RedactedNarrative: On September 1, 2020, I , Investigator, FWC NW Region, was contacted by SEATOW Panama City, regarding a boat beached on St. Andrew's State Park property on the Gulf side of Shell Island, in Bay County FL.
  
  I spoke with SEATOW area manager, and he advised me they were currently involved in the salvage of a 19' Monterey open motorboat which had grounded and was swamped along the shoreline. He further advised that the boat had been in this location since Sunday August 30, 2020. The vessel owner had contacted them and requested assistance with removing the boat and returning it to him. I advised SEATOW that I would respond to the scene and document the incident and reach out to the owner to verify the circumstances surrounding the mishap.
  
  I notified the regional communications center and asked if we had received any notification in the past few days concerning the vessel mishap. I was advised that no incidents or accidents were reported and no other FWC personnel had responded. 
  
  Upon arrival, I discovered the boat beached in the surf zone with SEATOW personnel actively working on salvage. I again spoke with SEATOW PC local manager and was given the telephone number for the boat owner. 
  
  I asked Operator1 about the circumstances involved with his boat, and he advised that he and his family were out recreational cruising near Panama City Pass along the east side jetty when they became caught in the surf zone and took several waves broadside pitching them into the shallows and grounding the out drive. 
  
  Once propulsion was lost, the boat was not maneuverable and succumbed to the wave action ultimately beaching and swamping. All occupants were safely removed from the vessel and no one sustained injury. Operator1 advised he had recently purchased the boat, and did not have any insurance.  He did verify that SEATOW was authorized to conduct the salvage, and that he had not previously reported the incident since no one was injured.
  