RedactedNarrative: On May 25 2021, Game Warden received a call regarding a boating incident that had occurred on Clark's Hill Lake. Upon arrival Warden got on Columbia County S/O's vessel and responded to the scene of the accident. 
  
  Two bass boats, one operated by Operator1 a juvenile, and one operated by Operator2 had collided just North of the mouth of Trade Winds Marina. After an initial assessment of the scene it was apparent there were no injuries, however Operator2' vessel had been rendered inoperable.  It was towed to shore by Columbia County's boat. Warden instructed Operator1 to idle along side the Columbia County vessel until everyone reached the dock at the back of Trade Winds Marina. 
  
  	Warden noticed that Operator1's father was standing on the dock when everyone arrived and asked if Warden could speak with Operator1 and his son. Operator1 said that was okay. Warden asked Operator1 what happened.  Operator1 explained that he was headed SE across the lake to fish a different location when at the last second he noticed a boat coming across in front of his vessel.  He turned sharply to try and avoid a collision but was unsuccessful and he struck the vessel on the port side with the starboard side of his vessel. Operator1 stated that he never saw the vessel coming. Warden asked if Operator1's lights had been operational. Operator1 admitted that they had been intermittently working however his passenger had been using his cell phone flashlight as a stern light. V1 Occupant confirmed Operator1's story and said that he never saw the boat until right before they collided. 
  
  	Warden then spoke with Operator2 and asked him what happened. Operator2 stated that he was traveling SW into the Marina to fish when all of a sudden his vessel was struck by Operator1's vessel. Operator2 said that he never saw them coming because the vessel did not have its front navigation lights or its white stern light on at that time. Operator2 did state that after the collision Operator1 was able to get his navigation lights to come on by messing with the wiring. 
  
  	Warden then spoke to the passenger on the vessel with Operator2 and he stated that he never saw any lights on Operator1's vessel and all he saw was a dark shadow of a vessel right before they were struck. 
  
  	
  	Warden spoke with another team in the tournament.  Both stated that they heard a vessel running across the lake in the same direction that Operator1 was traveling and could not see any navigation lights, but could tell that the rear stern light was on and shortly after they heard the collision of the two vessels.  As they headed out to where they thought the collision occurred they noticed that it was two vessels because they saw two stern lights. When they got to the site of the incident they noticed that Operator2' navigation lights were on however Operator1's navigation lights and stern light were not operating properly.  After some time of messing with the navigation lights Operator1 was able to get them to come back on, but was not able to get the rear stern light to come back on. 
  
  	Based on Warden's investigation it seems apparent that the incident occurred due to the navigation lights on Operator1's boat not being lit at the time of the collision. Operator2' vessel was the stand on vessel and Operator1's vessel was the give way vessel. 
  
  	Operator1 was charged with O.C.G.A. 52-7-11  Operating Vessel with improper lights.
  