, but it did travel pass them into the canal about five minutes after the accident.
  
  I asked Operator1 if he was looking ahead while driving through the canal, he stated that he only glanced behind him for a second. I advised Operator1 that if he was looking ahead he would have seen the airboat. Operator1 stated that he was focusing on the other vessels heading his way. I advised Operator1 that the other occupants did not see any other boats in the immediate vicinity. 
  
  Operator1’s statements were inconsistent with the statements from the occupants in the airboat. Operator1 stated that he saw two vessel coming toward him, not including the airboat. He also stated he was wearing a life jacket at the time of the accident. Operator2 stated that there were no other vessels coming towards them in the canal. The only vessel traveling northeast was still south of the channel markers. Every occupant of the airboat states that Operator1 was not looking forward for an extended period of time and that he was not wearing a life jacket. Operator2 stated t
  