On September 23rd at approximately 1540 hours I, Game Warden, was notified of a boating incident on Lake Sinclair by dispatch. Dispatch advised that a jet ski had struck a boat but that no one was injured in this incident. I reached out to the boat owner who called in the incident. After speaking with Operator1, I advised that he and the other party should go to Crooked Creek Marina, due to where the incident happened on the lake. I called Putnam dispatch and asked if they could have a deputy wait with them until I could get there.

When I arrived on scene I spoke with Operator1 and the operator of the jet ski. Operator1 advised that he was traveling south on Lake Sinclair between Oconee Springs Park and Crooked Creek Marina in his Eliminator speedboat. Operator1 stated that he saw the jet ski to his right which was also traveling south and another boat with a knee boarder to his left that was traveling south. Operator1 stated that the jet ski to his right was traveling with another vessel that was to his right. Operator1 stated that the jet ski was following closely with that other vessel to Operator1’s right. Operator1 was operating his vessel between the two when the knee boarder to his left fell. 

The jet ski then attempted to cut across boat traffic to get to the knee boarder who fell. When this occurred the jet ski struck Operator1’s vessel on the starboard side just in front of the operator’s console. Operator1 stated that he tried to turn his vessel to the left to avoid collision. Operator1 stated that he was traveling at approximately 30 miles an hour when this occurred. Operator1 stated that he was over 100 feet away from the jet ski to his right and the boat to his left when he was operating between the two. 

When I spoke with Operator2, she advised that she was traveling south on Lake Sinclair with her party, the boat that had a knee boarder and another vessel when the incident occurred. Operator2 stated that she was being a lookout for the vessel with a wake boarder when the wake boarder fell. Operator2 stated she then looked over her left shoulder and did not see Operator1’s vessel. Operator2 stated that she then attempted to cross to her left to go to the downed knee boarder. Operator2 stated that she then saw Operator1’s vessel come out of no where and tried to turn right to avoid collision. Operator2 stated that she was not injured and that she was wearing a life jacket during the incident. At the time I did not see any damages to the jet ski while it was tied to the dock at the marina. 

After speaking with both parties and taking pictures of the damages to Operator1’s boat, I charged Operator2 with rules of the road violation. I explained that she failed to yield to Operator1’s boat and that he was the stand on vessel. I explained that she attempted to cross boat traffic without giving a proper look out. 

At the time of the incident Operator2 told me that she thought she had boater's education but was not sure. After further investigation it was found that she did not have it. Due to the distance to her home I asked Corporal to meet with Operator2. Corporal met with Operator2 to give her the citation I issued to her for operating without boater's education. 



Lake Sinclair
EATONTON                      