On 08/19/2023 at approximately 11:00 PM I, Officer First Class, of the Maryland Natural Resources Police (assigned to Charles County), responded to the area of Aqualand Marina in Newburg, Md. for reports of a vessel that struck an unknown object in the water, resulting in injured people aboard the vessel. 

According to the report relayed to me from the communications dispatcher, Charles County 911 services reported that a subject reported that there was one male patient aboard the vessel that was semi 
 conscious, and one injured child with unspecified injuries. 

I arrived on scene at Aqualand Marina at approximately 11:10 PM. Upon arrival, I observed several Charles County fire and EMS vehicles with emergency lights activated, located near the boat dock on Clifton Creek. I was immediately met by Deputy Fire Chief (of Newburg Fire Company). Chief told me that he and his crew arrived on scene at Aqualand at approximately 11:00 PM and observed a yellow and white vessel matching the description of the distressed vessel reported to him, already tied to the dock on Clifton Creek. Chief said he observed six people aboard the vessel and each person aboard the vessel verbally confirmed to him that all persons were accounted for with no one missing.

 Chief told me the occupants of the vessel reported to him that they were underway and struck an unknown object causing the vessel to come to an abrupt stop at which time all occupants of the vessel were thrown onto the deck of the vessel. According to Chief, there were three people in two ambulances, being evaluated by emergency medical personnel for injuries consistent with a vessel accident in which the vessel occupants were rapidly launched into a fixed object.

I entered one of the ambulances where two female juvenile victims were being treated by EMS for lacerations to the upper body and face. I observed blood stains on the clothing of each patient. Each patient appeared alert, coherent, and responsive.

I interviewed Victim6, and she told me that she was seated on the vessel while it was traveling at speeds of approximately 20 MPH. Victim6 told me the vessel was being operated near the vicinity of the Harry Nice Bridge on the Potomac River, and they were headed back to Port Tobacco Marina where the vessel is kept. 

According to Victim6, the vessel struck something, “Left behind from the old bridge,” and she said it was, “Big and white.” Victim6 said at that moment she hit her head on something hard and both she and Subject1 were thrown to the front of the vessel. Victim6 told me she lost consciousness and when she awoke, she had a nosebleed and a laceration on her head. According to Victim6, that's when Victim3 dialed 911 and Operator drove the boat to the dock at Aqualand Marina.

I interviewed Subject1, and she told me that she was seated on the vessel while it was traveling at speeds of approximately 20 MPH. Subject1 told me the vessel was being operated by Operator, near the vicinity of the Harry Nice Bridge on the Potomac River. According to Subject1, they were on their way to Port Tobacco Marina from a restaurant when the vessel struck something in the water. 

Subject1 said she and Victim6 were launched into the air, and she hit something on the vessel and lost consciousness. Subject1 was unsure of what she hit. 

EMS personnel requested that I pause my interview, so they can tend to the patient, so I stopped my questioning. As I exited the ambulance I was met by Chief. Chief informed me that the vessel owner was in the remaining ambulance, and he was accompanied by another passenger of the vessel who is currently a deputy with the Charles County Sheriff's Office and is the person that dialed 911. I entered the remaining ambulance and observed a male adult patient being treated by EMS personnel. 

Subject1 appeared alert, coherent, and responsive. Subject1 had no shirt on, and I observed dark bruising on his torso and dry blood on his head and face. Subject1 told me he was the vessel owner, and he allowed Operator to operate the vessel. According to Subject1, they were traveling at speeds of approximately "20 knots" when the vessel struck an unknown object in the water. Subject1 said at the time of the collision they were approximately one quarter mile south of the Harry Nice bridge on the Potomac River, traveling north. Subject1 said when the vessel struck the object, he was thrown into a hard surface on the boat and sustained lacerations and bruising. Subject1 told me that all occupants of the vessel were accounted for, and no one was missing. At that time, I observed Subject1 verbally refuse further treatment from the EMS personnel. Subject1 repeated several times that he was okay and did not want to be transported to the hospital or receive any further treatment. 

As I spoke to Subject1 in the ambulance there was another adult passenger of the vessel present. After I exited the ambulance, I spoke to Subject2 and asked if she was the person that dialed 911. She told me she was. I asked Subject2 to give me her account of what happened, and she told me that she was aboard Subject1’s vessel and Operator was operating the vessel. Subject2 said the vessel struck something, but she wasn’t sure what they struck. According to Subject2, all occupants of the vessel were thrown to the deck upon the collision. 

Subject2 told me she refused medical attention and was ok. 

I joined Officers at the boat dock located on Clifton Creek where I observed a yellow and white 22 foot Chaparral 224 Sunesta speed boat (bearing Maryland registration) tied to the dock. I observed a large pile of shattered glass scattered on the deck of the vessel. I also observed what appeared to be blood stains on the cushions of the bow seating of the vessel. 

The vessel had dents and gashes on the bottom portion of the vessel, towards the bow on its port side, just above the waterline with scratches in the paint as well.  Officer informed me that Operator identified himself as being the operator of the vessel when it struck the object in the water.  Officer informed me that operator’s wife stated she was uninjured and verbally refused medical treatment. Officer told me that he conducted a safety inspection of the vessel, and it was missing visual distress signals as required by 08.18.04.03 of COMAR.

I conducted an interview of Operator and asked him his account of the events that led up to the call to 911. Operator told me that he was operating the vessel at speeds of 20 MPH and the vessel was on plane. A vessel is on plane when the vessel’s hull rises up out of the water, and that vessel's hull skims over the surface of the water as the vessel reaches a fast enough speed. This was a clear indication that the vessel was exceeding six knots, based on my training, knowledge, and experience. Operator told me that he was operating the vessel in the middle of the Potomac River with th

Operator was charged with BUI, Reckless and negligent operation, failure to carry VDS, and Exceeding 6 knots in speed zone.
9610 Orland Park Road, Newburg
Newburg                       