ON FRIDAY, 6/30/23, AT APPROXIMATELY 20:45 HOURS, V2 OWNER WAS BACKING HIS CABIN MOTORBOAT (VESSEL 2) DOWN THE BOAT RAMP ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE FLOATING DOCK AT THE NCWRC HAMPSTEAD BOATING ACCESS AREA WITH HIS WIFE, V2 WITNESS, STANDING ON THE FLOATING DOCK HOLDING A LINE TIED TO VESSEL 2.  VESSEL 2 WAS IN THE WATER BUT STILL POSITIONED ON THE TRAILER.  AT THE SAME TIME, V1 OPERATOR WAS OPERATING AND ATTEMPTING TO DOCK HIS 19' SEA FOX MOTORBOAT (VESSEL 1) ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE NCWRC HAMPSTEAD BOATING ACCESS AREA FLOATING DOCK BEHIND VESSEL 2.  ACCORDING TO V1 OPERATOR, HE WAS APPROACHING THE DOCK AT A SLOW SPEED AND WHEN VESSEL 1 GOT CLOSE TO THE DOCK, HE SHIFTED VESSEL 1 IN REVERSE TO SLOW THE BOAT TO A STOP AND THE SHIFTER MALFUNCTIONED.  VESSEL 1 WENT FORWARD INSTEAD OF REVERSE AND THE BOW IMPACTED THE LEFT SIDE OF THE STARBOARD OUTBOARD MOTOR OF VESSEL 2, AND THEN IMPACTED THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE PORT SIDE OUTBOARD MOTOR OF VESSEL 2.  VESSEL 1 THEN CAME TO REST IN BETWEEN VESSEL 2'S OUTBOARD ENGINES.  VESSEL 1'S BOW RAMPED UP THE OUTBOARD ENGINES OF VESSEL 2 AND CAME TO A STOP BETWEEN THE TWO OUTBOARD ENGINES.  ACCORDING TO V1 OPERATOR, HE THEN SHUT OFF THE ENGINE OF VESSEL 1 AND GOT OFF ONTO THE DOCK.  V1 OPERATOR THEN MANUALLY PULLED VESSEL 1 OFF OF THE OUTBOARD ENGINES OF VESSEL 2 AND TIED VESSEL 1 TO THE DOCK BEHIND VESSEL 2.  

VESSEL 1 SUSTAINED DAMAGE IN THE FORM OF DEEP SCRATCHES, GOUGES AND CHIPS TO THE FIBERGLASS HULL ON BOTH THE PORT AND STARBOARD SIDE OF THE BOW.  VESSEL 1'S BOW RUB RAIL WAS DAMAGED AND THE TROLLING MOTOR ON THE FRONT OF THE BOW SUSTAINED SOME MINOR DAMAGE TO THE PLASTIC BRACKET.  
VESSEL 2 SUSTAINED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE STARBOARD OUTBOARD ENGINES' COWLING, ENGINE POWER HEAD, ENGINE MIDSECTION AND ANTICAVITATION PLATE.  VESSEL 2'S PORT SIDE OUTBOARD ENGINE ALSO SUSTAINED DAMGE TO THE RIGHT-SIDE TOP OF THE ENGINE MIDSECTION AND MINOR DAMAGE TO THE ANTIICAVITATION PLATE.  I, NC WILDLIFE OFFICER WAS NOTIFIED BY PHONE OF THE INCIDENT AT APPROXIMATELY 20:45 HOURS ON JUNE 30, 2023 BY THE NC WILDLIFE ENFORCEMENT DIVISION DISPATCH.  I ARRIVED ON SCENE AT THE NC WILDLIFE ACCESS AREA AT APPROXIMATELY 21:40 HOURS ON 6/30/23.  THE OWNER OF VESSEL 2'S WIFE, V2 WITNESS, STATED THAT IT APPEARED THAT A YOUNG BOY ON BOARD VESSEL 1 WAS OPERATING THE BOAT.  OWNER OF VESSEL 2, AND HIS WIFE ALSO STATED THAT THERE WAS A WITNESS THAT WAS IN ANOTHER BOAT AT THE DOCK WHO THOUGHT THE YOUNG BOY WAS OPERATING VESSEL 1 AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT.  OWNER AND OPERATOR OF VESSEL 1 AND HIS GIRLFRIEND, V1 PASSENGER 1, STATED THAT V1 OPERATOR WAS OPERATING VESSEL 1 AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT AND THAT HR YOUNG SON V1 PASSENGER 2 WAS STANDING ON THE STARBOARD SIDE OF THE CENTER CONSOLE HELM BESIDE V1 OPERATOR.  V1 PASSENGER 1 WAS SITTING IN FRONT OF THE CENTER CONSOLE OF VESSEL 1 WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED.  ACCORDING TO V1 OPERATOR AND V1 PASSENGER 1, THE WITNESS WHO V2 OWNER CLAINED SAW THE INCIDENT ACTUALLY PULLED UP AFTER THE INCIDENT OCCURRED.  V1 OPERATOR STATED THAT HE WOULD NEVER LET THE YOUNG BOY, V1 PASSENGER 2, OPERATE HIS BOAT WHILE DOCKING.  I WITNESSED V1 OPERATOR WORK THE SHIFTER THROTTLE OF VESSEL 1 AND I BOARDED VESSEL 1 AND WORKED THE THROTTLE SHIFTER MYSELF.  WHEN I PUT THE SHIFTER OF VESSEL 1 IN THE REVERSE POSITION, VESSEL 1 WOULD GO FORWARD.  I WAS UNABLE TO GET VESSEL 1 TO GO IN REVERSE.

***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*****


**********END OF REPORT******
ICW
HAMPSTEAD                     