RedactedNarrative: SYNOPSIS:
  
  Dispatched to a vessel taking on water and people in the water.  Individuals all made it to shore and were transported by Utah County Sheriff Deputies.  Vessel was found and danger Buoy attached to it.
  
  Vessel was being operated while on a fishing trip.  They were fishing in the Knolls area.  The weather changed, and the wind began to blow,  They decided to head back into Pelican Bay Marina in Saratoga Springs. 
  
  Before submerging:
  
  All Occupants were wearing type 3 PFD.  The swells grew to be an estimated 2-4 ft in size.  The wave action pushed the vessel close to shore, and the skeg of the motor hit the lake bottom causing a Hydraulic bolt to break.  The hydraulics then went through the midsection of the outboard motor just below the cowling.  This caused the motor to be jammed in place and unable to steer in any direction.  The vessel was facing north into the waves.  There were three large batteries towards the bow of the boat used to power a trolling motor.  This added a lot of weight to the bow of the boat. 
  
  Submerging of vessel:
  
  As waves began to crash into the boat over the bow, one person stood up with a seat cushion and moved towards the bow of the boat trying to block some of the water from coming in.  Enough water came into the boat that it began to submerge.  All occupants jumped from the boat and swam to shore.  All safely arrived on shore and were transported by Utah County Deputies to the Saratoga Marina.
  
  Marking of vessel:
  
  I arrived to the area where the vessel was last seen, and found it to still be slightly above water.  A danger buoy was attached to it, and I gathered as many belongings from the vessel as I could.  While doing so my Hand Held Radio came off of my belt, and fell into the vessel.  I carefully got into the submerged vessel to try and find my radio, but could not.  I called in to dispatch to give them last known GPS coordinates for the vessel.  I then returned to Saratoga Marina and met with the owner of the boat.  I gave him all of his property back that I had collected.  I gathered registration information from him, and the names and DOB of all involved.  I asked for insurance information, and he told me that it was insured but he did not have the proof with him.  I told him I would need it for my report and gave him my business card.  I told him to email me proof of insurance, and he said that he would.  Because we were both wet, and the wind was blowing, I ended the contact by giving him the Phone number for Cross Marine to help in retrieving his vessel.  I also told him I would be in contact when we were in better circumstances.
  
  Second Contact:
  
  I set up a time to go and meet with OWNER at his home.  OWNER had been able to locate his vessel, and tow it to shore with a different vessel, and drain it of water, and get it out of the lake and back to his house.  At his home I took several pictures of the vessel, and had OWNER fill out a witness statement.  I also performed a vessel safety inspection on what was left in the vessel.  While I was there OWNER handed me Law Enforcement radio that had fallen into the vessel while I was gathering personal effects out of it. I again inquired of insurance from OWNER and he forwarded an email to me that he had received from the insurance company.  I then left his residence.
  
  Investigation: 
  
  There was no proof of insurance attached to that email OWNER had sent, so I emailed the Insurance agent, and found that OWNER was not covered under the insurance the day the incident occurred, but that the vessel was insured the day following the incident. I wrote another email to OWNER asking him to gather witness statements from the rest of those who had been onboard. I did that on April 16, 2018. As of today (May 5, 2018) I have not heard back from OWNER.
  
  Actions Taken:
  
  As of today, June 29, 2018, I have still yet to receive any further witness statements. I will be closing my investigation into the incident.
  