RedactedNarrative: Vessel 1, a 16'' aluminum Lowe boat had just departed Brown''s Creek by going under the ''Warrenton Causeway''. Operator1 and his 3 occupants were going to the Guntersville Boat Mart area to continue bow fishing. 
  
  Vessel 2, a 24'' Stratos SunCruiser pontoon boat, was drifting in the vicinity of ''Warrenton Causeway'' and Alabama Highway 69. The pontoon occupants were bass fishing. Their boat was drifting parallel to Alabama Highway 69, facing The Guntersville Boat Mart Marina. The boat was approximately 40'' from the bank. The time was 12:38 AM. 
  
  As Operator1 brought his boat on plane after departing the no-wake zone, he began traveling west towards the Guntersville Boat Mart. Unable to see Vessel 2, Operator1 struck Vessel 2 in the rear, offset to the right of the motor. Area of impact for Vessel 1 was limited to the front portion of the boat. Operator1 stated he did not see Vessel 2''s stern light. He further stated it seemed Vessel 2 appeared ''out-of-nowhere'', because he didn''t see the rear of Vessel 2 until just before impact. Operator1 stated all he was able to do was pull his vessel''s throttle to neutral, and brace for impact. The occupants in V1 boat stated they did not see a stern light on Vessel 2. 
  
  V2 subject stated his lights were working and produced 2 pictures showing him and the bass he caught earlier (See Attachments).The stern light can be seen in the background, over V2 subject''s right shoulder. However, also in view is a ladder that was placed behind the stern light. The metal ladder can be seen casting a reflection forward, away from the direction in which Vessel 1 was coming. When asked whether the ladder was permanent, V2 subject stated he moved the ladder from the front of the pontoon so he could use his trolling motor. When asked whether he''d moved the ladder after taking the pictures, V2 subject stated he had not. At the time of initial contact, 12:43 AM for Guntersville PD Lieutenant and Officer, and 1:26 AM for the Investigating Trooper, the ladder was in the position as shown in the pictures - behind the anchor light. 
  
  NOTE: V2 subject produced the photos on-scene for the investigating Trooper''s review. During the review he ''highlighted'' the timestamp on the cell phone used to take the photos. The attached photos were taken 42 minutes prior to the crash. Photos were taken at 11:56 PM - crash occurred at 12:38 AM. During initial contact with Operator1, a faint alcoholic odor was detected. When asked, Operator1 stated he drank "a beer" during supper, about 9 PM. He was subsequently administered the Standardized Field Sobriety Test (SFST) 4-Test battery, during which no clues of impairment were detected. After the SFST Operator1 was administered the Portable Breath Test (PBT) by Guntersville Police Officer (Drug Reconition Expert). The results of the PBT were 0.017%. A result consistent with the no clues of impairment discovered during SFST.
  