On 5/9/23 at approximately 1803 hours, officers received a call for a vessel taking on water South of Flag Harbor Marina in the Chesapeake Bay. While en route to the location of the vessel, Calvert County dispatch advised that we could disregard at 1813 hours due to enough fire and EMS personnel on scene. 

They also advised that the vessel had run aground with one person onboard. At 1833 hours Calvert County called back advising fire boat 1 was pulling alongside of the vessel and would advise when they have the subject on board their vessel. At 1833 hours I advised all units from the Maryland Natural resources Police would be cancelling due to fire boat 1 making contact with the subject onboard and no reported injuries at that time. 

At 1857 hours Calvert dispatch advised that they would be taking the subject to Flag Harbor Marina for an EMS check-up due to a possible broken leg. At 1923 hours I was advised that Trooper was en route to fly out Victim due to the broken leg and was landing at Grover Field in St. Leonard. I responded to Grover Field to meet with EMS personnel and gather formation regarding the cause of the broken leg. I made contact with EMS at Grover Field where they advised me that while Victim was attempting to board fire boat 1, he fell causing his leg to get caught in the railing of his vessel ripping his leg open and causing a partial amputation. At 1950 hours Victim was loaded into Trooper and flown to Baltimore Shock Trauma. At 1951 hours I received Victim's personal effects from the EMS crew and made my way to the Indian Creek office to log his items into evidence for temporary holding.
   
    I arrived at the Indian Creek office to meet Ofc. to hand over evidence for logging. Ofc received Victim's personal belongings at 2046 hours. After handing over all of Victim's belongings I responded to North Beach Volunteer Fire Department to make contact with the boat crew from fire boat 1 and obtain statements as to the cause of Victim's injuries and what led up to the incident. Shortly after 2130 hours Ofc. and I met with the boat crew of fire boat 1 at the North Beach Volunteer Fire Department located at 8536 Bayside Rd Chesapeake Beach, MD 20732. Three firefighters provided written statements to the cause of Victim's injury.
   
    On 5/10/23 I responded out to Victim's vessel just South of Flag Harbor Marina. I documented the vessels condition, the vessels name, and registration number. Photographs of the vessel were obtained and uploaded to this report. I did not observe any structural damage to the vessel but did observe a broken bow cleat and broken rear railing that was indicated by North Beach Fire Department to be from the attempted towing of Victim's Vessel and the broken railing on the port stern to be from when Victim became caught resulting in his injury.

    On 5/10/23 Cpl. of the Maryland Natural Resources Police conducted an interview with Victim at the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore, Maryland. Victim's statement as recorded by Cpl. is attached. Cpl. interviewed and wrote Victim's statement due to Victim being unable to write at the time of the interview.

    Following the interview with Victim at Shock Trauma and collection of witness statements from firefighters on scene at the time of the incident, the following was learned about the case of Victim's injury. On 5/9/23 shortly after 1800 hours Victim made a distress call to the United States Coast Guard stating that his vessel was taking on water and he that had ran aground just South of Flag Harbor Marina in Calvert County, Maryland. 

Saint Leonard, North Beach, and Tilghman Island Volunteer Fire Departments responded out to his vessel in distress call. Upon arrival, they discovered a 28-foot sailing vessel ran aground with one person on board. North Beach Fire Department made two attempts to pull the vessel off the sandbar. During the first attempt the cleat that the towline was fashioned to broke free of the deck of the sailboat. 

During attempt two the line that North Beach Fire department had been using broke, and they were unable to free the vessel. Following the unsuccessful attempts to free the vessel North Beach advised Victim that they could either leave him on the vessel until Tow Boat US could free his vessel, or they could have him board their vessel and take him into Flag Harbor Marina. Victim advised that he would like to be taken into the marina. North beach VFD subsequently position their vessels bow along the port side of Victim's vessel. 

Victim attempted to climb onto the bow of the fire departments vessel, in doing so Victim fell and was caught by firefighters onboard. After falling Victim's foot became lodged on his vessel. As North Beach's vessel attempted to reposition to get Victim onboard a wave jostled the two vessels causing Victim to fall with his foot still wedged/caught. As Victim Fell he flipped over the wire railing of his vessel and caused a partial amputation of his left leg from the force of his body weight being flipped over the railing, but his leg failing to free itself from where it was stuck. After being injured, firefighters boarded Victim's vessel, freed his foot and applied a tourniquet to stop any more bleeding from the partially amputated limb. Victim was transferred by vessel to Flag Harbor where he was transported by St. Leonard EMS to Grover Field to be air lifted out by MSP helicopter Trooper.
   
   No follow-up investigation to be conducted. Mechanism of injury was identified. No police action to be taken.

    All events occurred in Calvert County Maryland. This case is closed.

1565 North Harbor Drive
St Leonaard                   