RedactedNarrative: On 05/29/2022 at approximately 2:30pm Operator and his wife Passenger launched their 17’ Alweld 1754 Invader jon boat at the New Athens public boat launch on the Kaskaskai river and headed upriver to a sandbar east of Highbanks to meet friends.
  At approximately 4:30pm they were heading back down river to meet Operator’s grandparents for diner, when they hit a submerged log in the river on a large river bend east of Adrián Rd in an area known as Log Alley. The boat quickly leaned to the starboard side and threw Passenger out of the boat into the river from her seat on the rear portside of the boat near her husband. Operator was also thrown into the river from his seated operator position in front of his 70hp tiller outboard. Passenger believed she was thrown out of the boat approximately halfway forward of the boat on the starboard side, and her husband was thrown out near the rear of the boat, also on the starboard side. Operator’s left knee and lower leg appeared to be hit be the propeller, which caused the engine to stall.
  Passenger swam back to Operator and helped him back into the boat and she was able to finally make contact with a 911 operator at 4:37pm. Passenger (a veterinarian assistant) placed a makeshift tourniquet on Operator’s left thigh and helped him start the boat. Operator operated the boat approximately 5 minutes back to the Fayetteville boat launch and met Mascoutah Fire and Rescue who called for an airlift to a hospital. At approximately 5:20pm Operator was airlifted to St Louis University Hospital in Missouri, where he entered surgery for his injuries to his left knee and lower leg.
  Operator’s injuries were reported as follows: Multiple lacerations to low left leg (knee and below) including a severed artery, several severed muscles below knee and fractured tibia bone.
  I do not believe alcohol was a factor in this boat accident. Passenger stated she had only (1) beer when they left New Athens at 2:30p, and did not believe he husband had drank more than (1-2) beers because they had to leave early and meet Operator’s grandparents for diner. Passenger was very lucid and cooperative when I arrived on scene at approximately 5:15pm, and showed no signs of impairment. I spoke with the Macoutah rescue workers, who also said Operator was very lucid and did not act impaired. Operator’s friend stated he drank (1) beer with Operator that day, and Operator poured most of it out after about an hour because the beer had become hot. I did not find any alcohol in the boat, only a day bag containing bottled water & towels. I inspected the boat and found all the safety equipment present, including a custom lanyard cut-off still attached to the engine. Passenger was not sure if Operator was wearing the lanyard at the time of the accident or if her husband was wearing it while he was operating the boat that day. Operator’s friend stated Operator usually wore the lanyard because he was an avid waterfowl hunter in Missouri, which caused him to operate the boat in rough hunting conditions.
  Family friend arrived and transported Passenger to St Louis University Hospital to see her husband. Operator’s friend arrived from New Athens with his truck and boat trailer. Operator’s friend & I inspected the boat for new damage and the only thing we could find was a BB size dent in the front of the lower unit. I helped Operator’s friend load the Operator’s jon boat onto the trailer so Operator’s friend could transport the boat and Passenger’s 2017 Ford truck back to Operator’s residence.