RedactedNarrative: On 3/3/16, at about 10:00 AM, Operator2, vessel operator and owne rand occupant were both in a 15’ vessel heading out of the Steinhatchee River near marker #1 to go fishing.  This is where the Steinhatchee River goes into Dead Man’s Bay. Based on the witness statements the waters at this location were hazardous due to the wind, tide and current all coming together, creating rough conditions. Operator2 stated that he was going to turn his vessel around because it was too rough for his vessel.
  
   About this time, Operator1 and his wife, were coming into the Steinhatchee River near marker# 1 also, in their 46’ CARVER Yught.  According to Operator1s statement their vessel was traveling about 5 to 6 knots at this time.
  
   As the two vessels passed each other, the Carver [V-01] was in the river channel, however [V-02] the Operator2 vessel was outside the channel about 100 yards away.  Then at this point, according to both Operator2 vessel occupants: the Carver was throwing out a large wake. According to the V1 subjects statements they were not. Occupant on v1 statement says “Area was shallow and unfamiliar so we came in slow”
  
   What happened next, according to Operator2, was that he saw the wake coming, he turned  his vessel away from the wake to gain distance and as the wake hit the vessel from the side it started taking on water. As this was happening Operator2 stated he tried giving his vessel throttle to keep it up but he lost power and his vessel swamped and then capsized.  By this time the Carver vessel, V-01,  was past the Operator2 vessel location  and the [V-01] did not look back to see the vessel going down and capsizing, putting the two men in the water. Both v1 subjects stated, that had they had observed the vessel go down they would have rendered help. 
  
    According to subject, prior to the Operator2 vessel  capsizing  He passed the Carver vessel in the channel.  Subject who was operating a rental boat, a 24’ Carolina skiff, stated he took the wake head on, slowing down, with no problem.   He stated: “Near the end of the channel we met a larger Carver boat headed in who was traveling quickly and pushing a large wake. After passing the Carver, we saw a smaller boat just inside marker #1 that was obviously in trouble: the bow was up and the boat was listing to one side. The boat then capsized”. Subject was able to get the men out of the water and take them in for help. 
  
    Based on all the information it appears four different things played into the V-02 swamping and capsizing:  
  1] The rough conditions already present at the location
  2] The fact of V-02 not going into the V-01 wake head on [unknown if it would have swamped anyway]
  3] The fact that V-02 lost engine power at a critical time
  4] That the wake from V-01 hit them  [even though they were approximately 100yards away]