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

THE FRIENDS HAD JUST COME FROM DALE'S BOAT RAMP AND WERE GOING FOR A CRUISE DOWN RIVER.  THEY WERE TRAVELLING SOUTH AT 15-20 MPH WHEN THE OPERATOR FELT SOMETHING HIT THE BOW OF THE BOAT AND THEN HIT THE STERN.  THE WATER WAS CALM, BUT IT WAS VERY LOW VISIBILITY DUE TO IT BEING ONE HOUR AFTER SUNSET.  OPERATOR STATED THAT HE DID NOT SEE ANYTHING IN THE WATER AT THE TIME OF IMPACT, BUT AFTER THE BOAT STOPPED, HE COULD SEE THAT HE HAD HIT A FLOATING TREE.  OPERATOR SAID THAT HE TRIED TO PUT THE BOAT IN FORWARD AND REVERSE, BUT HE HAD NO PROPULSION EITHER WAY.  OPERATOR NOTICED THAT THE BOAT HAD EGUN TO TAKE ON WATER.  HE IMMEDIATELY TOLD HIS PASSENGERS TO PUT ON A LIFE JACKET.  HE AND THE PASSENGERS TRIED TO KEEP THE BOAT BALANCED AND UPRIGHT.  THE BOAT FILLED WITH WATER IN APPROXIMATELY 15 MINUTES AND QUICKLY ROLLED TO THE PORT SIDE CAPSIZING.  THE PASSENGERS WENT UNDER THE WATER BUT WERE ABLE TO SURFACE AND CLIMB ON TOP OF THE CAPSIZED BOAT.  THEY BEGAN SCREAMING FOR HELP AND A NEARBY RESIDENT WAS ABLE TO GET ON THEIR BOAT AND GET THEM OUT OF THE WATER.  SHORTLY AFTER, CHARLOTTE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS ABLE TO GET THE PASSENGERS ON THEIR BOAT AND TAK THEM TO SHORE.  THE INITIAL ANALYSIIS OF THE BOAT SHOWED SCRATCHES ON THE BOW TO THE BACK OF THE BOAT FROM THE IMPACT OF THE PARTIALLY SUBMERGED LOG/TREE.  THE LOWER UNIT WAS COMPLETELY BROKEN OFF.  WHERE THE STERN DRIVE CONNECTS TO THE HULL, THERE WAS DAMAGE THAT CAUSED THE BOAT TO TAKE ON WATER AND EVENTUALLY CAPSIZE.  THE HOMEOWNER THAT RESCUED THEM STATED THAT HE SAW THE LARGE PARTIALLY SUBMERGED TREE FLOATING NEAR WHERE THE BOAT WAS CAPSIZED.

THE VESSEL STRUCK A PARTIALLY SUBMERGED FLOATING TREE INITIALLY HITTING THE BOW AND THEN STRIKING THE STERN DRIVE.  THE IMPACT CAUSED THE STERN DRIVE TO BREAK OFF AND CAUSED FIBERGLASS DAMAGE TO THE HULL.  THE DAMAGE CAUSED THE BOAT TO TAKE ON WATER AND CAPSIZE.  DUE TO THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, VISIBILITY WAS LIMITED AND OPERATOR NEVER SAW THE TREE IN THE WATER.  LARGE AMOUNTS OF RAINFALL OCCURRED THE WEEK PRIOR AND MOST LIKELY CAUSED THIS TREE TO UPROOT AND FLOAT DOWNSTREAM.  THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED FROM NOT HAVING A PROPER LOOKOUT.  NO ONE WAS CHARGED BECAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT.

***PLEASE NOTE:  THIS REPORT WAS MANUALLY ENTERED INTO BARD DUE TO CONTINUED TRANSMISSION ISSUES BETWEEN REPORT BEAM AND BARD. ***


*****BARD, PLEASE DO NOT DELETE THIS REPORT*****


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LAKE WYLIE
CHARLOTTE                     