SYNOPSIS

The following narrative documents my investigation into a 1984 Chaparral motorboat that ran aground at Conchas Lake. The incident took place on the evening of Friday, August 4, 2023. It caused approximately $5,500 in damage to the vessel. There were no injuries reported.

NARRATIVE

On Monday, August 14, 2023, I was notified of a motorboat that had run aground at Conchas Lake. The impact caused scrapes to the gelcoat and fiberglass penetration along the keel and chines.

At 11:00 a.m. on Friday, August 18, 2023, I interviewed the motorboat operator by phone. He said that on Friday, August 4, 2023, he was operating a 1984 Chaparral motorboat with registration number. The sun had set and it was dark. He was following the lighted Safe Water Marks (commonly referred to as "mid-channel buoys" or "fairway buoys") from Rattlesnake Island back to the boat ramp at Conchas Lake State Park.

At approximately 10:00 p.m. he noticed that he was about to run aground but it was too late. The boat ran up on shore. A lighted Safe Water Mark was on shore right next to the impact location. As verified by photographs submitted by the vessel owner, damage to the vessel includes scratches and scrapes to the gelcoat and fiberglass penetration along the keel and chines. According to the operator, the cost of repairs is estimated to be $5,500. No damage to the engine or other components of the vessel was reported.

On Monday, August 14, 2023, New Mexico State Parks employees removed the buoy from shore.

On Monday, August 21, 2023, Officer and I visited the incident location. We found where the buoy had been at the time of the incident. Nearby, we observed signs that a vessel had run aground. These include several small pieces of fiberglass and damage to the rock formation. The indicators formed a linear path that is consistent with the vessel's direction of travel according to statements made by the operator. A pair of traffic cones was employed to mark the vessel's path upon leaving the water. A third cone was used to mark the buoy location (see photographs).

At approximately 1:00 p.m., I inspected the buoy in the Conchas Lake State Park shop yard. There was no hardware or cable attached to the anchor eye, suggesting that the buoy had broken free of its rigging and floated to shore.

CONCLUSION

At or about 10:00 p.m. on Friday, August 4, 2023, the above-described motorboat ran aground on Conchas Lake, causing approximately $5,500 of damage. Based on all statements and information, I concluded that (1) an off-station navigation aid contributed to the incident; (2) visibility limited by nighttime conditions contributed to the incident; and (3) the operator failed to maintain a proper lookout by all available means appropriate in the prevailing conditions, resulting in the incident.

Audio recording file titled "PUMA0920.MP3", fourteen photographs, and the vessel owner's notification of incident are associated with this report.

End of Report.

Conchas Lake
Conchas Dam                   