RedactedNarrative: On September 5, 2021 at approximately 1:45 P.M. Operator was operating LA 4542 GE (Vessel 1), which is a 17' Alumaweld aluminum flat bottom hull with a tiller steer 27 HP prodrive outboard on a Miami Corp Canal with one (1) passenger.  
  
  V1 was at idle being maneuvered between a bulkhead and a parked barge that was spud down in place.  As V1 idled through the area and was about to turn to port to pass under a bridge, the operator made personal/physical contact with a large steel dredge bucket or the chains attached to the bucket that was hanging/sticking out over the  side on the barge in an attempt to stop/slow down V1.    
  
  Upon personal/physical contact by Operator, the dredge bucket fell off the deck of barge, onto Operator and V1 causing V1 to immediately flood at the stern.  
  
  Operator went under the water and immediately came up joining the passenger at the bow of V1.  The stern of V1 was pinned to the bottom of the waterway.  Operator suffered a compound fracture to his left leg as a result of the dragline bucket falling on him.   
  
  Neither Operator nor the 12 year old passenger were wearing PFDs and evidence suggest the kill switch lanyard was not attached to Operator.   Drugs and/or alcohol are not suspected in this incident.  
  
  The main contributing factor is that the operator was inexperienced and could have maneuvered his vessel around the dragline bucket instead of under it, or could have taken a different course around the stern of the barge.  In addition, an experienced operator should not have to use their body/body parts or objects to slow/stop a vessel, and should rely on the engine to make any movements of the vessel.   The force exerted, by Operator, on the dragline bucket and/or chains while trying to slow/stop V1 started a sequence of events, re-distributing the weight of the dragline bucket, causing it to fall over the edge of the barge and on top of V1 and Operator.
  