RedactedNarrative: On 08/06/2021 at approximately 1620 hours Maryland Natural Resources Police was dispatched to Rental Company in Ocean City for a PWC accident involving two rental PWCs. The reporting party advised the PWCs were on their way back to the rental company and the accident occurred in their riding area in the Sinepuxent Bay.
  Upon arrival, I made contact with the manager of the rental company and he stated the PWCs hadn’t arrived yet. Approximately 15 minutes went by before they arrived due to one of the PWCs, sinking from the collision. I made contact with the renters and their passengers of the PWCs and had them start filling out witness statements. The two PWCs involved in the accident displayed Maryland registration “MD 109 LB” vessel #1, and “MD 108 LB” vessel #2. Vessel #1 had major fiberglass and plastic damages on the bow of the vessel and vessel #2 had major fiberglass, plastic, and structural damage on the starboard stern of the vessel. Vessel #2 had a major crack, approximately one inch tall in some areas, which allowed water to enter the vessel and sink.
  I returned to the office of Rentals and spoke with the operators and occupants of the PWCs. They advise VESSEL 2 responsible party wasn’t operating the PWC, it was the juvenile female. They stated they didn’t want to tell me at first because they didn’t want the guide to get in trouble for letting her operate the PWC. VESSEL 2 responsible party and the juvenile female stated they were operating the PWC that was struck in the rear and sank, vessel #2. OPERATOR 1 stated he was operating his PWC in a circular fashion, “doing donuts.” OPERATOR 1 stated he was doing donuts and didn’t observe the Juvenile female come too close to him and that’s when he struck their PWC in the rear starboard side. OPERATOR 1 later stated he was going approximately 17 MPH when he struck the other PWC. The juvenile female and VESSEL 2 responsible party provided me with the same story as OPERATOR 1 regarding the incident.
  The manager of the Rental PWCs stated vessel #1 received approximately $1,500 in damage and vessel #2 was a total loss and would cost approximately $10,000 to replace.
  VESSEL 2 responsible party was issued a citation for allowing a juvenile to operate a PWC and OPERATOR 1 was issued a citation for the speed/distance violation.
  Photographs of the damaged PWCs were taken and witness forms were collected after issuing the citations.
  Cleared without further incident.
  All the above events occurred in Worcester County, Maryland.
  