ON 6/17/23 AROUND 6:45PM, VESSEL 1 WAS BEING OPERATED BY OPERATOR IN THE AREA BETWEEN NAVIGATIONAL MARKER 12 AND M1 IN THE MAIN CHANNEL NEAR HAGER CREEK UPON THE WATERS OF LAKE NORMAN.  VESSEL 1 WAS POSITIONED NORTHWEST TOWARDS MOUNTAIN CREEK AND TRAVELING NORTH TOWARDS THE HAGER'S CREEK RAMP AT A SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH.  AS THE OPERATOR WAS ROUNDING A PENINSULA, HE BEGAN TO MAKE A GRADUAL RIGHT TURN.  AS THE VESSEL MANEUVERED AND TOOK ON A NEW BEARING/HEADING, THE OPERATOR FAILED TO SEE TWO APPROACHING WAVES/WAKES IN TIME TO TAKE PREVENTATIVE ACTION.  AS THE WAKES CONVERGED, THEY FORMED A WAKE/WAVE TWICE AS BIG AT THE POINT OF INTERSECTION.  AS VESSEL 1 STRUCK THE INTERSECTION POINT OF THE WAVE/WAKE, THE OCCUPANT BECAME BRIEFLY AIRBORNE WHILE HOLDING ON TO THE SEAT.  THE VESSEL LANDED BACK ON THE WATER, THEN THE OCCUPANT CAME DOWN AND THE BACK OF HER HEAD STRUCK THE LEFT SIDE WAKE TOWER POLE.  AFTER FALLING IN THE VESSEL, ANOTHER OCCUPANT WHO WAS UNINJURED HELD THE INJURED PARTY'S HEAD FOR STABILITY AND BLOOD LOSS PREVENTION.  THE OPERATOR MANEUVERED THE VESSEL TO THE CLOSEST DOCK AND CALLED FOR MEDICAL SERVICES.  THE INJURED OCCUPANT WAS TRANSPORTED BY EMS TO THE HOSPITAL WHERE SHE WAS TREATED FOR INJURIES TO HER HEAD, NECK AND SPINAL COLUMN.

***PLEASE NOTE:  THIS REPORT WAS MANUALLY ENTERED INTO BARD DUE TO CONTINUED TRANSMISSION ISSUES BETWEEN REPORT BEAM AND BARD.***


*****BARD, PLEASE DO NOT DELETE THIS REPORT*****


**********END OF REPORT**********
LAKE NORMAN
MOORESVILLE                   