RedactedNarrative: On July 13, 2020 at approximately 3:02 PM LDWF Agents 1 and 2 were notified by LDWF Lt. 3 of a single vessel accident occurring on Black River Lake, in Catahoula Parish.  Corporal 1 arrived at Highway 3203 just east of Highway 600 (Parhams Road), finding the victim/operator, 15 year old Operator, as well as family, witnesses, law enforcement, and EMS awaiting a medevac flight for Rapides Regional Medical Center.  Operator was conscious, communicating and loaded into an Air Med aircraft a short period later and transported to Rapides Regional Medical Center for treatment.  
  
  Information gathered from witness statements that were at the scene of the accident described that Operator and step-brother Operator 2 were travelling east on Black River Lake along the Catahoula Parish side of the waterway on two separate personal watercrafts (PWC).  Operator 2 peeled off of the route and headed towards the pier of the camp that his family was staying at (314 Dr. Gibson Road located in Concordia Parish).  
  
  Operator continued travelling just east of the camp.  Operator 1 briefly looked over his left shoulder while still underway, veering to the right (southward), striking a floating pier located at 1778 Parhams Road, located in Catahoula Parish. 
  
   Only one witness (Step-Father Witness 1) actually saw the accident occur.  Other witnesses only heard the collision take place.  Family members began shouting for help and pointing at the scene of the incident.  Operator 2 observed his family motioning to look in the direction of the accident, observing only a PWC at the pier without Operator 1 as the operator.  The families shouting also alerted registered nurses Witness 2 and Witness 3, whom were located next to the camp the family were staying at.  
  
  Witness 2 and 3 then proceeded on their PWCs across the lake to the scene of the accident with Witness 1 and step-brother Witness 4 as passengers.  Upon arrival, Operator 1 had been moved towards the shoreline by step-brother Witness 4.  Witness 4 advised that Operator 1 was floating facedown in the water with his lifejacket on when he first arrived.  Witness 4 flipped Operator 1 faceup and moved him toward the shore.  
  
  A short period later Operator 1 began groaning and woozy, showing signs of life.  Upon arrival Witness 2, 3, 1 and 4 began assisting in rendering medical aid.  Witness 1 observed a white ford pickup truck passing on Parhams Road, flagging the vehicle down.  The operator, Witness 5 then assisted them in loading Operator 1 into the back of the truck and transported them to the levee top at Highway 3203 and Highway 600 to meet the ambulance that was already en route.  Medical aid was rendered by the EMS personnel whom requested a medical flight to Rapides Regional Medical Center.  Cpl. 1 proceeded to Rapides Regional to meet the family and interview further.  While in the waiting room at Rapides Regional Medical Center, Cpl. 1 spoke with the Mother (Witness 6) and Step-Father (Witness 2) of Operator 1 regarding the accident and the extent of injuries.  Witness 6 was allowed back to see Operator 1 and receive a report regarding the extent of his injuries as well as information regarding transferring him to another facility for specialized treatment.  
  
  Witness 6 returned to the waiting room and informed that Operator 1 had a broken collar bone (right side), broken shoulder blade (right side) and some artery damage.  The following day, Agents 1 and 2 travelled to the scene of the accident on the Catahoula Parish side of Black River Lake located at coordinates N31' 28.000', W91' 44.448.  
  
  The pier that was struck was a metal framed pier with wooden decking that protruded from the shoreline approximately 86 feet, also having two fluorescent orange floating buoys that were placed just north of the pier towards the centerline of the channel that were approximately 140 feet from the shoreline.  At the scene Agents observed the plastic upper bow portion of the Sea Doo Spark still lodged at the point of impact, around a piece of the 3" square tubing pier frame, which was approximately 62 feet from the shoreline.  In relation to North, the position of the wedged bow portion indicated that the PWC struck the pier at an approximate angle of 123 degrees.  The 3" square tubing had a slight bend in it as well as a smudge consisting of an unknown substance that was approximately 22 inches above the pier decking, presumably to be sweat from the face, neck or shoulder of Operator 1, as well as a single strand of short straight hair consistent with that found on the head.  
  
  The PWC involved in the accident,had been drug onto shore a short distance away by Cpl. 1 and the property owner, after sinking.  The entire bow portion of the PWC was fractured in pieces and mostly broken off, to include the steering column broken off and hanging to the side.  The PWC did have a fire extinguisher on board that was serviceable. It was determined by Agents that evidence collected on the scene and witness statements determined that at approximately 2:40pm on the evening of July 13, 2020, Operator 1(Vessel-1) was travelling east on Black River Lake along the Catahoula side of Black River Lake.  
  
  While underway, he(Vessel-1) looked over his left shoulder to see where his Step-Brother, Operator 2 was located, whom was also riding a second PWC with him(Vessel-1).  While looking over his left shoulder, Operator 1(Vessel-1) was unaware that he'd steered the PWC in a 123 degree heading, striking the pier, due to operator inexperience and not properly paying attention to surrounding obstructions.  After colliding with the pier, Operator 1(Vessel-1) was launched forward, striking the upright 3 inch square tubing with the right side of his face, neck and shoulder. 
  
   Operator 1(Vessel-1) was wearing a kill switch which shut the engine down after he was thrown from the PWC.  Operator 1(Vessel-1) was temporarily knocked unconscious, but remained afloat due to wearing a type III PFD and was quickly turned upright by his Step-Brother Operator 2 before he drowned and drug ashore for medical attention and transport for advanced medical treatment.  Damage to the pier consisted of one cracked plastic pier float, one 2-inch by 12-inch by 16-foot board and one length of 3-inch by 3-inch by 10-foot metal square tubing.  The Bombardier Sea Doo Spark was a total loss and beyond repairing.