At approximately 13:50 hrs on 7/0/2023, raleigh communications dispatched lt and i to a boating incident on falls lake.  The incident involved two vessels and three individuals.  

Vessel 1 was occupied one time by a single operator.  When we arrived, the vessel 1 operator was still on the scene and was on board his father’s vessel that was not involved in the incident.  

The second vessel had two male occupants.  One of the occupants of vessel 2 was removed from the scene and transported to holly point state park by fire personnel.  Occupant 1 of vessel 2 was transported to duke hospital for treatment.  

On impact, the second occupant of vessel 2 was thrown out of the vessel and into the water.  Fire and rescue were actively searching for the second occupant of vessel 2.  

When Lt. and i arrived at the scene, Lt. and officer spoke to operator 1 and his father at the scene of the incident.  Lt. and Ofc.1 asked operator 1 if he needed medical attention and he stated he did not need medical attention.  Lt asked the owner of vessel 1 if he could look at the lowrance gps unit on vessel 1.  The father who was the registered owner of vessel 1 told Lt. and i that we could look at whatever we needed to and do whatever we needed to with vessel 1.  

Lt. briefly looked at the lowrance gps unit on vessel 1 in hopes of locating a point of contact so that the search crews could narrow their search area.  

Operator 1 told Ofc.1 that he was heading back to upper barton creek due to the storm.  He had been bass fishing that morning and quit fishing due to the thunderstorm.  Operator 1 told Ofc.1 that it was raining heavily and that it was thundering and lightening.  He also said the rain and wind was very bad, and visibility was low.  He also said he entered the s curve on falls lake and was making the turn between the buoy and the bank when his vessel v1 and vessel 2 made contact with each other in the s curve.  Operator 1 said there was another vessel in the area that witnessed the incident.  

After the collision, operator 1 turned his vessel around to provide assistance to vessel 2.  The witnesses and operator 1 assisted the injured occupant from vessel 2 to get medical attention.  Operator 1 said the injured occupant from vessel 2 was asking about his friend that was on the boat with him.  This is when operator 1 and witnesses realized there was a missing person in the water.  

Operator 1 said vessel 2 was traveling upstream from highway 98 heading towards holly point state park.  At this time, lt drove vessel 1 and the operator of vessel 1 back to upper barton creek baa.  Upon arrival there, operator 1's grandfather was on scene and backed vessel 1's trailer down the boat ramp.  Lt loaded vessel 1 on the trailer so that Ofc.1 could examine the vessel and collect evidence.  

Ofc.1 took pictures of vessel 1 and collected the lowrance gps unit and garmin gps unit.  Operator 1 completed a 4.1 form in the company of his grandfather and returned it to Ofc.1.  Operator 1 left with his mother to be examined by medical personnel.  At this time, officer wood arrived at upper barton creek baa to assist in the investigation.  Lt. and Ofc.1 returned to the scene of the incident to secure vessel 2 and document its contents.  Lt., Ofc.1 towed vessel 2 to b w wells state park boat ramp to remove it from the waterway.  Officer seized the garmin gps unit out of vessel 2.  Oficers assisted in the search efforts to recover the missing occupant of vessel 2 from falls lake.  The search efforts lasted for two days.  On the evening of monday, 7/10/2023, the victim was recovered from falls lake at 19:45 hours.


FALLS LAKE
WAKE FOREST                   