RedactedNarrative: On 05/01/16 at approximately 1908HR I Officer of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) was dispatched by FWC dispatch to Wuesthoff Hospital in Rockledge Florida.  An Emergency Room Nurse according to FWC dispatch reported that subject had been involved in a boating accident and had sustained serious injury. 
  
  I arrived at the Hospital at approximately 1937HR and found Operator still in the Emergency Room with a nurse attending to him.  I identified myself as an Officer and waited until the nurse was done.  I then asked if Operator was able to speak with me.  He stated that he was. I read Operator his Miranda Rights from my agency issue card and asked if he was willing to talk to me and he said he was.  I asked Operator to tell me what had happened.  
   
  He stated that at approximately 1000HR he had run aground in his boat on the “South River” south of Lake Winder on the St Johns River.  He said he fell forward into his casting platform on his Carolina Skiff (FL9773JY) and cracked his ribs and he had a partially collapsed lung.  I asked how he had gotten to the hospital and he stated that his wife had gotten home around 1400HR and had taken him to three walk in clinics, two were closed on Merritt Island and one in Rockledge sent him to Wuesthoff because of the “seriousness” of his injuries.    
   
  I asked Operator how he had gotten home.  He stated that when he ran aground the vessel continued to drive in circles while he attempted to regain his composure.  He said when he could catch his breath he started to drive back to the ramp at Lake Poinsette where he had put in at, stopping several times along the way to “rest” and “think”.  He stated that he got home around 1230HR.  I asked what he thought caused the accident he said that he couldn't see the bottom because of the waves and he was probably going to fast since “He hadn't been there in a while”.
   
  I asked Operator if he had had anything to drink he said he had one “Heineken” and part of on that “spilled” when he ran aground. Operator stated that the vessel was parked in his front yard and stated that it was “fine if I wanted to go look at it and that there was “no damage”.    I asked Operator why he had not gone to the hospital right away and why he had not reported the accident to Law enforcement as required and he stated that he was just trying to be “tough”  and he thought because he hadn't hit anybody else that he did not need to report it.  I asked Operator if he would consent to release his blood test results and he stated that he would “rather not”. Operator also provided a written statement. 
  
  At approximately 2039HR I went to Operator's residence and found his vessel in his yard as he indicated.  I took photographs for evidence purposes.  I found beer and ice in his cooler, and an empty one on the deck.  I also observed an empty beer in the console of the truck the vessel was attached to.  I observed no damage to the vessel that I could attribute to the accident.
  
  I issued a Uniform Boating Citation to Operator for failure to report a boating accident with more than $2000 damage or serious injury.  No further action was taken.
  
   
  