RedactedNarrative: On 7-4-2018 at approximately 10:55, steuben county communications dispatched a personal injury boating accident involving a pwc and a pontoon boat in the area of timber bay on lake james.
  
       i was currently in the 4th of july parade in angola, and responded from downtown angola, exiting the parade route.  I responded from approximately 11 miles away and arrived on scene at 11:21.
  
    i arrived and found several people around a pontoon boat with extensive damage to the area of the stern and outboard motor.  There was also a yellow pwc with extensive damage to the hull in the area of the bow.  
  
       i interviewed several witnesses and photographed the damage to both vessels.  I was advised that a passenger on the pontoon boat was being transported by steuben county ems to cameron hospital in angola complaining of shoulder and neck pain.
  
       according to witness statements which were found to be consistent among all witnesses the following events occurred:
  
       operator1 was operating his pwc on the third basin of lake james.  He stopped his pwc, removed his personal floatation device, which had the kill switch lanyard attached.  The lanyard was attached to both the kill switch on the pwc and the vest style lifejacket.  He left the pwc running and climbed into the water to cool off.  
  
       as operator1 began to climb back onto the pwc, he grabbed the lifejacket not knowing the lanyard had wrapped around the throttle of the pwc.  This caused the pwc to accelerate without an operator for approximately 300 yards towards the timber bay beach area.  This area has a sandbar where boats commonly moor for people to swim.  Operator1 stated that the throttle appeared to have been "pinned wide open."  he stated that he watched the pwc head for the sandbar at a speed of approximately 60 mph  while he was in the water.  He watched the pwc hit a boat and fly into the air 10'-15' upon impact.
  
      the bow of the pwc struck the pontoon boat in the port stern causing extensive damage to stern area, outboard motor, and motor mounts.  owner had the pontoon boat moored with auger posts from the bow and the stern.  There were 9 passengers on the pontoon.  One person was standing on the stern decking of the pontoon at the time of the collision.  When the pontoon boat jolted to the side as a result of the impact, she was thrown into the shallow water head first.  She hit the lake bed with her head, face, and shoulder, causing her considerable pain to each.  She was transported to cameron memorial hospital by steuben county ems where she was treated and released.
  
       there were no other injuries as a result of the collision.
  
       both vessels had extensive damage and were a total loss.  The estimate of damage to the pontoon boat was $22,288.  The estimate of  damage to the pwc was $10,820. 
  
       alcohol was not a factor in the collision.
  