On 07/18/23 at about 8:00 a.m. I, CPO 1, received an email from Sgt. 2 regarding a 07/17/23 boat accident on Channel Lake near Antioch, IL.  I told Sgt. 2 I would follow up on the email and contact the subjects involved in the accident.
 
At about 11:00 a.m., I met with V2 Operator, the complainant.  V2 Operator showed me the damage to his 1984 Skeeter boat.  The damage was confined to the cowling of the boat''s outboard motor.  I have attached pictures of the damage.  
 
V2 Operator said he was fishing, while anchored, on Channel Lake south of the channel into Lake Catherine. V2 Operator indicated it was about 8:50 p.m. and, as such, was not completely dark.  V2 Operator said the bow of his boat was facing West.  V2 Operator said he had his stern light illuminated as required, when another boat approached from the South.  V2 Operator told me he "hollered", waved his arms, and jumped up and down in his boat trying to get the attention of the other operator (later identified as V1 Operator).  V2 Operator indicated the other operator must have seen him at the last second and was able to swerve to the East.  However, the hull of V1 Operator's boat did hit the outboard cowling of V2 Operator's vessel; making a crack in the fiberglass of the cowling measuring about 6 inches.
 
V2 Operator said he yelled at V1 Operator and that V1 Operator was belligerent, at first.  V2 Operator said V1 Operator calmed down and was cooperative after the initial shock of the crash.  V2 Operator said he and V1 Operator exchanged information and V1 Operator then left the scene.  However, when V2 Operator tried to start his engine, he noticed it was not running smoothly.  V2 Operator said he returned to the launch at Musky Tales, a short distance away, and called V1 Operator.  V2 Operator then told V1 Operator he was going to file a police report. 
 
I took photos of the damage to V2 Operator's watercraft and have attached them to this report.
 
On 07/18/23 at about 2:00 p.m., I met V1 Operator at his residence.  I photographed the rub marks on V1 Operator's vessel caused by the impact with V2 Operator's outboard.  The photos are attached to this report.  I asked V1 Operator about the boat crash, and he confirmed the story V2 Operator told me.  V1 Operator also provided me with a written statement, which I have attached to this report.  In the statement, V1 Operator admits responsibility for the boat crash.  As such, I issued V1 Operator a written warning for Careless Operation of a Watercraft.  After issuing the written warning, I cleared the scene.  EOR
Channel Lake
Antioch                       