On 7/1/2023, at approximately 17:00 hrs, a boating incident occurred on mountain island lake.  The incident involved a pontoon boat with 4 people on board and 4 swimmers.  The pontoon was in the area near the sandbar closest to earnst pt.  The vessel and occupants were assisted by a nearby boater, charlotte mecklenburg police department, gaston county police department and local fire departments.  The vessel and all 8 people were taken to the neck road boat ramp.

Gaston county dispatch notified ncwrc dispatch of the incident with a possible drowning and stomach injury at 17:02.  I, ncwrc officer and sgt arrived at the neck road boat ramp at 17:31.  Sgt arrived at 17:32.  Five additional members of ncwrc law enforcement also arrived on scene and/or went to cmc main with the victims.  

Before the incident occurred, the pontoon boat was at anchor on the sandbar.  At that time, subject1 and a female juvenile were swimming on the sandbar.  Both girls were associated with the pontoon boat.  Six people were on board the pontoon boat still at anchor.  

The juvenile swimmer, who was wearing a pfd, floated into the channel and became in distress.  Subject2 then got off the boat to help the juvenile but did not make it to her.  Subject3, who was on the boat, jumped into the water and swam after the juvenile.  Subject3 started going under and became in distress also.  

Two others, who were both on the boat, pulled the anchor up.  Subject4 drove the boat towards the swimmers.  Subject4 positioned the boat between the three girls who were towards the front of the boat on the left side and subject3 who was towards the rear left side of the boat.  

The boat was in the channel facing east with the sandbar on the left side.  Subject4 turned off the pontoon boat motor and jumped off the back to render aid to subject3.  In doing so, subject4 was struck by the propeller in the torso.  At the time of the incident, three people were on board the vessel.  

A nearby boater who came to render aid.  He did not see the incident happen, but he helped get the people out of the water.  All the people in the water were accounted for and able to get back onto the pontoon or the Good Sam boat.  911 was called and the pontoon boat went to neck road boat ramp, which was approximately 1.5 miles away.

Subject4 and subject3 received medical aid from charlotte police and first responder.  Mecklenburg ems transported both men to cmc main.  Subject4's injury consisted of a propeller strike requiring surgery.  Subject3's injury was swimming related.

The vessel was a rental boat.  The vessel did not have any damage and was released to the owner.
No alcohol or drugs contributed to this incident.


MTN ISLAND LAKE
MOUNT HOLLY                   