         ON SATURDAY, MAY 27, 2023 AT 2:00 P.M. I, INDIANA CONSERVATION OFFICER 1, WAS NOTIFIED OF A MOTORBOAT ACCIDENT THAT OCCURRED FRIDAY NIGHT ON CEDAR LAKE IN LAKE COUNTY.      
       
         AT 2:30 P.M. I MET WITH OPERATOR, OPERATOR OF MOTORBOAT. ACCORDING TO OPERATOR, ON FRIDAY, MAY 26, 2023 AT APPROXIMATELY 11:00 P.M. SHE AND HER FRIENDS LEFT IN HER FATHER'S MOTORBOAT TO THE SOUTHEAST END OF CEDAR LAKE TO PICK UP A FRIEND. OPERATOR STATED THAT IT WAS COLD, BREEZY AND MODERATE WATER CONDITIONS AND THERE WERE NUMEROUS BLANKETS ON BOARD. ON THE WAY BACK, OPERATOR STOOD UP, REACHED TOWARDS THE BACK OF THE MOTORBOAT FOR A BLANKET. SOMEHOW HER FEET BECAME CAUGHT UP IN THE BLANKET AND SHE FELL FORWARD ONTO THE THROTTLE OF THE MOTORBOAT AND COULD NOT REGAIN CONTROL OF IT. THE BOAT TURNED TO THE LEFT AND STRUCK THE FLOATING DREDGE PIPELINE. THE BOAT CAME TO A HARD STOP AND STARTING TAKING ON A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF WATER. OPERATOR CALLED A FRIEND WHO TOWED THE BOAT BACK TO HER RESIDENCE WHERE IT WAS PLACED ON A BOAT LIFT. OPERATOR ADVISED NO ONE WAS INJURED WHEN THE COLLISION OCCURRED. OPERATOR ADVISED THAT THE BOAT WAS TRAVELLING JUST ABOVE IDLE SPEED PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. OPERATOR ALSO STATED SHE DID NOT SEE ANY LIGHTS ON A BUOY OR THE BOOSTER PUMP THAT NIGHT.    
     
         DAMAGE TO THE MOTORBOAT INCLUDED BREAKING OFF OF THE DRIVE SHAFT, PROPELLER AND RUDDER OF THE MOTORBOAT CAUSING A LARGE HOLE IN THE BOTTOM OF THE MOTORBOAT CAUSING APPROXIMATELY $25000 DAMAGE. DAMAGE TO THE PIPELINE WHERE THE PROPELLER HIT IT AND BECAME STUCK.   
     
         AT 6:00 P.M. I MET WITH A SUPERVISOR FOR DREDGE AMERICA. SUPERVISOR ADVISED THE NIGHT OF MAY 26 HE COULD SEE THE LIGHTS WORKING ON THE BUOY AND BOOSTER PUMP. FROM THE BOOSTER PUMP SOUTH TO THE LIGHTED BUOY IS APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET. SUPERVISOR ESTIMATED A FIVE FOOT SECTION OF THE PIPELINE WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED. COST OF REPAIR TO THE PIPELINE IS ESTIMATED AT $5000.00    
     
         AT 9:00 P.M. I PARKED SOUTH OF THE LIGHTHOUSE RESTAURANT IS A VACANT LOT. I COULD VISUALLY SEE THE LIGHTS ON THE BUOY AND BOOSTER PUMP WERE OPERATIONAL.    
     
         ON SUNDAY, MAY 28, 2023 AT APPROXIMATELY 2:30 P.M. I MET WITH PASSENGER, WHO WAS A PASSENGER IN THE MOTORBOAT, AT CEDAR LAKE POLICE DEPARTMENT WITH HER MOTHER BECAUSE SHE IS 16 YEARS OLD. PASSENGER ADVISED THEY LEFT AT APPROXIMATELY 11:00 P.M. WITH OPERATOR OPERATING THE MOTORBOAT TO THE SOUTHEAST END OF THE LAKE TO PICK UP A FRIEND. PASSENGER SAID THEY WERE TRAVELLING JUST ABOVE IDLE SPEED BECAUSE IT WAS COLD OUT AND THERE WERE BLANKETS IN THE BOAT.ON THEIR WAY BACK OPERATOR STOOD UP AND REACHED BEHIND HER TO GRAB A BLANKET. WHEN OPERATOR GRABBED THE BLANKET,SHE FELL FORWARD HITTING THE THROTTLE. THE MOTORBOAT TOOK OFF PUSHING EVERYONE BACKWARDS. OPERATOR GRABBED THE STEERING WHEEL WITH HER LEFT HAND, AND IN DOING SO, TURNED THE BOAT LEFT INTO THE FLOATING DREDGE PIPELINE. WHEN THE PIPELINE WAS STRUCK, EVERYONE WENT FORWARD. WHEN THE MOTORBOAT CAME TO A STOP WATER STARTED COMING INTO THE BOAT. AT THAT POINT, A FRIEND WAS CALLED TO TOW THE BOAT BACK TO OPERATOR'S RESIDENCE. PASSENGER STATED THAT NO ONE WAS INJURED AND PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT THE MOTORBOAT WAS TRAVELLING JUST ABOVE IDLE. PASSENGER ESTIMATED THE BOAT WAS PROBABLY GOING 35 MPH OR SO WHEN THE PIPELINE WAS STRUCK.    
 
Cedar Lake
Cedar Lake                    