RedactedNarrative: On sunday, may 31, 2020 at approximately 19:25, on belews lake, vessel 1 struck vessel 2 on the starboard side of the vessel. There were five occupants on vessel 1, none of which needed medical treatment. There were four occupants on vessel 2, three of which received medical treatment at piney bluff boating access area from forsyth county ems and then released.
  
  Vessel 1 was travelling south on belews lake in forsyth county, heading back towards the piney bluff baa through a section of the lake known as the s-curves . Vessel 1 was traveling at approximately 10 mph through this narrow section of switch back curves that leads from the boat ramp to the main channel. 
  
  Vessel 2 had stopped at the end of these s-curves to pick up a skier and was drifting in the water with the bow of the vessel pointed northward. As vessel 1 rounded the last curve, the operator was distracted by a group of swimmers that had swam out from the southern shoreline. 
  
  As the operator moved his eyes back in the direction they were travelling they were looking directly into the setting sun. At this point the vessels collided. The operator of vessel 2 saw that a collision was likely to happen and stood up from the operators position, told his occupants to “hold on” and jumped off the vessel as the collision happened. 
  
  Another occupant of vessel 2, who was standing at the front of the vessel was thrown overboard. Neither occupant was wearing a pfd, however the occupants of vessel 1 threw flotation devices to them. Both of these occupants suffered minor injures as a result. A third occupant of vessel 2 who was standing behind the operator''s seat hauling in a ski rope, received injuries to her legs and arms. The extent of all three victim''s injuries were minor including lacerations, scratches, and contusions. 
  
  Vessel 2 was hit on the starboard side, approximately one foot in front of the console at approximately a 65 degree angle. The collision pushed the aluminum siding of the pontoon boat''s deck in about 16” at the operator''s seat. The console was dislodged and pushed towards the center of the vessel. The sidng was damaged from just in front of the console, down the starboard side, towards the rear of the vessel. Vessel 1 sustained very little damage. The bow eye of vessel 1 struck first and it took most of the force, only bending it slightly to the left. There was damage to the rub rail and to the fiberglass along the front of the boat. There was some damage along bottom of the boat from where it made contact with the metal that surrounded the deck of the pontoon boat. After the collision vessel 1 became lodged on vessel 2 by the bow eye.
  
  Both vessels had their required saftey equiment. There was no alcohol detected  and was not a factor in the incident. The main causes were operator in attention, failure to keep a proper lookout, and the environmental condition of the setting sun. Also of note, the inattention was due to the fact of the swimmers in the lake and the operators attempt to not hit the swimmers. The operator of vessel 1 was charged under g.s. 75a-10(a); operate a motorboat on the waters of the state in a negligent manner so as to endanger the life, limb, or property of another person.
  