RedactedNarrative: Vessel – 2017, 14' Home Made Aluminum Open Motorboat w/1 80hp PWC Motor w/Jet Propulsion
  On 07/14/2017, at about 05:00 p.m., this vessel was cruising on a Private Lake (No Name).  
  
  According to Law Enforcement, Operator1 reported to them that this vessel is a prototype that he and a friend were hoping to put into production and start selling after the design is approved.  On this date and time, Operator1 and is passenger (Occupant) were test driving the vessel on a small lake a friend owns.  According to Operator1, the lake is about 4-5 acres in size and has a small island on one side of it.  There is a bridge built from the shore over to the island.  The bridge was built with large boards using railroad spikes as nails.  Some of the spikes go all the way through the wood and stick out through the bottom of the bridge. 
  
  Operator1 told Officers that he was giving Occupant a ride in the boat and was going about 35-40 mph and decided to drive between the island and the shore.  He approached the gap between the island and shore and let off the throttle and lost his steering.  The boat hit the mud bank and gained altitude.  As they passed under the bridge his head hit one of the railroad spikes and sliced his scalp open.  
  
  According to the passenger, Occupant, Operator1 was giving her a ride in the boat.  He was driving the boat and was doing sharp turns and accelerations to see how the boat handled.  He got up to a fast speed and tried to go between the island and the shore, but the boat hit the shore and they flew into the air.  She was not injured but Operator1 hit the bridge with his head.  He was unconscious and laying on top of her in the boat.  She wasn't able to get him off of her so she yelled for help.  Some friends who were at the test site came running over and pulled Operator1 off of her. 
  
  The Fire Department arrived and transported both Operator1 and Occupant to the hospital.  He said that the cut on Operator1's head was very bad but she didn't think that his skull had been penetrated by the spike.  Neither of them was wearing a PFD.  
  
  According to the Witness, he is the property owner.  He indicated that he is friends with Operator1 and that he allows him to use the small lake as a testing site for his new boat.  He told Officers that the boat has gone through this gap before, but at a slow speed.    
  
  Operator1 received a lot of stitches to close the 6 inch long cut in his scalp.  It was also found that he had fractured some of the vertebra in his neck and is now supposed to be wearing a neck brace.
  
  Officers did an inspection on the boat.  It is constructed of thick aluminum that is welded together.  The operator sits toward the front of the boat and any passengers would sit behind the operator, much like the seating configuration on a PWC.  The boat is steered using a steering wheel with a trigger-style throttle attached to the wheel.  The boat is a prototype and was in the process of being tested, but it still had deficiencies that should have been corrected prior to carrying passengers.  The boat did not have any PFDs aboard, no fire extinguisher, no sound producing device, and no carbon monoxide sticker.  There was no engine cover therefore no need for a ventilation system.  The boat had no built-in flotation.  The boat is still being developed and there is no HIN assigned to the boat and it has not been registered.    
  
  NOTE:  Operator1 was cited for not having PFDs aboard the boat and for not obtaining his Boater Education card.
  
  1 Injury / 0 Fatalities
  No Apparent Alcohol Involvement
  No Vessel Damage Reported
  The Operator was not wearing a PFD
  The Operator did not have a Mandatory Boater Education Card
  