RedactedNarrative: SYNOPSIS:
  On Wednesday, June 27, 2019, at approximately 1400 hours at Red Fleet State Park Reservoir, an operator of a boat struck and ran over a 14 year old female. The female received a propeller cut to the lower leg and was transported to Daughter2 Valley Medical Center. She was then transported by helicopter from Daughter2 Valley Medical Center to Primary Children's Hospital. The operator of the wakeboard boar was identified as the father of the 14 year old female. He was cited for improper lookout and not having proof of insurance on the boat.
  
  INVESTIGATION:
  In the parking lot after VICTIM left for the hospital I asked OPERATOR for his driver license. I took a picture of it. I then asked him what happened. He explained that he was driving the boat and his daughter's, VICTIM and DAUGHTER2 had been double surfing most of the day. He said he turned around to pick up his daughter VICTIM and he looked back for a second then looked forward again and could not see her. He said he felt her go under the boat. Then he said he heard her screaming saying her leg hurt. I asked him why he didn't call 911. He said he panicked and that he did not have good cell service that is why he called his wife instead. I took pictures of the boat and asked OPERATOR if he needed help with the boat, he said no. I told him I would meet him at the hospital.
  
  When I arrived at the hospital I was met by WIFE and DAUGHTER2. I went to the room with VICTIM and got her name and date of birth. VICTIM was still in a lot of pain so I did not interview her. I asked DAUGHTER2 to give me a written witness statement while I waited for her dad OPERATOR to show up. Shortley after I gave DAUGHTER2 a witness statement, OPERATOR arrived. I asked OPERATOR for a written statement and for the registration and insurance information on the boat. When DAUGHTER2 finished her written statement I gave her a verbal interview and asked her to tell me what happened She explained that her sister VICTIM was surfing the wake of the boat and she fell. She was sitting in the back of the boat and raised the flag when she fell. Her dad turned around to get her and the next thing she knew she heard her sister screaming that she was hurt. She said she jumped in after her to save her. I asked her if the water was calm. She said it was wavy. I asked DAUGHTER2 if she was wearing a life jacket and she believed she was not wearing one. I also asked DAUGHTER2 if she was helping her dad lookout for VICTIM and she said she was in the back of the boat and could not see her.
  
  After speaking with DAUGHTER2, OPERATOR came to me with his finished written witness statement. I gave OPERATOR a verbal interview. I asked him again to tell me in more detail what happened. He explained when he turned around to pick up VICTIM he approached her straight on and was trying to decide which side of the boat he was going to pick her up on. He decided to turn left to have VICTIM on the right side of the boat. When he turned left he also looked behind him. When he looked back forward he realized he was too close to her. He said that he panicked and tried to miss her by turning the boat. He said that he felt her go under the boat and hit the propeller. I then asked him if he waited for the waves to calm before he went to pick up VICTIM. He said that he did and the waves were calm. I asked him how fast he thought he was going and he said that he was not going fast at all. He said that he could have easily put it in neutral but he said that he was too panicked to think to do it.
  
  After the verbal interview, I asked OPERATOR to get me the boat registration and insurance. He was able to produce the boat registration but was unable to find the insurance on the boat. He told me that he would have his daughter go get a copy and bring it to me. I went out to my vehicle to call the Uintah County Attorney to discuss the situation and what charges needed to be considered. I went back into the hospital and WIFE was able to give a copy of insurance. She told me that her daughter went to their insurance agency and had her get a copy of the insurance for me.
  
  CONCLUSION:
  Based on my investigation, written and verbal interviews, I conclude that OPERATOR approached VICTIM head on in the water, then decided to turn left as the boat came closer to her. That put VICTIM on the right side of the boat. He began to turn too late, which put VICTIM very close to the hull of the boat. He took his eyes off VICTIM and when he looked back to where he thought VICTIM was he could not see her. She was below his line of sight and the hull of the boat was concealing her from where he was driving. He did not have enough reaction time to stop the propeller by the time he realized that VICTIM was under the boat. I determined that OPERATOR did not have a proper lookout and did not have an observer to advise him of where VICTIM was in the water as he approached her. In one interview he told me that both of his daughters were surfing at the same time. In another interview he told me that VICTIM was the only one surfing. Both OPERATOR and DAUGHTER2 stated at the hospital VICTIM was the only one in the water at the time of the accident.
  
  CITATIONS:
  OPERATOR was cited for:
  UT-FAILURE TO MAINTAIN A PROPER LOOKOUT ON A BOAT (MC)
  UT-NO EVIDENCE OWNER/OPERATOR SECURITY (INSURANCE) ON A VESSEL (MC)