RedactedNarrative: On June 16, 2016, a boating accident occurred southeast of SR 50 near the St. John's River. The operator of the vessel lost control of his vessel and it collided with a cabbage palm ejecting all three occupants and injuring two. 
  
  Operator was operating the vessel. The group was headed northwest on the river towards Midway at SR 50 where they had launched from. They were returning from Paw Paw Mound, located near the east shoreline of the river when Operator saw the eyes of a deer glowing in a cow pasture. The deer began running north towards the tree line and Operator pulled off the river and onto the pasture and began to chase it with his airboat. 
  
  When they neared the tree line the deer took a turn towards the east and Operator did the same. This action caused Operator to lose control of the airboat due to it sliding sideways towards the west. This caused the vessel to collide with a group of cabbage palm trees. The vessel made impact on its rear port side. This caused all three occupants to be ejected from the vessel. 
  
  The vessel is a front drive vessel so Operator was seating in the front, Occupant2 was seated on the rear starboard side and Occupant1 was seated on the rear port side. According to the occupants, Operator and Occupant1 were ejected out of the port side of the vessel andoccupant3 was ejected out of the starboard side. Occupant1 advised that he landed about 30 feet from the vessel. 
  
  Operator then called 911. I asked Operator how fast he was going when the accident occurred and he told me around 40 mph. The pasture where the vessel was being operated was flooded in some areas with a thin layer of water. Airboat operation in these conditions cause airboats to slide. Operator’s statement (see attached) says that he saw eyes and took off chasing them. He says he did not know whether they were the eyes a deer, hog or what. The vessel sustained damage to its hull, cage and prop. 
  
  The hull sustained a large, vertical crack and a gash on its rear port side. The cage sustained a large hole in its port side webbing and the outer ends of the prop were severed. Operator estimated the damage to be around $2,500.00. Operator was able to call some friends to help them retrieve the vessel. After taking care of the vessel he went to the hospital to have his arm checked out. 
  
  The next day I called Operator to get an update on him and Occupant1’s injuries. Operator had broken his forearm two inches above the wrist. He received corrective surgery the next day where he received a metal plate and several screws in his wrist and forearm.  No other injuries to report for Operator.  Occupant1 had fractured the seventh vertebra down on his back and was still at Holmes Regional Medical Center. 
  