ON 7/19/2023 AT AROUND 18:58 HRS, WITNESS ARRIVED ON SCENE TO A BOATING INCIDENT ON BELEWS LAKE NEAR PINE HALL BOATING ACCESS AREA.  

THE VESSEL WAS BEING OPERATED BY OPERATOR.  THE VESSEL WAS UNDERWAY FROM AN ISLAND WHEN IT BEGAN TAKING ON WATER.  THE ON-BOARD WEIGHT WAS ESTIMATED TO BE OVER THE VESSEL'S CAPACITY LIMIT AND WAS NOT EVENLY DISTRIBUTED, AND THE BOW DIPPED INTO THE WATER DUE TO A HIGH AMOUNT OF WEIGHT AT THE FRONT.  WATER STARTED COMING ON BOARD AND THE OCCUPANTS FRANTICALLY MOVED AROUND THE BOAT CAUSING THE VESSEL TO LOSE ITS SELF-BAILING ABILITIES.  THE BILGE PUMP WAS NOT WORKING.  THE VESSEL STARTED TO SWAMP AND EVENTUALLY CAPSIZED EJECTING ALL PASSENGERS FROM THE VESSEL.  ALL OCCUPANTS WERE IN THE WATER AT THIS TIME.  MOST OF THE OCCUPANTS WERE NOT WEARING A PFD UNTIL THEY WERE IN THE WATER INCLUDING NUMEROUS CHILDREN UNDER 13 YEARS OF AGE.  ONE ADULT OCCUPANT THAT COULD NOT SWIM ENDED UP PUSHING TWO CHILDREN UNDER THE BOAT AND ENDED UP KICKING THEM WHILE THEY WERE UNDERWATER.  OPERATOR ASSISTED IN GETTING THE PASSENGERS TO SHORE.  TWO CHILDREN WERE SENT TO THE HOSPITAL TO BE EVALUATED FOR INTERNAL INJURIES TO THE BACK AND CHEST AS WELL AS WATER INHALATION.  ALCOHOL WAS NOT CONSIDERED TO BE A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR.  HOWEVER, THREE CHARGES FOR LAW VIOLATIONS HAVE BEEN ISSUED TO THE OPERATOR OF THE VESSEL.


***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**********
BELEWS LAKE
PINE HALL                     