On June 24, 2023, at approximately 2044 hrs., Officer 2 and Officer 1 were notified by Kentucky State Police Post 7 - Richmond of a boating incident with injury on Herrington Lake in Mercer County near Sunrise Shores Road and Lakeview Point Road (Harrodsburg, Ky.). 

At approximately 2030 hours Operator and Witness 2 were operating personal watercrafts heading south on Herrington Lake. With Witness 2 toward the center of the lake and Operator to his right, Operator, standing on the personal watercraft, veered to the right toward the bank. Operator attempted to navigate under a walkway connecting a dock to land when he came into contact with a cable below the walkway. Operator was thrown from the personal watercraft into the water when the cable made contact with his chest and upper arms before moving up to his neck and ejecting him. 

Witness 2 stated he observed Operator veering to the right and was unsure of Operator's intentions. Witness 2 looked away momentarily and then back toward Operator just in time to witness Operator being ejected from the personal watercraft into the water by the cable. 

Operator was wearing the engine cut-off switch and the personal watercraft was disabled once Operator was ejected. The personal watercraft floated forward but did not make contact with anything. The dock that the cable was connected to is owned by Dock Owner.

A nearby female, Witness 1, was on the bank and heard a noise she didn't recognize. When she turned around Witness 1 observed Operator in the water and assisted him to the bank. The incident was reported to Kentucky State Police Post 7 - Richmond at 2036 hrs. Rescue services arrived on scene at 2043 hrs., and at 2102 hrs. Bluegrass 911 was advised Operator was being transported to Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center in Danville, Ky. 

Officer 3 was notified at 2041 hrs. and Ofcs. 1 and 2 at 2046 hrs. Ofcs. 2 and 1 arrived on scene at 2126 hrs. and were unable to locate the jet ski or any witnesses until making contact with Witness 1 shortly after arriving on scene. 

The three officers met at Ephraim McDowell and were able to speak with Operator in the hospital room with his wife present. Ofc. 1 read Miranda Rights to Operator and asked Operator if he would answer some questions. Operator stated that he would answer some, but probably not all of the questions asked. Ofc. 1 explained the process of doing a boat accident report and then asked Operator what happened. When asked if he had consumed any alcoholic beverages that day, Operator declined to answer. 

Due to Operator's condition at the time, Ofc. 1 stated he would not collect all the information needed for the report and that Ofc. 1 would make contact later in the week to gather the remainder of information necessary to complete the report. 

Prior to leaving the hospital, Ofc. 1 checked with the medical staff at Ephraim McDowell as to when Operator might be released and was advised Operator would be transferred to the University of Kentucky Trauma Center that night.  
On Sunday, June 25 at approximately 1627 hrs., Ofc. 1 went back to the site and photographed the cables, dock and walkway. At that time, Ofc. 1 observed some fraying to the cable on the north side, but both cables were intact. 

Ofc. 1 contacted the UK Trauma Center Monday, June 26 in the afternoon to get an update on Operator's status and was advised he had not been released yet. 

On Friday, June 30, Ofc. 1 contacted Operator about meeting to gather the remainder of the information and was told Operator was available that evening at his residence. Upon making contact with Operator, Operator stated he would not provide the name and contact information for the owner of the personal watercraft, but Ofc. 1 could leave his contact information and Operator would pass it on to the owner. 
While collecting information for the report, Operator was asked again if he had any alcohol in his system the day of the incident and again he refused to answer the question. 

Operator had bruising to both upper arms as well as his neck. He stated he also sustained whiplash like symptoms.

On Monday, July 3, Operator sent a text message to Ofc. 1 with the contact information for the jet ski owner.

Upon a follow-up conversation with Dock Owner on July 12, Dock Owner stated a neighbor advised him on Monday, June 26 that he observed the north side cable had snapped and needed to be repaired. Ofc. 1 was unable to say with certainty that the cable snapped due to this incident as the cable was photographed still intact on June 25.  
 - OFFICER 1
HERRINGTON LAKE
BURGIN                        