On 8/19/2023 at approximately 2139 hours, I, Officer with the Maryland Natural Resources Polices responded to Chesapeake Beach in Calvert County Maryland for the report of a vessel collision off of Breezy Point Marina. While en route at 2155 hours I made contact with Sgt. of the Maryland Natural Resources Police to advise her of the call and reported injuries. Contact with Sgt was made again at 2201 and 2211 hours to update on subjects status. During the 2155 hours and 2211 hours contacts with Sgt., the injured subjects condition changed from unconscious to not injured and just feeling sick, back to unconscious with CPR in progress at 2217 hours. Upon arrival at the duty station in Chesapeake Beach, North Beach firefighters advised that their fire boat, Boat 1 was en route to the marina with two patients. 

One patient suffering from back injuries and the other was unconscious with CPR in progress. While the fire boat made its way into the marina, Officers and I got underway on vessel 893 en route to the GPS coordinates of the vessel accident to make contact with the remaining occupants of the vessels. While en route to the location of the accident we were notified by dispatch that one patient was being transported by EMS to National Capital Region Hospital in Largo, MD, while the other was still at Chesapeake Beach with CPR being performed.

    At 2245 hours we were notified by DNR dispatch that USCG was advising that both vessels had made their way into Breezy Point Marina. While making contact with individuals involved in the incident I was advised at 2303 hours that the unconscious patient was declared deceased by North Beach Paramedics at 2238 hours.

    At 2307 hours I made contact with Cpl. of the Maryland Natural Resources Police Criminal Investigation Division to make him aware of all gathered information and the patient being declared deceased by EMS. We made contact with the operator of the striking vessel along with an occupant from the vessel that was struck. After making contact with the operator of the striking vessel, a Operator1, Officer with the Maryland Natural Resources Police conducted a safety inspection of the striking vessel along with gathering a written statement from the operator.

    Operator1 advised after leaving Breezy Point he was traveling at approximately 28 knots when he noticed the other vessel in front of him and made an abrupt change of direction in an attempt to avoid the collision between the two vessels. 

The vessels then collided on the striking vessel's starboard side and the struck vessel's port side causing an occupant on the struck vessel to be knocked unconscious. Operator1 also advised that during the impact the passenger on his vessel struck the steering wheel of the vessel causing possible back injuries. 

During my conversation with Operator1 and throughout the investigation, I did not observe any signs of impairment and located no alcoholic beverages on or near his person or vessel. After speaking with Operator1 I made contact with an occupant of the struck vessel who advised that he was not injured. V2 occupant2 advised that the other two individuals that were with him, were with North Beach Fire Department back at the Chesapeake Beach Boat Ramp, one being the deceased and the other being the operator of his vessel Operator2. V2 occupant2 provided a written statement.

    Shortly after making contact with the two witnesses on scene, Cpl arrived on scene to begin his investigation. After the arrival of Cpl. I made my way to the Chesapeake Beach Boat Ramp to make contact with the operator of the struck vessel along with maintaining custody of the deceased. At approximately 0045 hours I made contact with Operator2 the operator of the struck vessel at Chesapeake Beach Marina who advised that he was moving at a slow speed but was unable to provide an exact speed when suddenly the striking vessel appeared. 

Operator2 stated that he attempted to speed up to avoid the collision as the striking vessel turned but was struck on his port side. Operator2 stated that he recalled seeing the striking vessels white 360 degree white navigational light but did not recall seeing the red or green light. All lights were operational on the striking vessel upon my arrival at Breezy Point during my initial contact. Operator2 stated that after being struck, his father was knocked unconscious and he began CPR until fire boat arrived and continued CPR on the way into Chesapeake Beach. Operator2 was unsure of what exactly his father had struck during the incident. Cpl made contact with the forensic investigator at 0104 hours and took over the remaining investigation following his arrival at Chesapeake Beach. 

    At this time the investigation has been turned over to the Criminal Investigations Section.

    All events occurred in Calvert County, Maryland.

Ches Bay & Tribs-Bay Brg-Cove 
Chesapeake Beach              