RedactedNarrative: On 07/20/19 at approximately 4:30 P.M., I CPO responded to a two vessel property damage boat accident at Carlyle Lake just north of Coles Creek Access. I arrived on scene and Spoke with one of the owner/operators of the boats involved. Operator2 informed me that he was traveling back to Coles Creek boat launch to pick up a buddy to go fishing. He was traveling at about 25 mph''s south bound hugging the East Shore Line of Carlyle Lake. That he didn''t see any boats in front of him but at the last moment before he hit the Operator1 boat he observed a lady in a bright colored shirt waving her arms. Operator2 immediately turned his boat to the right and pulled his lanyard cut off switch. Operator2s boat still struck the Operator1 boat with his bow-port side of his boat striking the Operator1 boat on the bow-starboard side. Operator2''s boat pushed the Operator1 boat down in the water and out of the way as it steered away from it. Operator2 sustained minor damage to his boat with a small scratch in the Aluminum.
  
  I spoke with Operator1 the operator of the other boat involved in the accident. Operator1 advised me that he had just left Coles Creek Access with his family to go tubing. That they had just set an anchor out with his boat facing West on the East shore line of Carlye Lake. That his two boys had just jumped into the water and were swimming on the port side of the boat wearing their lifejackets. He was airing up the tube to use. Operator1’s wife then noticed a boat coming straight for them while they were airing up their tube. She began waving her arms at him. At the last possible moment she observed that Operator2 noticed them, that he tried to steer away from their boat but that he ended up striking it on the starboard - bow side. That it caused an excessive amount of water to enter the boat. The Operator1 boat had damage to its bow riding trolling motor, a crack in the bow point weld on the boat, and three minor scratches in the aluminum on the starboard-bow side of the boat. No-one was injured. I conducted safety inspections on both boats finding no violations with all necessary lifejackets and equipment on board.
  
  I explained to Operator2 that since he was unable to exercise reasonable care to bring his boat to a stop within the assured clear distance ahead and caused an accident that he was going to be cited for Careless Operation of a Motorboat. I issued him the citation in Clinton County with a mandatory court appearance on 08/12/19 at 9:00 A.M. Both parties exchanged information for insurance purposes and went their separate ways.
  