RedactedNarrative: on may 19th, 2022 at approximately 10:25 a.m. i, indiana conservation officer (ico), was on boat patrol on the mississinewa reservoir in wabash county.  i was checking fishermen located in the cove directly across the water from the mississinewa beach.  i heard a loud noise what sounded to be a boat engine revved up out of the water.  i noticed a boat located in the open water in between me and the beach.  
  i observed what appeared to be an individual in the water swimming towards the boat.  as i approached the boat, i saw an older male in the water with multiple personal items floating near him.  the male, later identified as op1, started to struggle to keep his head above the water.  op1's head then went underwater and did not resurface. seconds later i grabbed op1's arm and pulled his head above water. i got op1 into my boat and transported him to the beach area for medical attention.  
  op1 said he was driving his boat when suddenly his steering wheel turned fast and he was thrown from the boat.  
  op1 had a laceration of top of his head that was bleeding.  he was complaining of head, shoulder, and right leg pain.  he said his truck keys, wallet, and gun were in the glovebox of the boat.  op1 was transported to howard community hospital in kokomo by ambulance. 
  i secured his boat at the seasonal campgrounds mooring area.  i did not observe any damage to the boat.  i took in my possession op1's wallet, truck keys, boat keys, one hearing aid, and firearm.  i secured his truck at the miami boat ramp.  
  at approximately 12:45 p.m. i arrived at the howard community hospital.  i released all op1's belongings to his wife.  
  at approximately 1:22 p.m. i talked with op1.  he said he was fishing near the frances slocum boat ramp and decided to move spots.  he started heading southeast towards red bridge at approximately 40 m.p.h.  he said he had the motor trimmed up, but the boat was stable while on plain. he said suddenly the steering wheel jerked to the right.  he was then thrown out of the boat on the right side of the boat and landed into the water.  op1 tried to swim to the boat but was unable to get to the boat due to the wind pushing his boat away from him.      
  op1 said he had the safety kill switch wrapped around his right leg.  he was not wearing a life jacket during the accident.  op1 said he has been operating a boat for approximately 40-50 years.  
  at approximately 3:29 p.m. i talked with op1.  she said op1 was treated for his laceration on top of his head.  he was released from the hospital and instructed to follow up with an orthopedic doctor.  
  may 25th 2022
  at approximately 8:24 p.m. i talked with op1.  he provided me with his insurance information for his boat.  op1 said he remembered what occurred moments before he was thrown from the boat.  he said he leaned and grabbed a minnow bucket that was about to fall out of the boat.  after he grabbed the bucket, he went to readjust himself back into the seat.  he said he grabbed the steering wheel to readjust, which turned the boat sharply to the right.