Vessel 1 (V1) was moving upriver to begin another sweep while dip-netting for salmon. 

Vessel 2 (V2) was pulling ahead/away from V1, so V1 steered over into the wake of V2. The operator of V1 reached over to adjust a setting on the chart-plotter and did not see V2 come off step in the center of the channel. 

When the operator of V1 finally saw that V2 had stopped, the vessels were only about 20 feet apart and V1 was traveling at approximately 20mph. V1's operator made a sharp turn over to starboard and killed the throttle, but was unable to avoid contact with V2. 

The port side of V1 was completely out of the water during the maneuver and V2's starboard rear transom corner impacted the hull of V1 below the water line, about 2/3 of the way back from the bow. 

Both occupants of V2 were ejected without life jackets and the operator of V2 was not tethered to the engine cut-off switch. The operator of V1 turned back to port-side to begin rescue operations, but in the process, V2 began to circle under idle power to its starboard, ultimately impacting the starboard gunwale of V1 approximately 3 feet forward of the transom. 

V2 rode on V1's gunwale for a short time until dropping off. Other vessels came to assist the ejected occupants of V2 and were able to help them re-board their vessel. While helping to retrieve personal items belonging to V2's occupants, the operator of V1 realized that his vessel was taking on water very quickly. (The bilge pump was unable to keep up.) He was able to beach V1 on a mud bar so he could bail most of the water out, using a 5-gallon bucket. 

At that point, the operator ran V1 across to the docks by the launch to evacuate the other passengers onboard V1. He then beached V1 again on a mud bar below the docks until he was able to retrieve the trailer and remove V1 from the water. The owners/operators of both V1 and V2 met with and spoke to a Kenai Patrol Officer about the incident.

Kenai River
Kenai                         