RedactedNarrative: ON JUNE 18, 2022, AT APPROXIMATELY 10:45 A.M. WHILE ON BOAT PATROL ON JONES LAKE, I, INDIANA CONSERVATION OFFICER, WAS DISPATCHED TO A REPORT OF A BOAT ACCIDENT ON BIG LONG LAKE IN LAGRANGE COUNTY INDIANA.   
  OFFICER 2 AND I LAUNCHED OUR DUTY BOAT FROM THE BIG LONG LAKE PUBLIC ACCESS SITE. WE MET OP1 AS WELL AS OWNER 1 AT A PRIVATE BOAT LAUNCH ON THE NORTH-WEST SIDE OF THE LAKE AT AROUND 11:40 A.M. HERE WE ASSISTED THEM WITH GETTING THE BOAT LOADED ON THE TRAILER AND PULLED OUT OF THE WATER.    
  ONCE THE BOAT WAS OUT OF THE WATER, WE FULLY ASSESSED ALL THE DAMAGE. THE FIBERGLASS HULL HAD AN EXCEPTIONALLY LARGE SPLIT GOING DOWN THE FREEBOARD ON THE PORT SIDE. THERE WAS MAJOR FIBERGLASS DAMAGE ON THE BOTTOM OF THE HULL, PRIMARILY ON THE PORT SIDE STARTING IN ABOUT THE MIDDLE OF THE BOAT, GOING ALL THE WAY TO THE STERN. THE OUT DRIVE HAD MAJOR COMPONENTS BROKEN ON IT AND IT WAS NO LONGER WORKING PROPERLY. I DOCUMENTED AND TOOK PHOTOS OF THE DAMAGE.    
  FIRST, WE TALKED TO OWNER 1, THE OWNER OF THE BOAT. HE STATED HE WAS NOT ON OR AROUND THE LAKE WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED. HE SAID HIS SON HAD PERMISSION TO BE OPERATING HIS BOAT. OWNER 1 TOLD US THAT THE BOAT IS INSURED BUT WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE ANY PROOF OF THIS. OWNER 1 TOLD US HE WAS ALREADY IN CONTACT WITH HIS INSURANCE PROVIDER ABOUT THE INCIDENT.   
  WE THEN BEGAN ASKING OP1, THE OPERATOR, WHAT HE REMEMBERED HAPPENING. AT FIRST, HE TOLD US THAT A JET SKI HAD RUN INTO THE BACK OF THE BOAT AS HE WAS SLOWING DOWN TO GO THROUGH AN AREA OF THE LAKE THAT GETS VERY NARROW. IT WAS AROUND THIS TIME OFFICER 2 AND I WERE NOTIFIED BY DNR DISPATCH THAT THERE WAS A WITNESS TO THE ACCIDENT WHO HAD CALLED IN TO REPORT WHAT HE SAW.   
  OFFICER 2 SPOKE WITH WITNESS 1 ON THE PHONE REGARDING WHAT HE HAD WITNESSED EARLIER THAT MORNING. ONCE THE PHONE CONVERSATION WAS OVER WITH WITNESS 1 OFFICER 2 CONFRONTED OP1 WITH THE CONFLICTING STORY. OP1 ADMITTED THAT HE DID NOT GET HIT BY A JET SKI. OP1 STATED HE MADE A QUICK MANEUVER IN THE NARROW SECTION OF THE LAKE WHICH THREW HIM OUT OF HIS SEAT AND RESULTED IN HIM LOSING CONTROL OF THE BOAT. THE BOAT THEN RAN INTO A PIER AS WELL AS A TREE ON SHORE. OP1 STATED THE BOAT WAS GROUNDED AND HE HAD TO GET HELP TO GET THE BOAT OUT OF THE SHALLOW AREA.   
  WE RELEASED OWNER 1 AND OP1 FROM THE SCENE AFTER ISSUING OP1 A CITATION FOR IMPRUDENT OPERATION. IC 14-15-3-7. WE THEN MET WITNESS 1 AT HIS PIER TO HEAR WHAT HE HAD WITNESSED IN PERSON. HE TOLD US THAT IT WAS ABOUT 8:15 A.M. AND THERE WERE NO OTHER BOATS ON THE LAKE AT THAT TIME. WITNESS 1 STATED THAT HE WATCHED THE OPERATOR FALL OUT OF HIS SEAT AFTER MAKING A VERY SHARP TURN AND THE BOAT HIT A DOCK AND A TREE. WITNESS 1 TOLD US THAT HE WAS THE ONE WHO WENT OVER AND MADE SURE OP1 WAS OKAY AND HELPED HIM GET HIS BOAT BACK INTO DEEPER WATER.   
  OFFICER 2 AND I THEN WENT TO THE LOCATION THAT THE ACCIDENT TOOK PLACE. HERE WE FOUND A HEAVILY DAMAGED METAL PIER. A DAMAGED BOAT LIFT, WHICH HAD A BOAT ON IT. WE DID NOT NOTICE ANY DAMAGE TO THE BOAT ITSELF. WE ALSO FOUND TWO SPOTS OF TORN UP BARK ON THE TREE NEXT TO THE PIER WHERE THE BOAT HAD STRUCK THE TREE. I DOCUMENTED AND TOOK PICTURES OF ALL THE DAMAGE. WITH THE HELP OF DNR DISPATCH WE FOUND THE CONTACT INFORMATION FOR THE OWNER OF THE DAMAGED PROPERT. WE WERE ABLE TO TALK TO HIM ABOUT THE SITUATION OVER THE PHONE AND LET HIM KNOW WHAT HAD HAPPENED EARLIER THAT MORNING.
  