RedactedNarrative: SYNOPSIS
  
  I responded to a boat accident between Rattlesnake Island and Lions Beach where a tube had struck the shoreline injuring 4 people and the boat was grounded in the area. 
  
  NARRATIVE
  
  On 9/10/2021 at approximately 2245 hours I received a call from the Sierra County Regional Dispatch Authority informing me that a tube had struck the shoreline and several people were injured somewhere in the area between Rattlesnake Island and Lions Beach. Once in the area, medics from Sierra Vista Ambulance rode with me and I arrived on scene at approximately 1120 hours. Elephant Butte Fire personnel were already on the scene. 
  
  There were two female victims lying on the rocks and approximately 15 to 20 other individuals at the scene. There were two other females walking in the area with other injuries but were up walking and talking. I contacted the owner and operator of the vessel, Operator, who told me he saw the land and made a hard turn to avoid it causing the tube to hit the land. I received a request from additional Sierra Vista EMS personnel to be picked up approximately½ mile away and bring them to the scene. I left the area, picked up the crew and brought them to the scene. Two females were being stabilized and back boarded. Two other victims were being treated for injuries as well. One of the back boarded victims was loaded into an unknown truck with another female victim and transported to the staging area. Once the other female victim was back boarded, she was loaded into my patrol truck as well as another injured female and I transported them and EMS personnel to the staging area. 
  
  After transporting the female victims, I returned to the scene and the area was cleared out. A few minutes later Operator arrived back on scene and apologized for leaving but stated he was cold from being wet and had gone to his camp to change into dry clothes. I again asked Operator to walk me through the events. He again stated that they were tubbing after dark, and he saw that he was headed for land and turned hard to the left to avoid hitting the land. In doing so, it caused the tube to sling shot towards the rocks causing the 4 occupants to be ejected onto land. When asked Operator stated that his navigation lights were not on, but the tube had several glow sticks. Operator stated that the individuals on the tube and boat were from a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints youth group. He provided me the names of the four females that were transported to the hospital as well as the individuals who were riding in the vessel. The transported individuals were identified as follows: Injured 1, Injured 2, Injured 3 and Injured 4. I asked Operator if he had consumed any alcoholic beverages and he stated he had not, and I did not observe any indications that he had. Operator stated that they were traveling at approximately 12–15 miles per hour when the incident occurred. 
  
  Boating Manager arrived on scene and started photographing the scene and I assisted him in getting measurements of the scene. Vessel A is a 2009 Tige with New Mexico Registration number. It was grounded on a shallow point approximately 30 feet offshore. Operator stated that the vessel was taking on water and the decision was made to not tow the vessel due to the unknown condition of the hull. The tube that the victims were riding was rated for 4 people and the pulling point had been completely ripped off the tube in the incident. The tube, victim's clothing and PFDs at the scene were photographed and returned to Operator. I told Operator that he would have to get in touch with Marina Del Sur in the morning and get their assistance in retrieving his vessel.
  
  I then went to the camp site of the group located on the northside of Ridge Road and talked to Passenger 3 who was one of the other adults on the vessel at the time of the incident. Passenger 3 stated they were out tubing and that the boat made a hard turn and the tube hit the shore and the boat got stuck. This matched the account of Operator. At this time, I issued two citations to Operator the first for Time-of-Day Skiing (71293) and the second for Prohibited Operation (71292). 
  
  The scene was cleared at approximately 0125 hours on 9/11/21. 
  
  On 9/11/21 at approximately 0750 hours I returned to the scene to photograph the vessel in the daylight and Operator came to my location. I asked if he had heard how the victims were doing and he stated that two of them were treated released and headed home and that two had been airlifted to El Paso for care. Operator stated both of the females were in the ICU and that one had two small brain bleeds and that it did not look like they were going to operate on them, and the other female was still awaiting results from scans. I provided Operator with the number to Marina Del Sur and told him to contact the marina to retrieve the vessel. 
  
  Operator contacted the marina and the marina informed me they would be retrieving the vessel. I arrived at the marina parking lot and photographed the vessel and damage. I observed an approximately 32" crush to the chine of the vessel on the right side. The steering rudder was broken off and bent through the through hull fitting. There is fiberglass damage and penetration in the hull of the vessel above the prop approximately 7" wide. Several scrapes in the gel coat approximately 11' long. Three tracking skegs in the front of the vessel were bent almost 90 degrees to the left. The prop shaft and the bronze prop shaft holder are bent several inches to the left and the bronze propeller has severe damage to all 4 blades of the propeller. 
  
  Based on my investigation, witness statements and examination of the damages to the vessel, the information provided by Operator is accurate. Both individuals stated that there was a turn then the tube hit the shore then the vessel was stuck. Looking at the damage to the vessel with all metal pieces bent to the left it indicates that the vessel was making a left turn when it contacted the bottom of the lake also matching the operator's statement. Where the tube contacted the shore the momentum of the riders would have thrown them up the shoreline in a left-hand turn which it did. Based on my investigation it is my opinion that the vessel was operating in a reckless or negligent manner, too close to shore, to fast for light conditions at the time, tubbing after allowable hours and not using navigation lights when the incident occurred.