RedactedNarrative: Vessel – 1996, 20’ Northwest Jet Aluminum Open Motorboat w/1 Chevrolet Inboard Engine – 350 HP
  
  On 12/03/2020, at about 08:10 a.m., this vessel was cruising on the Columbia River at River Marker 319, located near Kennewick, WA in Benton county.
  
  According to Law Enforcement, on this date at approximately 08:14 a.m., Officers were advised of a vessel assist/accident that had just occurred at the above location.  Dispatch reported that the vessel was apparently grounded on some rocks and that there was a passenger on board with potential broken ribs.  
  
  Two Benton county Officers were called out to assist.  Due to their delay in response, the Officers requested the City of Pasco Fire Department deploy their boat while they responded to the scene.  Due to the dense fog in the Columbia Basin, overall response time was slowed for all involved agencies.  While Benton county officers were enroute to the shops to pick up their trailered patrol vessel, they were advised by dispatch that the fire units had arrived in the area and were trying to locate the grounded victim vessel.
  
  After trailering their patrol vessel to the Clover Island boat launch, Benton county officers got on the water at about 09:37 a.m.  Due to the dense fog, it took over an hour to find the site.  At about 10:46 a.m. officers located the vessel along with 2 fire units on the Benton county shoreline.  The vessel was off the water on some rocks jetting just off the main shoreline.  Its bow pointed out towards the river and its stern facing the shoreline.  The officers were advised by the fire units that the only other occupant on the vessel was transported via ambulance to the hospital for rib pain.
  
  Officers contacted the vessel operator.  Operator told them that he and occupant were fishing.  He said that they were transiting on the water, and due to the dense fog, he was unable to see that the vessel was about to hit the shoreline.  He said that he immediately turned the steering wheel to the left grounding the vessel on the rocky shoal, where it is currently located.  
  
  Operator told officers that he believed if they assisted him in pulling his vessel out of the rocks, he should be able to get it back to his boat launch off Lechelt Road, hopefully under its own power.  When asked if there was any hull damage to the vessel, Operator said there did not appear to be any damage.  The fire units on shore also corroborated that there was no visible obvious hull damage from their vantage point.
  
  Officers reported that after several attempts to free the vessel, it began to take on water.  Its bow was about 15-20 yards from the shoreline.  They attempted to “de-water” the partially grounded vessel with their pump, however it became apparent that all it was doing was taking on free-flowing river water.  Officers told Operator that he might want to consult a marine recover specialist since the vessel had to be floated up via airbags.  Operator called his friend, who was apparently the vessel’s primary owner and advised him of the situation.  Officers were able to get Operator and ownerin contact with a local salvage specialist to consult on some possible solutions.  
  
  The salvage company later reported to officers that they were able to recover the vessel and mentioned that they had discovered a basketball-sized “gasp” pushing the hull inward on the starboard side of the hull.   The damage would be consistent with how Operator said the vessel initially crashed onto the rocks. 
  
  1 Injury / 0 Fatalities
  No Apparent Alcohol/Drug Involvement 
  Vessel Reported as a “Total Loss” w/Estimated Value of $7,000
  Operator Was Not Wearing a PFD
  Operator Did Not Have a Mandatory Boater Education Card
  