RedactedNarrative: On may 16, 2019 at approximately 7:35pm, a boating incident occurred on lake wylie approximately 1 mile south of the buster boyd bridge near the north carolina south carolina line.  The vessel was an 18'6” 2018 phoenix bass boat with a 175hp mercury pro outboard motor.  The boat had a starboard side console and was owned by operator.  His friend was sitting in the passenger seat on the port side at the time of the incident.  
  
  The motor became loose on the jack plate and came detached causing the motor to fall off the back of the boat and sink in the water.  The two men had just blasted off near the buster boyd bridge in a local fishing tournament.  They traveled approximately 1 mile south when the driver began noticing a forward and back movement in the motor.  The operator slowed the boat down to around 25mph and that's when both men noticed a loud noise and when they looked back, the engine had come loose from the boat's jack plate.  The boat kept going straight and came to a stop.  The weight of the motor caused the motor to sink all the way to the bottom of the lake in approximately 30 feet of water.  The analysis of the damage to the back of the boat indicates that nothing broke.  The operator and owner of the vessel stated that he had the power poles taken off by a local mechanic just a week prior to this.  The power poles attached to the jack plate, to take the poles off you would have to loosen the jack plate bolts up.  Officer from south carolina department of natural resources arrived on scene less than an hour after the incident occurred.  Officer stated to me that there was no bent metal on the jack plate to indicate the motor hit an object.  It appeared that the bolts came out of the jack plate causing the motor to dismount and come off the vessel.  When the motor dismounted, it ripped the steering cables and fuel line going to the engine.  This incident appears to be a mechanical issue.  No one was charged as a result of this incident.
  
  
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