RedactedNarrative: On May 30, 2021 at approximately 8:15PM I (CPO) was dispatched to a boat accident on the rock river approximately ¼ mile downstream of the Milan Beltway bridge. On the way to the Backwater Gamblers boat launch I picked up a department issued watercraft from Black Hawk Historic site. At approximately 8:45PM I arrived at the boat launch where I was met by a witness that called in the accident. I boarded vessel so he could show me where the sunk vessel was in the river. 
  
  There was a type 4 throwable flotation device that was attached to the sunk vessel. The bow of the vessel was approximately 6-8 inches under the surface of the water. 
  
  Subject stated he witnessed the whole accident and helped the boat operator of the sunk vessel out of the water. When I asked subject to explain what he saw he stated, the boat was coming downstream and looked like it was taking on water. The vessel sunk and the operator of the vessel began to swim away from the boat. Subject rushed his boat over to the subject and helped him from the water. After retrieving the operator from the water, they began to pick up the belongings of the sunk vessel that had begun to float down river. Shortly after the operator and belongings of the sunk vessel were picked up by a pontoon that was operated by a friend of the sunk vessels'' operator. 
  
  On May 31st, 2021 at approximately 8:15AM I returned to the scene of the accident to assist with the recovery of the vessel. The vessel was recovered by Big Water Rescue.
  
  The vessel was recovered on shore of the Backwater Gamblers boat launch. 
  The operator of the sunk vessel is unidentified at this time. 
  
  On June 8th, 2021 I received information about the operator of the sunk vessel. Operator stated he was the operator of the vessel and was willing to meet on June 10th, 2021 to discuss what happened. 
  
  On June 10th, 2021 I met operator to ask about the boat accident. Operator stated he bought the boat from his uncle. He had just got the boat running and was going to test it out on the rock river. On may 30th 2021 operator launched the boat at harolds landing on the rock river. He put the vessel into reverse and then forward to make sure the throttle was working. Operator then put the vessel in reverse and backed out from the dock. When he put the vessel in forward gear the second time he believes the throttle cable snapped. 
  
  He began to float away from the dock. A friend on shore said he would return with his pontoon boat to bring him back to the boat ramp. Operator began to float down stream towards back water gamblers. The backwater gamblers were having a ski show that night and the boats were causing a wake. 
  
  Operator could only move his boat in reverse. As he got closer to backwater gamblers the boat began to take on water. The water began to come in too fast so operator jumped from the boat to swim to shore. Before he could get to shore he was picked up by another boat with three passengers. They picked up the gear that floated from operator'' vessel. 
  
  Shortly after the friend in the pontoon showed up to pick up operator and his belongings. The pontoon to operator and his belongings back to shore. 
  
  Operator left the abandoned vessel in the water and failed to notify the department of the sunk vessel.
  
  Operator was issued a citation for pollution of waterway citation.
  Operator was issued 2 warnings for operation of unnumbered watercraft, and unlawful abandonment of watercraft, warning.