ON AUGUST 18TH, 2023, A VESSEL CAPSIZED NEAR THE PINNEY BLUFF BOATING ACCESS AREA IN FORSYTH COUNTY ON BELEWS LAKE. AFTER ARRIVING ON SCENE, OFFICER HAD ALREADY DETERMINED WHO THE OPERATOR WAS. THERE WERE SEVEN PASSENGERS ON THE VESSEL, ONE OF WHICH WAS A CHILD THAT WAS SEEN WEARING AN APPROVED PFD BY SEVERAL WITNESSES. ACCORDING TO BOTH THE OPERATOR AND PASSENGERS, IT HAD GOTTEN LATE AND THE BOAT WAS LOW ON GAS, SO THEY STARTED TO HEAD TOWARDS THE PINNEY BLUFF ACCESS AREA. AT THAT TIME, THEY REALIZED THE RIGHT PONTOON WAS TAKING ON WATER AND THE BOAT WAS LEANING THAT DIRECTION. THEY TOOK A FEW WRONG TURNS DUE TO THE LAKE BEING DARK, AND THE OPERATOR FINALLY REALIZED THE MISTAKE AND HEADED TOWARDS PINNEY BLUFF. THE OPERATOR STATED HE KEPT THE BOAT NEAR THE SHORE THINKING THE BOAT MAY SWAMP, HE HAD ALL PASSENGERS MOVE TO THE LEFT FRONT OF THE VESSEL TO TRY AND BALANCE IT BUT SHORTLY AFTER THE PONTOON CAPSIZED. NOBODY WAS INJURED DURING THIS INCIDENT.
BELEWS LAKE
BELEWS CREEK                  