RedactedNarrative: I, Ranger First Class received a call from GSP Statesboro Post concerning a boating incident on June 17, 2018.  I received the call at approximately 12:00 PM.  Dispatch stated that a boat hit the embankment and went into the trees on the edge of the river.  The incident occurred on the Savannah River below Mill Stone Landing.  I was in Bulloch County and I immediately began in that direction.  I informed dispatch that I had to go to Plant McIntosh in Effingham to launch the boat.  I directed dispatch to also call South Carolina DNR and have them enroute because it was still undetermined whether the incident happened in Georgia or if it occurred in South Carolina. 
  	I arrived at Plant McIntosh and launched the patrol vessel.  I went downstream to the incident site and discovered South Carolina DNR officers were already on scene along with several other boats that were trying to help.  It was confirmed that the incident occurred in Georgia.  Officer with South Carolina DNR advised me that they had already gotten the injured operator to Mill Stone Landing and he was transported by EMS to a nearby hospital in South Carolina.  The three other occupants had minor scrapes and bumps but were still on scene of the incident.  They refused medical attention.
  	I could see that the wrecked vessel was about approximately 50 feet into the tree line.  I pulled to the bank and got out of my vessel to begin the investigation.  I took numerous pictures of the scene and inspected the vessel for any evidence of what caused the incident, such as alcohol consumption.  No alcoholic beverages were located.
  	After I finished with the scene, I decided to get the three occupants back to Mill Stone Landing and begin to get their statements.  A witness and a few more individuals stayed behind and pulled the boat back into the river and began towing it to Mill Stone Landing.
  		They stated that they left from Plant Vogtle Ramp in Burke County and went to River Street in Savannah.  On their way back through, the cooler was stored in the bow of the boat.  As the boat hit waves, the cooler kept sliding back to the passenger part of the boat.  Apparently, operator took his hands off of the steering wheel and tried to push the cooler into the bow from where it had slid. The boat was going at a high rate of speed and turned hard to the port side.  The boat went into the tree line, glanced off of several trees, and settled into the wood line.  They stated that they had not been drinking alcohol and we could find no evidence to dispute it.
  	
  