ON SATURDAY MAY 27, 2023, I, ICO 1, WAS PATROLLING ST. JOSEPH COUNTY WITH ICO 2 WHEN I WAS CONTACTED BY MARSHALL COUNTY DISPATCH ABOUT A BOAT ACCIDENT AT LAKE MAXINKUCKEE IN CULVER, IN. THEY INFORMED ME THE CRASH OCCURRED AT THE PUBLIC BOAT LAUNCH ON WEST SHORE DRIVE. 

UPON ARRIVAL TO THE LAKE MAXINKUCKEE PUBLIC BOAT LAUNCH, I OBSERVED ONE FISHING BOAT OVERTURNED AND TIED OFF TO ONE OF THE PIERS. THE BOAT REGISTRATION NUMBER WAS STILL ABOVE WATER. I ASKED ICO CENTRAL DISPATCH TO RUN THE REGISTRATION NUMBER. THEY INFORMED ME INDIANA BOAT REGISTRATION NUMBER BELONGED TO A MALE INDIVIDUAL NAMED OPERATOR. THERE WAS A MAN STANDING NEAR THE BOAT AND I CONFIRMED IT WAS THE OWNER, OPERATOR. 

I INTERVIEWED OPERATOR AND ASKED HIM WHAT HAPPENED. OPERATOR STATED HE WAS FISHING IN ABOUT FIVE FEET OF WATER AND USING HIS TROLLING MOTOR. HE CONTINUED SAYING THEY WERE MOVING ALONG WHEN HIS PARTNER SUDDENLY INFORMED HIM THERE WAS WATER COMING IN OVER THE BACK OF THE BOAT. OPERATOR STATED AT FIRST, HE THOUGHT HE MIGHT HAVE FORGOTTEN THE BOAT PLUG, BUT ON SECOND THOUGHT BELIEVED THE ONLY WAY THEY WERE TAKING ON WATER WAS THAT THE BILGE PUMP BROKE OFF AND WAS SUCKING WATER INTO THE BACK OF THE BOAT. HE SAID THE BOAT BEGAN TO SINK IMMEDIATELY AND INFORMED ME HE WAS CLOSE TO A PIER. OPERATOR SAID HE GOT OUT OF THE BOAT AND PULLED THE BOAT CLOSE TO THE PIER BEFORE WITNESS CAME AND TOWED THE BOAT BACK TO THE PIER WHERE IT WAS WHEN I ARRIVED. OPERATOR STATED THE BOAT STAYED UPRIGHT UNTIL THEY GOT IT BACK TO THE PUBLIC BOAT LAUNCH. ONCE BACK AT THE BOAT LAUNCH, THE BOAT TOOK ON ENOUGH WATER AND OVERTURNED. 

I LOCATED WITNESS AND CONFIRMED WHAT HAPPENED WITH HIM. WITNESS STATED HE WAS NEARBY WHEN OPERATOR'S BOAT BEGAN TAKING ON WATER. HE THEN WENT OVER AND TOWED OPERATOR'S BOAT BACK TO SHORE WHERE IT TOOK ON WATER AND OVERTURNED. REICHERT-KNEPP TOWING ARRIVED AND WAS ABLE TO GET THE BOAT OUT OF THE WATER AND ONTO A FLATBED TOW TRUCK TO BE TOWED AWAY.
Lake Maxinkuckee
Culver                        