On May 20, 2023, at approximately 1615 hours, two vessels were involved in an incident on the Amite River in Ascension Parish near Prairieville when they collided causing significant damage to both.  V1 Operator was operating Vessel 1 upstream on the Amite River. V2 Operator was operating Vessel 2 downstream on the Amite River.  Vessel 1 was traveling on the wrong side of the waterway cutting the bend in the river, while Vessel 2 was on the correct side of the waterway. As the Vessel's approached one another, Vessel 1 continued to maneuver toward the wrong side of the waterway in violation of Navigation Rules of the Road Number (13) in a narrow channel, vessels will keep to the right of mid-channel, in accordance with LRS. 34:851.4A. The operator of vessel 2 continued to maneuver toward the right of mid-channel acting in accordance with Navigation Rules of the Road Number (13), until a collision was unavoidable.
    Upon conclusion of the investigation, evidence indicated the primary cause of the incident was V1 Operator's violation of Navigation Rules of the Road Number (13), by failing to maintain his vessel on the correct side of the waterway. The secondary cause for the incident was operator inattention by V1 Operator. The tertiary cause for the incident was a sharp turn in the waterway that limited the reaction time of both operators. V1 Operator was subsequently issued citation for the violation of LRS. 34:851.4 Careless Operation of a Watercraft.
    Both operators reported having all the required safety equipment aboard their vessels and were in use respectively at the time of incident. It's undetermined if impairment was a factor at this time. There were no injuries reported.
Amite River
Prairieville                  