RedactedNarrative: On November 27th, 2020 at approximately 1830 hours (6:30pm), while on routine patrol I received a call from NRP dispatch for an incident regarding a boating accident, on the Potomac River in Colonial Beach, Westmoreland County, Virginia 22443.
  
  At the accident location I observed that the vessel was in approximately 12 inches of water, approximately 12 inches away from the rip rap shoreline and parallel to the shore. The vessel – MD registration number MD 9025 CB, Make Judge, Model Eastern 27, Hull Identification (HIN) VEB27WWW101 was lodged into the pier that it collided with roughly halfway through the vessel’s length. Photographs of the pier and vessel were taken at the scene.  Inside the vessel I located 3 empty Smirnoff bottles, 1 full Smirnoff bottle, 1 Fireball bottle – approximately 2/3s full, an unopened 12 pack of Modelo beer and 1 empty White Claw can. The vessel engine was in the off position, the gear selector was in forward and the throttle was throttled back. 
  
  In a verbal statement, a witness stated that when he boarded the boat to assist, the female occupant, later identified as Operator 1 was on the right side of the vessel behind the navigation equipment trying to shut the vessel off but was revving the engine. Witness 1 assisted in shutting off the engine. The male occupant, later identified as Occupant 1 was towards the stern of the vessel on the floor.  Witness 1 stated that Occupant 1 came over to the navigation equipment to try to shut off the engine and run the bilge. The female occupant, Operator 1, was able to get off the vessel onto the dock under without assistance.  The male occupant, Occupant 1, was assisted off the vessel with help of 3 additional people. Both occupants were transported to Mary Washington Hospital located at 1001 Sam Perry Place, Fredericksburg, Virginia via Westmoreland Medic 91.
  
  We arrived at Mary Washington Hospital at approximately 2130 hours (9:30pm) to interview Occupant 1 and Operator 1. I interviewed Occupant 1 while another officer interviewed Operator 1. Occupant 1 stated that he arrived at Friendship Landing, 4715 Friendship Landing Road, Nanjemoy, MD 20662 at approximately 1430 hours (2:30pm) with his vessel.  That is where he met Operator 1 and they launched his vessel into the water. Occupant 1 operated the vessel downriver to Captain John’s on Cobb Island located at 16215 Cobb Island Road, Newburg, MD 20664. Occupant 1 stated that he fueled his vessel, bought a 12 pack of Modelo, potato chips and cigarettes while Operator 1 used the restroom. Occupant 1 stated they were there for approximately 15 minutes then departed upriver toward Colonial Beach looking for rockfish. Occupant 1 stated they were at trolling speed, roughly 3 knots when Operator 1 asked, “how do you drive this thing” and Occupant 1 replied, “follow the black line”.  Occupant 1 explained that the black line was the tracking line of the GPS that was used earlier in the day to go down to Cobb Island. 
  
  Occupant 1 stated after he let Operator 1 take control of the vessel, he fell asleep in a chair in the stern of the boat. The next thing he remembered was that he, “woke up flying face first into I don’t know what” and that he was a “heavy sleeper” and unaware of any events between Operator 1 taking control of the vessel and the crash into the pier. Occupant 1 stated he crawled to the front of the vessel and pulled the throttle down and turned on the bilge pump. Occupant 1 remembers people yelling and stated he was helped off the vessel by who he believed to be an Emergency medical technician (EMT). Occupant 1 then said he did not remember anything from the time of the crash until being in the hospital but maybe “a little bit in the ambulance”.
  
  MNRP will follow up with a supplemental of the interview from Operator 1
  Charges are pending and this investigation is open and ongoing.
  All events occurred in Charles County, Maryland.