RedactedNarrative: I, CONSERVATION OFFICER #1, WAS PATROLLING LAKE WAVELAND WHEN THERE WAS AN INCIDENT INVOLVING A PERSON FALLING FROM A BOAT NEAR THE BOAT RAMP AND BEING INJURED BY THE BOAT'S PROPELLER.
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  INVOLVED PERSON(S):
  VICTIM1 (VICTIM/PASSENGER)
  OPERATOR1 (BOAT OPERATOR)
  WITNESS1 (SON/WITNESS)
       ON SUNDAY, MAY 29, 2016, I WAS ON ROUTINE BOAT PATROL ON LAKE WAVELAND NORTH OF THE BEACH AT THE EAST BANK CHECKING FISHERMEN IN A BOAT.  AT APPROXIMATELY 10:10AM I WAS DISPATCHED BY MONTGOMERY COUNTY CENTRAL DISPATCH TO THE LAKE'S BOAT RAMP IN REGARDS TO A BOAT INCIDENT INVOLVING A PERSON GETTING INJURED FROM A BOAT PROPELLER.  I IMMEDIATELY AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE WENT TO THE BOAT RAMP AREA BY BOAT.  UPON ARRIVING AT THE BOAT RAMP I WAS TOLD THE INJURED PERSON HAD BEEN TAKEN TO THE BAIT SHOP LOCATED ABOVE THE BOAT RAMP ON THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF THE BOAT RAMP PARKING LOT.  OUTSIDE THE BAIT SHOP THE PARK MANAGER, SHOUTED TO ME AND MOTIONED FOR ME TO COME TO HER WHERE SHE WAS WITH THE INJURED BOATING VICTIM.  THERE I FOUND A VICTIM1 SITTING AT A PICNIC TABLE SITUATED BETWEEN THE BAIT SHOP BUILDING AND WOOD SHED.  VICTIM1 WAS SOBBING ALMOST UNCONTROLLABLY AND SHE WAS RESTING HER RIGHT HAND ON A BATH TOWEL ON THE PICNIC TABLE.  THE PARK MANAGER TOLD ME THAT HER BOYFRIEND, OPERATOR1, WAS AT THE RAMP TAKING THE BOAT OFF THE LAKE.  THE PARK MANAGER STATED OPERATOR1 HAD COME TO THE BAIT SHOP SHOUTING FOR SOMEONE TO CALL 911 BECAUSE HIS GIRLFRIEND WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED BY A BOAT PROPELLER.  THE PARK MANAGER STATED OPERATOR1 COMMENTED THAT HE HAD HIT THE METAL PIPE IN THE WATER THAT WAS NOT MARKED.  A MALE EMPLOYEE AT THE BAIT SHOP CALLED 911.  I LOOKED AT THE INJURED HAND AND I SAW WHAT APPEARED TO BE A CUT ACROSS THE HAND JUST BELOW THE FOUR FINGERS. WHAT APPEARED TO BE ANOTHER CUT WAS ACROSS THE FLESHY PART OF THE HAND JUST BELOW THE THUMB AND ANOTHER CUT ACROSS THE LOWER FLESHY PART OF THE HAND ABOVE THE WRIST.  IT APPEARED THE PINKY FINGER WAS CUT ALMOST OFF BELOW THAT FINGER KNUCKLE.  THERE APPEARED TO BE MINIMAL BLEEDING.  I RADIOED MONTGOMERY COUNTY CENTRAL DISPATCH TO HAVE FIRST RESPONDERS AND MEDIC SENT TO THE LAKE BAIT SHOP.
