On 08/13/2023 at approximately 1957 hours, I was dispatched to a report of an injured female located at 1355 Adams Ferry Road in the Town of Panton. Dispatch advised the female had a seven-inch laceration, broken arm, and was going to be air lifted to the University of Vermont Medical Center. A Vergennes rescue member on scene told me the injured female had seven to eight lacerations running along her left arm and torso. Subject also advised the females arm was broken in multiple locations.

	I arrived at the Arnold Bay boat launch at approximately 2012 hours and spoke with the operator of the vessel that had struck the injured female. The operator told me he was operating the Stingray SVB165 bearing Vermont registration on Arnold Bay with two passengers on board. Operator1 told me he was traveling towards the Arnold Bay boat ramp to drop off Occupant1 after being in the middle of Arnold Bay with two other boats. Operator1 said while he was underway, he noticed one person swimming in the water and offered to give him a ride. Operator1 advised Swimmer declined, so he continued on briefly, before realizing he struck another person in the water. Operator1 told me he turned around and picked up Victim before bringing her back to the boat ramp. 

	While speaking with Operator1, I noticed his speech was slurred and his eyes were constricted, bloodshot, and watery. I could also smell the faint odor of intoxicants emanating from his person.
I subsequently asked Operator1 to undergo dexterity testing. Operator1 obliged. I asked Operator1 to take a Preliminary Breath Test (PBT) to which he obliged. At 2046 hours, Operator1’s BAC was measured at a .05%.

	I spoke with, a witness to the incident. Witness1 told me there were three boats tied together in the center of Arnold Bay. Witness1 told me he helped untie the Stingray SVB165 from the pontoon boat he was on. Witness1 said he observed Operator1 operating the Stingray SVB165 with Occupant1 in the passenger seat and Occupant2 in the front. Witness1 advised he heard a weird noise and observed something floating in the water. Witness1 said he jumped into the water and began swimming towards Victim, who was floating in the water. Witness1 told me Operator1 noticed him jump off the pontoon boat and shortly after, redirected the Stingray SVB165 towards himself and Victim. Witness1 advised Swimmer arrived at his location at the same time as the Stingray SVB165 and helped get Victim on the boat. Witness1 said the boat continued on towards the Arnold Bay boat launch after Victim was put on the vessel.

	I spoke with a second witness to the incident. Witness2 told me he was on the “tiki” boat in Arnold Bay when he heard a splash in the water. When he turned to look, he saw Victim floating in the water and Witness1 had jumped into the water, swimming towards her. Witness2 saw the Stingray SVB165 circled back to pick up Victim and bring her to shore.

	I spoke with a third witness to the incident. Witness3 told me he was on the “tiki” boat in the center of Arnold Bay when he heard a noise. Witness3 advised he turned around to look what the noise was and saw Witness1 holding Victim in the water. Witness3 told me he saw Operator1 turn around to pick up Victim, and continued on, bringing her to shore. Witness3 said prior to the collision between Victim and the vessel in question, he believed the boat was traveling approximately 5-10 MPH and the waves were approximately .5 - 1 foot in height. Witness3 advised Victim and Swimmer were swimming to a sailboat located in the center of Arnold Bay.

	I spoke with Victim who told me she had walked on the dock located at the Arnold Bay Boat Launch with plans to swim to a sailboat located near the tiki boat with Swimmer. Victim said Swimmer was going to enter the water just south of her after putting their bags down. Victim told me she waved at everyone who was located on the boats in the middle of Arnold Bay before jumping into the water. Victim advised she was wearing a yellow one-piece bathing suit and was swimming (breaststroke) towards the sailboat located near the three previous boats mentioned. Victim advised the waves were approximately .5-1 foot that evening. Victim said she remembered coming up to take a breath of air while swimming and saw the bow of a boat right on top of her. Victim told me all she remembered was being lifted out of the water and placed on the end of a boat.
	Victim told me she was in the hospital from the 13th of August to the 29th of August. Victim advised she sustain multiple injuries to include a collapsed left lung, multiple rib fractures, left scapula fracture, left arm fractured, and spinal fractures.

	Investigation revealed there were three boats located in the center of Arnold Bay, a Stingray SVB165, a pontoon boat, and a “tiki” boat, tied together, approximately 250 feet southwest from the Arnold Bay boat launch. There was a fourth boat, a sailboat, located 100 feet southwest of the three boats tied together. Water conditions were choppy (.5 - 1-foot waves) and visibility was good with a slight glare coming off the water from the setting sun. The Stingray SVB165 separated from the pontoon boat, traveling northeast from the center of Arnold Bay to the Arnold Bay boat launch with Operator1 driving, Occupant1 in the passenger seat, and Occupant2 in the front seating area of the vessel. 

While this was happening, Swimmer and Victim were swimming in the water after previously entering the water near the Arnold Bay boat launch, with intentions to swim out to the sailboat. More specifically, Victim had jumped in from the Arnold Bay boat launch dock and Swimmer entered the water from the shore, approximately forty feet south of the boat launch dock. Swimmer and Victim were approximately 150 feet offshore, swimming southwest towards the sailboat located in the center of Arnold Bay. Operator1 had stopped to ask Swimmer if he wanted a ride on the Stingray SVB165. Swimmer declined and Operator1 continued towards the Arnold Bay boat launch at approximately 5 – 10 MPH. 

	As the vessel continued on, it struck Victim, causing her left lung to collapse, multiple rib fractures, left scapula fracture, left arm fractured, and spinal fractures. Witness1, who was on the pontoon boat in the center of Arnold Bay, jumped in the water, swimming towards Victim who was floating in the water. Shortly after, Operator1 noticed Witness1 in the water, holding Victim. Operator1 redirected the vessel, picking up Victim, as well as Swimmer, who had swum over to Victim to assist. The Stingray SVB165 continued to the Arnold Bay boat launch where Victim was later airlifted to the University of Vermont Medical Center for life-threatening injuries. 

	Further investigation revealed Operator1 did not have a boating certificate and the Stingray SBV165 was not registered. Contributing factors to the incident included Operator1’s impairment, a glare coming off the water from the sun, and choppy water conditions – approximately .5 – 1-foot waves. While investigating the crash, I also noticed the driver seat on the vessel was not secured to the floor of the vessel. 

There is no history of the vessel on file in Vermont and the year of the vessel is unknown.

Lake Champlain
Panton                        