RedactedNarrative: On 7/30/2021 at approximately 2230 hours, officers were dispatched to the Elk river, Chesapeake City for a reported boat that had run aground.  Dispatch advised the caller was unsure where they were.  More EMS calls started coming in to Maryland State Police and DNR Communications and callers advised the vessel had run aground in the area of 2nd St., Port Herman.  Reports came in to both agencies that the vessel had struck a house and a child was possibly missing. I responded to that area with numerous EMS and Police personnel. 
       Upon arrival at approximately 2247 hours, I observed a chaotic scene, there were people running around everywhere, as friends and family of the accident victims were on scene along with a lot of EMS personnel.  MSP Troopers had gathered names and date of births of all the occupants of a 38' Fountain Center Console that was aground wedged in between some trees near the shoreline.  EMS personnel were attending to a bloody OPERATOR 1, later identified as the vessel owner and operator,  who was seated in a chair in the yard.  I heard OPERATOR 1 talking to EMS and is speech was slurred.  When I walked to OPERATOR 1 who was being attended to by EMS, you could smell a strong odor of alcohol on his person.  Other EMS personnel were attending to a barely conscious VICTIM #5 who was seated on steps near the driveway of the residence.  EMS transported both OPERATOR 1 and VICTIM #5 rather quickly and they were both flown to University of Maryland Shock Trauma to be evaluated.  Three remaining vessel passengers, later identified as VICTIM #3, VICTIM #4, and PASSENGER 1, stated that another passenger, VICTIM #2, was on the vessel at the time of the crash and now was missing.  Initially they were unsure if VICTIM #2 had gotten off the boat.  Six total people were on the vessel at the time of the crash.  VICTIM #3 stated he panicked and didn't know where VICTIM #2 went, and at one point thought he was out in the water.  He stated that he took his shirt off and swam out in the water thinking he saw VICTIM #2 floating but it turned out to be a mooring ball.  There was a lot of confusion and uncertainty of what exactly happen to VICTIM #2 when I first got on scene.  As the panic calmed, VICTIM #4 and PASSENGER stated they were pretty sure VICTIM #2 had gotten off the vessel after the crash and walked off. 
       I helped initially search the waters edge and wood line with my Thermal imaging device to search for VICTIM #2 who was missing.  CCSO Deputy was aboard the wrecked vessel, securing the scene and making sure VICTIM #2 wasn't still on it.  MSP had a K9 officer with a Bloodhound on scene.  VICTIM #2's wife was on scene and we had her get some of her husbands clothes for the K9.   After the initial search of the surrounding area, MSP and myself got everyone who was searching out of the woods and marsh so the K9 officer could try and track VICTIM #2.  EMS deployed Drones equipped with Thermal imaging and spotlights to check shore line, woods, and marsh. Several fire boats and a US Coast Guard Helicopter also were searching the area at this time.  MSP's K9 blood hound followed a track to the east of the scene towards farm fields and then lost track.  Paramedics on scene talked to VICTIM #3, VICTIM #4, and PASSENGER and determined VICTIM #4 needed to go get his head looked at.  He left with his wife and went to Christiana Hospital to be evaluated.  
       NRP Investigators arrived on scene.  Cpl. 1 interviewed VICTIM #3 and PASSENGER.  Cpl. 2 took pictures of the scene and measurements.  Around 0130 hours, EMS and Fire personnel advised they were calling off the search for VICTIM #2.  Sgt. told MSP troopers that were on scene they could leave.  At 0157 hours, Trooper located VICTIM #2 coming out of a farm field along a wood line.  VICTIM #2 had a large bump in the back of his head and a cut on his forehead.  Ambulance was behind Trooper and stopped and examined VICTIM #2.  They then transported him to Christiana Hospital.  I notified VICTIM #2's wife, family and friends that were still on scene that he was found and enroute to the hospital.
      NRP Investigator had went to Shock Trauma and interviewed OPERATOR 1 and VICTIM #5.  He also got a blood sample of OPERATOR 1 for evidence.  See his supplemental report.  
       On 7/31/2021, I stopped by VICTIM #2's residence.  He was tired and sore.  He stated that he had worked all day yesterday and then met his wife at the Chesapeake Inn Restaurant in Chesapeake City Maryland for drinks and dinner.  While there, he met up with OPERATOR 1 and everyone else that was aboard the vessel.  Their wives also had met them there at the Inn for dinner.  VICTIM #2 stated that the wives all went back to OPERATOR 1's residence by vehicles and the rest of the guys got aboard OPERATOR 1's boat to head back.  VICTIM #2, VICTIM #3, VICTIM #5, PASSENGER, VICTIM #4, and OPERATOR 1 all left on the 38' Fountain, operated by OPERATOR 1.  They first all stopped at Schaeffers Canal house, which is across from the Chesapeake Inn on the C&D Canal, and then headed back to OPERATOR 1's residence.  VICTIM #2 advised he was seated in the back left corner of the boat.  A lot of lights were on in the boat and music was playing.   He stated that once they got out of the canal,  he thought the boat was moving at 30-40 mph.  VICTIM #2 stated that all of the sudden the boat felt like it "bogged down" and a split second later they crashed and everyone got thrown onto the floor.  VICTIM #2 stated he climbed off the vessel.  He tried dialing 911 but his phone had died.  VICTIM #2 stated that he knew a friend that lived nearby so he wanted to walk to there to get help.  He remembers climbing over a fence and blacking out.  Then walking along fields and blacking out again, waking up near Holly trees in the woods.  He stated that he thought it was morning time and that he saw a street light so he headed that direction until he walked out onto Town Point Road where he was found by MSP.
       After talking with VICTIM #2, I called VICTIM #4.  VICTIM #4 stated that on 7/30/2021 was like a "guys day."  He said he, VICTIM #3, OPERATOR 1, PASSENGER, and VICTIM #5 all met up at OPERATOR 1's residence at 1100 hours.  OPERATOR 1 then drove them to Tiki Lee's dock bar by boat aboard his 38' Fountain.  From there they went to numerous other dock bars where they ate food and drank beers.  VICTIM #4 stated they then headed back to the Chesapeake Inn to meet their wives for dinner.  Once there, they met up with VICTIM #2 and he came back with them to go back to OPERATOR 1's.  After leaving the Inn, they stopped at Schaeffers Canal house.  They were there a short time and then left to head back to OPERATOR 1's residence.  VICTIM #4 stated that OPERATOR 1's vessel had a lot of lights on, while as they were moving, he could see everyone's faces.  He stated that he was seated behind the center console facing  the rear of the boat.  He said that all of the sudden he heard what sound like "turbulence" and then boom of the boat crashing.  He stated that he got thrown up and back towards the center console but his legs caught the seat and kept him from flying into anything.  He stated that he observed VICTIM #2 (VICTIM #2) and PASSENGER go flying forward onto the floor.  After the crash, everyone was getting up off floor. VICTIM #4 stated that he observed OPERATOR 1 bleeding but moving around and VICTIM 5 laying on the front floor of the boat disoriented.  VICTIM #4 stated that he told everyone to get off the boat.  He then observed VICTIM #2 get off the boat and OPERATOR 1 jump off the side of the boat.  Some of the guys helped VICTIM 5 get off the boat.  Once off the boat, VICTIM #4 stated that no one knew where VICTIM #2 went.  People started panicking, and VICTIM #3 thought he saw VICTIM #2 out in the water so VICTIM #3 went for a swim but it wasn't him.  
  