RedactedNarrative: An overloaded vessel, traveling west, made a sharp U-turn, ran into its own wake and was swamped. The vessel sank in the Bayport Channel at Marker 16. 
  
  Seven individuals wearing personal flotation devices (PFDs) standing inside a sunken vessel, later identified as FL 5528 NC. There were three large males inside the 18' vessel ranging in weight from 425 pounds (father) to 340 pounds (his sons). No injuries were reported. We transported all occupants safely back to Bayport Boat Ramp. 
  
  Once ashore, the operator, stated the following: 
  He had less than ten hours of operating experience with the vessel. 
  He was traveling west at approximately six to eight knots when he had made a U-turn to return to the boat ramp. 
  He hit his own wake and the vessel took on water from the bow. 
  He told everyone to go to the back of the vessel and at that point in time, the vessel sank. 
  He instantly put a PFD on his youngest son, since he did not know how to swim, and told everyone else to don PFDs as well. 
  The vessel was rated for eight people or 2100 pounds. 
  He had all required safety equipment on board. 
  
  operator stated he could not understand why his vessel sank and was very upset with the individual that had sold it to him. He stated,"The guy I bought it from said I could cut this boat in half and it would still float!" He made contact with an individual in the area and was able to pull his sunken vessel out of the channel approximately three hours after the incident. 
  
  On the evening of 4/5/14, I spoke with operator and he stated he definitely thought the vessel was overloaded. 
  
  operator was issued a written warning for overloading his vessel. No further action was taken.