On June 3, 2023 at around 3:40 PM District Game Warden (DGW) 1 received a call from Mercer County Deputy 2 regarding a boating incident at Beulah Bay. Deputy 2 stated the incident involved a woman and a boat motor. DGW 1 responded to Beulah Bay and arrived around 4:00 PM. DGW 1 observed one female, identified as Injured, being loaded into the ambulance. Injured had multiple open wounds on her legs and appeared to be in extreme pain.  DGW 1 then began collecting information on what happened and who was involved. 

The boat that Injured was a passenger of was identified as a houseboat floating in the bay just out from the ramp. That boat was later identified as a 1974 Horizon Cabin boat with a 90 HP Mercury motor. 

 During the safety check DGW 1 found the boat did not have a fire extinguisher on board. DGW 1 observed the back area of the houseboat and the rooftop platform did not have railings around them to prevent occupants from falling overboard. DGW 1 asked Operator if he had a railing up top or anything and Operator said they had stickytape up there (like a sandpaper). DGW 1 took photographs of the boat and the motor. 

The incident occurred after an occupants hat flew off their head while they were riding on the roof of the houseboat. After the hat flew off Passenger 2 dove off of the back left corner of the boat to retrieve the hat, also at around the same time Injured took her shorts off and jumped into the water off the back left side of the boat. Based on the interviews and statements some of the passengers told the driver to put it in reverse at some point after the hat flew off and the time Injured was struck by the propeller. DGW 1 is unable to determine if the boat was already in reverse before Injured jumped in or if it was after she was in the water.  At the time the propeller struck Injured the only occupant on the back deck area was Passenger 3, who said he was sitting in a lawn chair on the back deck. The occupants remaining on the vessel were either on the roof, in the cab or in the front area of the vessel. The operator stated when he heard screaming he stopped the boat motor. Multiple occupants of the boat helped to get Injured back onto the vessel.

Operator had been using/drinking alcohol prior to the accident.
Lake Sakakawea
Beaulah                       