       IN THE MEANTIME OPERATOR1 HAD BROUGHT THE BOAT OUT OF THE WATER AND PARKED IT IN FRONT OF THE BAIT SHOP THAT HE, VICTIM1, AND HIS TWO SONS WERE RIDING IN.  THE BOAT IS A 14FT RED AND WHITE ALUMINUM HULL FISHER WATERCRAFT WITH A 25HP MERCURY OUTBOARD TILLER DRIVE MOTOR.  THERE ARE THREE PEDESTAL SEATS MOUNTED IN THE BOAT.  TWO FACTORY SEATS AND ONE SEAT THAT APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN ADDED BY THE OWNER AFTER PURCHASING THE BOAT.  THE ONE FACTORY SEAT IS MOUNTED ON THE FLOOR DECK NEAR THE REAR OF THE BOAT AND THE SECOND FACTORY SEAT IS MOUNTED ON THE RAISED DECK PLATFORM AT THE BOW OF THE BOAT.  BOTH PEDESTAL SEATS ARE APPROXIMATELY 2FT. TALL.  THE NON-FACTORY PEDESTAL SEAT IS MOUNTED ON THE FLOOR DECK APPROXIMATELY 3FT IN FRONT OF THE FIRST FACTORY SEAT.  THE OPERATOR FOR THIS BOAT SITS AT A USUAL POSITION IN FRONT OF THE MOTOR ON A RAISED DECK OR BENCH.  THE BOAT APPEARS TO BE USED FOR PLEASURE AND FISHING.  THERE IS THE NORMAL FISHING EQUIPMENT INSIDE THE BOAT WHICH IS FISHING RODS AND REELS, MINNOW BUCKET, AND TROLLING MOTOR, ALSO ONE COOLER, SOME ROPE, AND THE REQUIRED PERSONAL FLOATATION DEVICES (PFD).  THE BOAT APPEARS TO BE A CLEAN AND SOUND WATERCRAFT.
      RIDING IN THE BOAT AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT WERE OPERATOR1 THE OPERATOR, HIS TWO SONS WITNESS1 (13YR OLD) AND WITNESS2 (6YR OLD), AND VICTIM1 HIS FIANCÉE. I SPOKE WITH WITNESS1 AS TO WHAT HAPPENED AND WHERE EVERYONE WAS SEATED AT IN THE BOAT AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT.  WITNESS1 STATES THEY LEFT THE COURTESY DOCK AT THE RAMP HEADING OUT TO THE MAIN PORTION OF THE LAKE.  HIS DAD, OPERATOR1, WAS OPERATING THE BOAT SITTING IN FRONT OF THE MOTOR.  HE WAS SITTING IN THE PEDESTAL SEAT NEAR THE REAR OF THE BOAT IN FRONT OF HIS DAD.  HIS BROTHER, WITNESS2, WAS SITTING IN THE SEAT IN FRONT OF HIM AND VICTIM1 WAS SITTING IN THE PEDESTAL SEAT ON THE RAISED FLOOR DECKING AT THE BOW (FRONT). THEY WERE GOING FAST WHEN THERE WAS A HARD JOLT.  WITNESS1 STATES THE BOAT LEANED SLIGHTLY TO THE LEFT.  HE SAID THAT IS WHEN VICTIM1 WAS THROWN FROM HER SEAT AND SHE FELL INTO THE WATER ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE BOAT. THEN THE BACK OF THE BOAT SWUNG ROUND TOWARDS VICTIM1.  WITNESS1 STATES OPERATOR1 AND VICTIM1 WERE NOT WEARING THEIR PFDS, BUT HE AND WITNESS2 WERE WEARING THEIR PFD.  WITNESS1 SAID HIS DAD JUMPED IN THE LAKE TO HELP VICTIM1 OUT OF THE WATER AND BACK IN THE BOAT.  ONCE BACK TO THE RAMP HIS DAD RAN UP TO THE BAIT SHOP TO GET HELP FOR VICTIM1.
