RedactedNarrative: A boat incident occurred on 09/02/2020 at approximately 2140 hours on high rock lake in davidson county, nc.  There was one vessel involved, a 1980 cajun bass style boat with nc registration number.  The operator was accompanied by one passenger.  The vessel was travelling downstream from buddle creek and the vessel impacted the shoreline bank at nc highway 8.  The vessel occupants impacted the vessel and the shoreline bank, causing injury to both the operator and the victim.  Both occupants were transported by ems to the hospital.  The operator was treated for injuries and then passed away on 09/18/2020.  The cause of death at this time is unknown but related to the incident.  The passenger was treated and released from the hospital.
  
  The vessel operator stated that the lake was dark on the evening of the incident, and he was unfamiliar with his whereabouts.  The operator also said that he was fumbling with the navigation light switches just prior to the impact.  The vessel was travelling downstream on high rock lake from buddle creek in a portion of the lake called abbotts creek.  
  
  The operators intent was to go into the main channel of high rock lake to catfish.  When the vessel was nearing the nc-8 bridge in abbotts creek,  the vessel impacted the shoreline bank at approximately a 37 degree angle relative to the bow of the boat.  The slight starboard angle of impact caused the occupants to move forward and slightly starboard during impact with the shoreline.  
  
  The operator was ejected from the vessel onto the bank on the starboard side of the vessel.  The passenger was thrown into the bow area of the vessel and she was not ejected.  The vessel was travelling approximately 35 miles per hour when the impact occurred.  
  
  The vessel hit the bank and immediately stopped forward movement, thus crushing the bow of the vessel completely.  The operator was seated behind the console and during impact, his body travelled through the console ripping the fiberglass console completely from the hull.  Large portions of fiberglass were fractured or completely removed during impact.  The vessel was lodged on the bank when emergency crews arrived.  Both the operator and passenger were inside the vessel when emergency crews arrived.  The operator said that he had been ejected onto the bank but then climbed back down to the passenger inside the vessel.  
  
  The vessel speed was a factor in the severity of the incident.  Operator inattention was a factor that contributed to the incident with the operator focusing on navigation light switches and not his course heading or location.  The operator was unfamiliar with his whereabouts on the lake.  It is unknown at this time if alcohol or drug impairment was a factor.  The death of the operator occurred two weeks after the incident and the cause of death is unknown at this time.  The death is thought to have been a result of complications from the incident.