RedactedNarrative: On 7/23/17 at approximately 12:35 hrs, I responded to the Hillsboro Inlet in reference to a boating accident which had just occurred and was being reported by the bridge tender. Upon arrival I met with Vessel #1 operator, Operator1 who advised of the following. Operator1 stated that he was traveling outbound through the Hillsboro Bridge when he observed Vessel #2 traveling outbound on his starboard side. 
  
  Operator1 stated that his wife waved (signaled) at V#2 as he proceeded to travel outbound in front. He  complained that V#2 was traveling too close behind him at the time. Operator1 stated that he hit the bridges fender system with his port side and then bounced back and hit V#2 with his starboard side causing cracks and scuff marks to his boat. Operator1 blamed V#2 for the accident claiming that he was following behind him too closely. Subject was onboard at the time and she advised of the same. 
  
  
  I then met with the Captain of the commercial boat "Bolo 4", Vessel #2 who stated the following. Operator2 stated that he had called the bridge tender for an opening and had waited for the bridge to open fully before traveling outbound. 
  
  Operator2 advised that V#1 cut in front of his much larger vessel from the north making him believe that V#1 was going to stay over on the north span of the bridge. Unfortunately, V#1 decided to cut over to the center of the bridge where he got caught up in the strong outgoing tidal current causing him to collide with the bridge's fender system all on his own. V#1 then bounced off the fender system and traveled directly into V#2's port side. 
  
  First Mate was onboard at the time and he concurred with Operator2's description of events. Let it be known that V#2 suffered only minor scuff marks on it's port side while V#1 had two visible cracks and scuff marks on the port side as a result of colliding with the bridge's fender system and several scuff marks on it's starboard side after colliding with V#2. 
  
  Note that Navigation Rule 15(a) states that when two power-driven vessels are crossing so as to involve risk of collision, the vessel which has the other on her starboard side shall keep out of the way and shall, if the circumstances of the case admit, avoid crossing ahead of the other vessel. As such, V#1 would need to yield the right of way as V#2 was traveling on her starboard side. Lastly note that V#1's main contributing cause to his collision with the bridge and V#2 was the extremely strong outgoing tidal current on this date. NFI
  