On July 1st, 2023, I (CPO 1) was contacted by the Calhoun County Sheriff''s Department. They advised a boat accident with personal injury had occurred at Rip Rap Landing. I arrived on scene at approximately 9:22am. The following narrative is based on the interviews of Operator and Witness.

On the morning of July 1st, 2023, Operator and his wife, Passenger/Injured, launched a boat on the Mississippi River at Rip Rap Landing in northern Calhoun County. Operator was operating the boat while Injured was sitting on the bow. Neither Operator nor Injured were wearing a PFD (personal flotation device). They were heading upriver to Clarksville Island for fishing. Operator was operating outside the navigation channel near Coon and Carroll Islands. It should be noted that Operator has extensive knowledge of this section of the river, as he commercially fishes for personal consumption. However, the sandbar struck by Operator did not exist three years ago.

At approximately 8:30 am, while traveling at approximately 25 mph, Operator struck an underwater sandbar, causing him to be thrown onto the floor of the boat. Injured rolled forward off the bow of the boat into the shallow water. The boat continued moving forward, running over Injured. The propeller struck Injured's left leg below the knee and her right calf. The propeller left multiple deep lacerations to Injured's left leg. Operator shut the boat off and jumped into the shallow water to help Injured. Injured directed Operator to cut a rope and put it around her left leg as a tourniquet. The tourniquet was applied less than 5 minutes after the accident occurred. 

Witness, who was fishing several hundred yards away, heard the boat hit the underwater sandbar. Witness heard Operator ask if Injured was okay, then he heard Operator yell for help. Witness drove his boat over to Injured. Witness and Operator lifted Injured onto Witness's boat and called 911. Operator and Witness drove their boats to the Rip Rap Landing Boat Launch. 

A helicopter was immediately dispatched to the Rip Rap Landing parking lot. The Pleasant Hill Fire Department, Spring Creek Medical, Calhoun County Ambulance Service, Pike County EMS, North Calhoun Fire Department, and AirEvac responded to the scene.

Injured was flown to Mercy Hospital in St. Louis, MO. Injured's left leg was amputated above the knee at the hospital. However, she is otherwise expected to make a full recovery.

I made the decision not to request a blood draw or BAC (blood alcohol concentration) from Operator. This decision was based on the following: no alcohol was on the boat, all parties involved denied consuming alcohol or drugs, and Operator did not show indicators of impairment, including no horizontal gaze nystagmus.
Mississippi River
Mozier                        