RedactedNarrative: On 10/24/2017 at 2300hrs, I was on board NPS Vessel 61 with Officers.  We were assigned to a search and rescue operation in the Boulder Basin of Lake Mead, within the Lake Mead National Recreation Area.  We were requested to divert from our mission to assist NPS Vessel 11 in the Virgin Basin of Lake Mead.  NPS Vessel 11 was en-route to Petroglyph Bay to rescue 6 adults aboard a vessel that had lost its steering after colliding with a submerged rock.  NPS Vessel 11 advised that it had struck an island and was not able to handle the call at Petroglyph Bay. 
  
  We paused our search and responded to Vessel 11''s location and pulled them off the island. They had to return to port due to their collision.  Vessel 61 then responded to the area of Petroglyph Bay where we found the disabled boat, a red and black ski boat.  We retrieved all six passengers and transported them to safe harbor at Las Vegas Boat Harbor.  We then resumed our primary search and rescue mission.
  
  
  Accident Investigation:
  
  After retrieving all passengers from the disabled boat, I spoke with Operator, he told me that he was the boat owner and operator at the time of the collision.  Operator told me that they were wake surfing in the Petroglyph Bay area and struck a submerged rock with the rudder of his vessel, causing it to lose steering control.  They did have one passenger being towed at the time of collision.  There were no injuries. 
  
  On 10/28/2017 I called Operator to follow up and finish the report.  He told me that the damage to his rudder, propeller, and drive shaft was about $5800.  He told me that he was insured through AAA.  He told me that he had about 30 years of experience boating on Lake Mead.  He told me that he did not consume any alcohol.  
  
  No photographs of the accident were taken, due to the other search and rescue call ongoing in the Boulder Basin.  The accident scene is located at  36.102877 by -114.500821.
  