On Wednesday September 13, 2023, I, Officer First Class of the Maryland Natural Resources Police was at the Ocean City Boathouse at 12917 Harbor Road along with Corporal and Cadet when we heard a call come over the radio from Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Police Communications center of a Personal Watercraft Accident (PWC) that occurred and was called in by Worcester County Dispatch. DNR communications then said that the PWC's are at Dorchester Street or possibly still underway. DNR Communications center then said the phone is pinging in the Sinepuxent Bay and that it’s a PWC accident with injuries. Myself, Corporal and Cadet got underway on a police patrol vessel to respond to the PWC accident. 

Upon arrival I saw the Dorchester Street PWC guide on his PWC with a young female hanging on the back in the water. I saw a young male in the water to the left and a PWC was sitting halfway in the water with the bow pointing towards the sky. I made contact with the Dorchester Street guide. I asked him if everyone is ok and if there are any injuries. Guide stated that one of the riders has a small cut to her leg but the worse injury is the guy in the water over there and his knee is hurt really bad. 

I maneuvered the boat over to the young male in the water and said hold on we are going to bring you on board. All three of us did not see the severity of his injuries until we brought him onboard. I instructed Corporal and Cadet to put gloves on. I observed the injured rider with severe trauma to his right leg below the knee. I said out loud that the patient needs a tourniquet and applied a tourniquet that Cadet handed to me. I applied the tourniquet to the injured patient and notified DNR Communications center that we were enroute to Assateague State Park Boat Ramp to meet with Berlin Fire Department and Ocean City Fire Department Emergency Medical Services (EMS). 

I informed Guide that we will be right back to retrieve the other injured riders. Once we arrived at the boat ramp EMS took the injured male subject.  The injured male patient who would later be identified, was taken by the Berlin Fire Department Emergency Services to Tidal Health Hospital in Salisbury MD.

Officer First Class and Cadet then got on our patrol vessel at the boat ramp to go help retrieve the other injured PWC riders. We arrived back to the area and saw the Ocean City Fire Department Fire Boat had taken the other injured riders and were headed to West Ocean City Commercial harbor to meet Ocean City Fire Department EMS. We arrived at West Ocean City Commercial harbor and met EMS. EMS informed me that there is a total of three patients. One young female refused medical service and would be taken back to Dorchester Street Rentals and the other two patients would be taken to Tidal Health Hospital in Salisbury Maryland.

Corporal and I went to Dorchester Rentals to interview the young female who refused medical services. She was identified as operator1. Operator1 agreed to fill out a witness statement. In her statement she said that she was operating her PWC with her sister as a passenger. Operator1 saw the other PWC. The waves got stronger. She steered closer to the other PWC operated by Operator2 and she hit a wave. 

She then steered left but when she hit another wave they lifted into the air and went right and felt both PWC’s collide and she fell in the water.  The PWC that Operator1 was operating, I identified as bearing Maryland Registration. This was the PWC that was halfway submerged with the bow facing the sky. Operator1 asked me how much she is going to have to pay for the accident. I informed her that right now the investigation is ongoing and that no paperwork would be issued until all facts of the case can be determined.

I then made contact with the PWC Guide and offered him to fill out a witness statement to which he agreed. In Guide’s witness statement he stated that he saw both PWC’s racing when they started to get closer to each other. He saw one PWC turn towards the other and collided causing the accident. Guide stated that the PWC the young female was operating, identified as Operator1, ran into the other PWC.  The injured young male, who we took on our patrol vessel, was the passenger on the PWC operated by Operator2 with Maryland Registration.

Operator1 was released on her own recognizance.

Officer First Class responded to Tidal Health Hospital in Salisbury to get information from Isaiah, Operator2 that is needed for the boat accident report.

All three injured patients were stable and injuries were non life threatening.

Operator1 is charged with MR, 8.18.35.06 F : Operating PWC in Excess of 6 Knots Within 100` of Vessel

ALL EVENTS OCCURRED IN WORCESTER COUNTY.

Sinepuxent Bay, Berlin
Berlin                        