On Sunday March 5th, 2023, at approximately 5 PM TWRA officers responded to Ross’s Landing Marina on Nickajack lake in Chattanooga for the report of a two-vessel collision. Officers were told that the collision was involving a dark colored Bullet brand bass boat and a white colored personal watercraft. Once officers arrived on scene they had learned that the operator of the personal watercraft had already been taken to Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga. 

Officers had then learned that the bass boat had headed north bound on the Tennessee River. I, Wildlife Officer had then requested that another responding officer start towards the Tennessee Riverpark, which was one of two boat ramps north of where the incident had taken place. Once the officer had arrived at the Tennessee Riverpark, he was able to locate a dark colored Bullet bass boat with noticeable damage to the front of the vessel. After speaking with the operator and passenger of the vessel they had stated that they observed a white PWC driving around the columns of the Market St Bridge. As they were going underneath the bridge, they had observed the PWC operator looking over his left shoulder while making a right-hand turn. After the PWC operator had turned his head to look over his right shoulder and see the bass boat it was too late and the two vessels collided. The operator of the PWC was ejected and landed in the water facedown. The operators of the bass boat had immediately rendered first aid to him by pulling him from the water. Once he was pulled from the water he had made statements to the passengers of the bass boat that were, “was there anyone else of the boat with me?”. The bass boat had taken the injured party to the shore where they were waiting for an ambulance. Once the ambulance arrived on scene, the injured PWC operator was taken to the hospital. Officers had interviewed the operator of the PWC at the hospital but was unable to recall the collision. He was however able to answer that he had departed from a near by island before the collision.
NICKAJACK RESERVOIR
CHATTANOOGA                   