       SPOKE WITH OPERATOR1 AND HE STATED RIGHT AWAY THAT HE HIT THE PIPE THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE MARKED OUT FROM THE RAMP AND DOCKS.  OPERATOR1 STATED THAT BOATS WERE HITTING A METAL PIPE LAST SUMMER AND NO ONE MARKED IT THEN AND IT STILL WAS NOT MARKED.  OPERATOR1 STATED HE WAS OPERATING THE BOAT HEADING OUT FROM THE RAMP AREA WITH HIS TWO BOYS AND VICTIM1.  VICTIM1 WAS SITTING ON THE PEDESTAL SEAT AT THE BOW OF THE BOAT.  HE STATES HE HAD THE BOAT UP ON PLANE WHEN HE STRUCK A METAL PIPE THAT WAS NOT MARKED AND HIDDEN JUST BELOW THE SURFACE OF THE WATER.  WHEN THE BOAT HIT THE PIPE IT THREW VICTIM1 OUT OF HER SEAT AND INTO THE WATER ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE BOAT.  THE BOAT ROCKED A BIT AND THEN PIVOTED WITH THE REAR OF THE BOAT SWINGING AROUND TO ITS LEFT BRINGING THE MOTOR AROUND TO VICTIM1 WHERE THE PROPELLER CAUGHT HER HAND.  OPERATOR1 JUMPED INTO THE WATER TO HELP HER AND HE WAS ABLE TO GET HER BACK IN THE BOAT WHERE HE TOOK HER BACK TO THE RAMP.  HE STATED ONLY THE TWO BOYS WERE WEARING THEIR PFD.  I ASKED IF HE WAS USING THE LANYARD BY HAVING IT ATTACHED TO HIM AND TO THE MOTOR'S KILL SWITCH.  OPERATOR1 STATED HE WAS WEARING IT AND SHOWED ME THAT IT WAS REATTACHED TO THE KILL SWITCH.  I EXAMINED THE LANYARD CLOSER AND THE LANYARD WAS WET AS THOUGH IT MAY HAVE STILL BEEN ATTACHED TO OPERATOR1 WHEN HE JUMPED INTO THE WATER.  I ASKED OPERATOR1 IF HE HIT THE PIPE WITH THE BOAT OR WITH THE BOAT MOTOR.  OPERATOR1 SAYS HE HIT THE PIPE WITH THE MOTOR.  I EXAMINED THE PROPELLER AND DID NOT SEE ANY DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER AS FAR AS EXTREME BENT FINS OR UNUSUALLY LARGE DENTS, GOUGES OR MISSING METAL FROM THE PROPELLER AS NORMALLY SEEN WHEN AN ALUMINUM PROPELLER STRIKES A HARD OBJECT GOING AT THE SPEED AS OPERATOR1 HAD DESCRIBED.  THE SKEG IS STILL INTACT ON THE LOWER UNIT OF THE MOTOR WITH NORMAL SCRATCHED AND MARKS ON IT.  OPERATOR1 DID POINT OUT WHERE HE BELIEVED THE LOWER UNIT OF THE MOTOR HAD BEEN SEPARATED FROM THE MOTOR.  THERE IS AN APPROXIMATED ½ INCH GAP BETWEEN THE LOWER UNIT AND THE BOAT MOTOR.  AT FIRST WE WERE NOT ABLE TO RAISE THE MOTOR UP AND LOCK IT TO A RAISE POSITION. OPERATOR1 POINTED OUT WHAT APPEARED TO BE A MISSING BOLT HEAD BEING THE REASON THE MOTOR COULD NOT BE LOCKED IN A RAISED POSITION.  LATER I WAS ABLE TO GET THE MOTOR LOCKED IN A RAISED POSITION, BUT BY NOT BEING FAMILIAR WITH THIS PARTICULAR MOTOR AND BOAT I'M NOT SURE IF THE BOLT HEAD IN QUESTION IS ACTUALLY MISSING OR HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH LOCKING THE MOTOR IN A RAISED POSITION OR IF THE GAP BETWEEN THE LOWER UNIT AND MOTOR IS NORMAL OR NOT. I DID NOT DETECT ANY SIGNS OR ODORS OF ALCOHOL WITH OPERATOR1 OR ANY INDICATIONS OF OPERATOR1 BEING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ANY TYPE OF SUBSTANCE.  NO SIGNS OF ALCOHOL WERE SEEN INSIDE THE BOAT.
       IT IS KNOWN THAT A PIPE IS IN THE LAKE JUST OFF TO THE SOUTHWEST AT THE END OF THE BOAT DOCKS.  DURING THE SUMMER OF 2015 SOME BOATS HAD STRUCK THE PIPE WITH THEIR MOTORS.  THIS OFFICER AS WELL AS PARK STAFF SEARCHED TO FIND THE PIPE, BUT WERE UNABLE TO FIND IT.  IN THE FALL OF OCTOBER 2015 THE LAKE WAS LOWERED EIGHTEEN (18) INCHES FOR FISH MANAGEMENT PURPOSES. I SPOKE WITH LAKE WAVELAND PARK SUPERINTENDENT THE PARK MANAGER #1 WHO STATED WHEN THE LAKE WAS LOWERED LAST OCTOBER THE METAL PIPE BECAME EXPOSED AND THE PARK MANAGER HAD PARK STAFF ATTACH A BUOY TO THE PIPE TO MARK ITS LOCATION FOR BOATERS TO SEE WHEN THE WAT
  