RedactedNarrative: On February 23, 2020 at 1627 hours, I, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Officer was dispatched to a report of a Boating Accident in Miami Dade County, Florida. At 1644 hours I arrived on scene where the involved parties were standing by. The two vessels involved were a (V1)40-foot Hinckley Yacht Talaria 40, flag blue in color, bearing vessel name “Escape”, and a (V2)20-foot Angler Boat Corp. 204 Dual Console, white in color with green trim, bearing vessel name “El Fary”. There were no injuries reported on either vessel.
  
  I made contact with the persons involved. Operator of V1 identified himself as a USCG licensed Master Captain, and presented his valid Merchant Mariner Credential, along with the pertinent vessel documentation (USCG Documentation Number 1139148). 
  
  Operator of V2 presented his Florida Boater ID card, along with V2’s Florida Certificate of Registration (FL2306LM). I conducted a vessel safety inspection of each vessel. Both vessels were found in compliance. 
  
  Operator1 and Operator2 were both asked to provide a Sworn Written Statement and were each provided official document stationary to do so. Being that Operator2 was a minor (17 years of age), I asked him to contact his parents/ guardians to give them the opportunity to be present. Operator2’s father (the Registered Owner of FL2306LM) arrived shortly thereafter.
  
  Based on the sworn written statement, and verbal interview responses provided by Operator1, He stated that at 3:45 pm he was underway on Meloy Channel near red day-board marker “16”, making way Northbound at a speed of approximately 20 kts, and “hugging the channel markers on the edge of the channel”. 
  
  Operator1 stated that he was overtaken on his starboard side by a “Cigarette Boat”. He stated, “I glance over to see if I can hug the markers off the port any more & when I look back to starboard, I see a boat filled with kids crabbing into me with nobody looking left over their shoulder”. 
  
  Operator1 stated that he could not make any major evasive maneuver to port because he knew there was shallow shoaling along the edge of the channel, therefore he made the evasive maneuver to reducing his vessel’s speed and turned to port. 
  
  Operator1 also stated that he put the vessel in reverse in an attempt to avoid collision. It was at this point that the vessels made contact, colliding beam to beam. He stated that after the collision, he verified that all persons involved where accounted for and uninjured, and he followed V2 to a nearby dock to stand by for a police report. 
  
  During the course of conversation and interview, Operator1 stated that a helm-windshield design feature of the vessel creates a blind spot for the operator when looking forward and to starboard and may have been a causing factor leading the point of collision.
  
  Based on the sworn written statement and verbal interview responses provided by Operator2, he was operating V2, south of 79th Street, Northbound on Meloy Channel. Operator2 stated, “all of a sudden a boat going about 30-35 mph hits the port side of my boat with his starboard side. I was in the right side of the channel, within the channel boundaries, heading in a straight line, when the larger boat overtook and swerved into me, striking the port side of my boat”. 
  
  Operator2 also stated that V1 came from behind him at a much faster speed, overtaking him. Operator2 stated the factor of V1’s speed and action of overtaking V2 is why Operator2 never saw V1 until the point of collision. 
  
  Operator2 stated that “after the accident [Operator1] stated that he had turned to the right of the channel (where we were) to evade an incoming boat and avoid the shallows, he hadn’t seen us when he turned and he tried to swerve away last minute”.
  
  