RedactedNarrative: On July 4, 2018, around 5:30 p.m., Operator1 and his family were traveling from the Cape Lookout back to their residence in Harker's Island.  Operator1 was operating his 21' Bayrider and had 9 people on board.  He was traveling through the Old Barden Inlet Channel or, “The Drain”, a narrow “S” curved channel surrounded by large shoals on each side that lies halfway between Cape Lookout and Harker's Island.  Behind Operator1 was his Seadoo jetski being operated by his son.  As Operator1 was approaching the curve another vessel, Reel Paradise, was coming from behind him.  The vessel was a 25' Sea Fox being operated by Operator2 who had on board with him his wife. 
  
  As the Sea Fox attempted to pass the Bayrider on the left side, the vessel turned into the Bayrider and impacted the Bayrider on the portside.  According to Operator2, from where he was operating, he did not see his boat touch the other vessel.  According to Operator1 and other witnesses on the Bayrider, the bow of the Sea Fox was inside the Bayrider.  Then the two vessels' sterns collided from the initial impact causing damage to the Bayrider's portside stern.  Since Operator2 did not see the vessels impact, he kept on proceeding in the direction he was going so the son, operating the Seadoo, followed them and hollered for them to stop.  Feeling threatened and wanting to avoid confrontation, operator2 did not stop.  According to Operator1 they reported it over the VHF radio and with the National Park Service, but for whatever reason NCWRC was never contacted.
  
  Operator2 contacted me the next morning to clear his name and give his side of the story. He invited me to take a look at his vessel so I did later on that day.  There was a faint scratch on his starboard side hull where his sticker, “Reel Paradise” was, and there was also a small crack to the bow and a faint scratch underneath the bow on the portside of the keel.  Operator2 denied that any of that damage was from the incident and said all that damage was already there.  Later on that day, I made contact with Operator1 and most of the witnesses and documented the damage done to the Bayrider.  The portside gunnel was cracked and the rubber rail bent.  The portside stern was also cracked around and underneath the gunnel.  There were no injuries reported.  After investigating the incident, I charged Operator2 with N.C.G.S. 75A-11(a): Operate a vessel involved in an occurrence and fail to give operato''s name, address and identification of his vessel in writing to the owner of the property damage in the occurrence and N.C.G.S. 75A-10(a): Operate a motorboat or vessel on waters of this state in a reckless or negligent manner so as to endanger life, limb, or property of any person.
  
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