RedactedNarrative: On Thursday, August 4, 2016, a subject and his passenger collided with a rock while operating a personal watercraft just north of Bayport.  Both the operator and passenger were ejected at the time of the collision.  The vessel then sunk and both people swam to shore.  The operator and passenger reported the accident and also reported that they were uninjured.  
  
  Operator was operating his Yamaha personal watercraft on state waters in Hernando County.  his passenger was seated behind him.  Operator was cruising near the salt marsh in an area north of Bayport known locally as Rock Island Bay.  The weather that day was cloudy with moderate winds and a large storm was approaching the coast.  Operator stated that the tide appeared much higher than usual and that water conditions were choppy.  As a result of those conditions Operator operated his vessel into an area that was more protected than the open water where he is more familiar operating his vessel.  Operator stated that he was cruising about 15 m.p.h. when he struck a rock.
  
  When his vessel struck the rock both he and his passenger were ejected from the vessel.  They both landed in the water and the vessel sunk.  They were wearing the required safety gear, which was a type III, non inflatable personal flotation device at the time of the accident.  In addition to the life vest, Operator was equipped with, and wearing, a safety lanyard designed to cut the engine off if removed.  Operator and occupant then abandoned the sunken personal watercraft and began swimming back to shore.