RedactedNarrative: On 09/07/15 at approximately 1515 hours, I, OFC was called to respond to a vessel accident involving serious property damage. The vessel had been removed from Deep Creek Lake at Deep Creek Marina, it was part of their rental fleet. The vessel was a 2009 21' Sea Ray ski boat with a 2009 Mercury 260hp motor, it bore MD registration: MD 2396 LB. I responded to Deep Creek Marina and found the vessel on shore and the vessel operator/family waiting. The vessel operator said he had been boating for over twenty years and was familiar with navigational buoys/warnings and areas to avoid that could hold potential danger. Operator advised that the rental staff at Deep Creek Marina told the Operator family to navigate their vessel towards the dam area in northern Deep Creek Lake. This area holds quiet coves and lesser vessel traffic conducive to tubing and water skiing activities. The rental staff gave the Operator's a black and white map of Deep Creek Lake, this map was cut off before identifying the thoroughfare leading to the dam and the danger areas in that location. The accident occurred as the family was towing a water skiier (tuber) around "Stump Point", not identified on Deep Creek Marina's map as it is on other rental agencies around the lake. However, Deep Creek Lake Management places five danger buoys around Stump Point warning boaters to stay clear and not cross between the buoys and the shoreline at the point. There are many submerged stumps and suspended trees in the area and the subjects were advised that the previous day another renter from Deep Creek Marina struck a submerged stump.
   
   At the time of the accident the Operator's were filming the passenger that was water skiing. In the video you can see the family navigating to the outside of the danger buoys around Stump Point in the middle of the thoroughfare. As the family rounds the turn heading north, you can hear an audible explosion/loud bang, see the stern quickly rise up and see the entire vessel shudder to a stop. The vessel was immediately dead in the water. Based on my knowledge, training and experience as a marine officer, I recognize these events as a typical reaction when a vessel strikes a submerged object, be it a rock, stump, tree, etc. 
   
    No one was hurt onboard and the skiier was okay as well. The vessel immediately began leaking gasoline as the gas line was severed; the vessel also began taking on water in the inboard engine compartment. Nearby people on shore offered to assist the family but the Operator's had called Deep Creek Marina for rescue/assistance. They were told a technician was on the way. (wife of Operator), timed the technician's arrival and has documentation of a fifty minute arrival time; normally an eight minute ride from the Marina to Stump Point. The family was transported back to Deep Creek Marina in an able pontoon boat and the damaged vessel was towed back to the marina thereafter. The vessel sustained severe damage to the outdrive, the aluminum housing of the outdrive was shattered, along with some severed tubing (gas line).
   
    As I interviewed Operator on the conditions of the accident, he remained very confused as to how they could have had such a significant accident in an area that was legal and safe to operate/navigate. I informed him that water levels were down about two feet from the beginning of the season and there may be errant stumps or even a suspended felled tree leftover from the winter hovering outside the danger buoys. With that significant water level drop, many different hazards may suddenly lurk, even if not seen on the surface. This was an unavoidable accident as the video shows the vessel was traveling in the main thoroughfare outside of the danger buoys. Deep Creek Lake Marina asked the Operator family to pay for the damages before they left the scene pursuant to their rental contract. The damage was estimated by Deep Creek Marina at $9,882.15. They also offered to sell the vessel for $25,000. The mar