RedactedNarrative:    ON 7/4/2022 AT APPROXIMATELY 4:35 PM I, INDIANA CONSERVATION OFFICER, RESPONDED TO THE CORNER LANDING AT JIMMERSON LAKE REFERENCE TO A PERSONAL WATERCRAFT (PWC) THAT HAD EXPLODED NEAR THE GAS PUMPS. AT APPROXIMATELY 4:39 PM STEUBEN COUNTY SHERIFF DEPUTIES AND MYSELF ARRIVED AND OBSERVED TWO MALES AND A FEMALE LAYING ON THE SHORE.     
          I FIRST SPOKE WITH VICTIM 1 WHO ADVISED SHE WAS THE BACK PASSENGER ON THE 2003 SEA DOO PWC. VICTIM 1 ADVISED THEY WERE ATTEMPTING TO PULL AWAY FROM THE DOCK WHEN THE DRIVER, OP1, STARTED THE BOAT. AS SOON AS HE STARTED THE BOAT, IT EXPLODED, THROWING ALL THREE PASSENGERS APPROXIMATELY FOUR TO SIX FEET ABOVE THE BOAT. VICTIM 1 COMPLAINED OF BACK PAIN AT THE SCENE. SHE ALSO HAD A CUT TO HER KNEE AND LIP BUT ADVISED THOSE WERE INJURIES PRIOR TO THE BOAT ACCIDENT.     
          I THEN SPOKE WITH OP1 AND VICTIM 2 WHO ADVISED THE SAME STORY AS VICTIM 1. I THEN SPOKE WITH THE BOAT OWNER, OP1. OP1 ADVISED HE HAD NOT HAD THE BOAT ON THE WATER SINCE 2021. I ASKED OP1 IF HE HAD DONE ANY MECHANICAL WORK TO THE BOAT. OP1 ADVISED HE HAD NOT. OP1 STATED IT RAN FINE THE LAST TIME HE HAD PUT IT ON THE WATER. I THEN ASKED OP1 WHEN THE LAST TIME HE HAD PUT FUEL IN THE BOAT. HE ADVISED HE PUT FUEL IN IT AT SAM'S CLUB LAST WEEK. HE ALSO STATED THAT THEY JUST TOOK THE BOAT OFF THE TRAILER A FEW MINUTES BEFORE THE EXPLOSION AND IT STARTED JUST FINE.     
          I THEN SPOKE WITH THREE WITNESSES WHO ASSISTED THE THREE VICTIMS OUT OF THE WATER AFTER THE EXPLOSION. THE FIRST WITNESS FILLED OUT A WITNESS STATEMENT. SHE ADVISED HER HUSBAND, TWO OTHERS, AND HERSELF WERE SITTING ON THEIR BOAT AT THE DOCKS. THERE WAS A JET SKI ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PIER. THERE WAS A FAMILY OF APPROXIMATELY 10-12 GETTING ON A BOAT AND JET SKI. TWO MALES AND ONE FEMALE WERE ON THE JET SKI. THERE WAS A MALE DRIVING, A MALE IN THE MIDDLE, AND A FEMALE ON THE BACK. THE BOAT STARTED AND PULLED AWAY. THE MALE TRIED STARTING THE JET SKI AND IT WOULDN'T START. THEY FLOATED TOWARDS THE PIER AWAY FROM US. AS HE TRIED TO START IT AGAIN, THE JET SKI BLEW UP. ALL THREE WENT INTO THE AIR CLOSE TO 4-6 FEET THEN LANDED IN THE WATER. GOOD SAM AND I JUMPED INTO THE WATER AND HELPED THE TWO MALES ONTO THE DOCK. THE GIRL WAS VISIBLY IN SHOCK SO WE TRIED TO CALM HER DOWN. WE THEN REALIZED THE JET SKI WAS STILL ON FIRE AND GAS IN THE WASTER. WE THEN PUT THE GIRL ON THE DOCK. GOOD SAM AND I THEN GOT OUT OF THE WATER. THE OWNER THEN CAME OUT TO PUT THE FIRE OUT.     
          WITNESS STATEMENT STATED SHE WAS STANDING NEXT TO THE JET SKI WAITING FOR OUR KIDS TO COME OUT FROM GETTING ICE CREAM. THREE TEEN-AGE APPEARING KIDS WERE GETTING ON THEIR JET SKI. THEY WERE SITUATING THEMSELVES ON THE SEAT. I WAS STANDING APPROXIMATELY 4 FEET FROM THE JET SKI ON THE DOCK. HE STARTED THE JET SKI AND IT IMMEDIATELY EXPLODED. THE THREE INDIVIDUALS FLEW UP INTO THE AIR AND LANDED ON THEIR BACKS ON TOP OF THE JET SKI. GOOD SAMS AND I IMMEDIATELY WENT TO GRAB THE KIDS FROM THE WATER. A GENTLEMAN CAME WITH A EXTINGUISHER AND PUT THE FIRE ON THE JET SKI OUT. WE PULLED ALL OF THE INDIVIDUALS ONTO THEIR BACKS WHEN WE GOT THEM OUT OF THE WATER. THEY WERE ABLE TO WALK TO A SAFER LOCATION AFTER A FEW MINUTES.   
          WITNESS STATEMENT STATED HE WAS SITTING ON A DOCK HOLDING HIS BOAT WITH THREE PEOPLE ON A JET SKI BEHIND HIM. THEY WERE TRYING TO START THE JET SKI. ONCE IT STARTED, DRIVER GAVE IT GAS AND IT EXPLODED WITH THREE PEOPLE ON IT. GOOD SAMS QUICKLY JUMPED INTO THE WATER TO GET THE PEOPLE ONTO THE DOCK.   
          OP1 STATEMENT STATED: "PUT GAS IN AT SAM'S CLUB. BROUGHT OUT TO THE LAKE STARTED IT UP AND EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL AND DROVE TO OTHER SIDE FO DOCK STARTED TO PULL OUT INTO THE LAKE AND IT EXPLODED". 
          ALL THREE OCCUPANTS OF THE PWC WERE TREATED AND RELEASED FROM THE SCENE BY STEUBEN COUNTY EMS PERSONNEL. ANGOLA FIRE DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL ASSISTED WITH GETTING THE PWC TO SHORE. THE PWC WAS TOWED FROM THE SCENE BY BILL'S PROFESSIONAL TOWING. I WILL BE GETTING IN TOUCH WITH THE CORNER LANDING IN ATTEMPT TO OBTAIN VIDEO FOOTAGE OF THE INCIDENT.
  