On July 2, 2023, at approximately 1300 hrs, I responded to the Jetties outside of Norriego Point in reference to a boating accident involving a Sheriffs Office Patrol vessel and a Pontoon vessel. V1, 22’ Tidewater was towing and conducting a boating safety inspection on V2, 24’ Bently Pontoon boat. V1 was hip towing on V2s starboard side. During the tow V1 got close to the jetties and hit a submerged rock with V2s port pontoon, causing it to break the weld on the stern of the pontoon and water started to flood inside the pontoon. V2 damage consisted of stern pontoon damage, dents in the port pontoon towards the bow. The port side panel on the upper deck, amidships has a dent. I estimate the damage to be around 5,000. After looking up the price for a new pontoon and labor I came to this conclusion. 
INTERVIEWS

V2 wanted a vessel safety inspection done on his vessel by the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office patrol vessel so he could receive a boating safety inspection decal. V1 conducted a vessel stop on V2 to conduct a vessel safety inspection. V1 moored to V2s starboard side with 2 fenders in between. V1 tied off with a bow line and a stern line to connect the vessels. The vessel stop started outside of the Destin harbor, south of the Destin bridge, both boats were pointed south towards Destin pass, near Buoy 11. 
V1 towed V2 south towards the Destin pass and alongside the jetties around Norriego Point. While conducting the vessel safety inspection, the operator of V1 realized he was getting close to the rocks and attempted to tow V2 away from the rocks. This is when V1 dragged V2s port pontoon over a submerged rock, causing it to break the weld on the port pontoon, allowing water to intrude the pontoon. 


ASSESSMENTS/INSPECTIONS

(V1) No damage. 

(V2) Damage was sustained to the port side pontoons stern weld, a dent on the port side pontoon towards the bow,  the upper deck panel dented amidships on the port side from a fender that the V2 operator placed while an FWC patrol vessel towed the vessel from the accident location towards Joes Bayou boat ramp.  

ACCIDENT ANALYSIS

PRE-ACCIDENT 

V1 was on a vessel stop conducting a vessel safety inspection on V2. V1 was towing V2 south towards the pass, near the east jetties outside of Norriego Point and within the idle speed/no wake zone.
 
ACCIDENT

The operator of V1 noticed he was getting close to the rocks and attempted to tow V2 away from the rocks, when V2s port pontoon at the stern hit a submerged rock and caused the weld to break on the port pontoon. This allowed water to intrude the port side pontoon and threaten to capsize the vessel. 

POST ACCIDENT

After V1 towed V2 into the submerged rock, V1 towed the vessel off the submerged rock and disengaged “untied the vessels.” V2 then beached the boat nearby to assess the damages.  An FWC patrol vessel then put V2 in hip tow and assisted the operator with returning to the Joes Bayou Boat Ramp. 


CONCLUSIONS

Based on the evidence and information gathered to date, the operator of V1 had V2 in hip tow while performing a boating safety inspection. During the vessel stop, the operator of V1 allowed both vessels to drift into shoal waters, resulting in the port pontoon of V2 striking a submerged object. The impact caused a dent in the pontoon towards the bow and the integrity of V2’s pontoon at the stern to fail and open it up to water intrusion. V2 further sustained minor damage to the port side upper deck panel from a fender that operator of V2 placed there while an FWC patrol vessel was tied along V2s port side. 

I have not received a repair quote from the owner of V2 as of 07/13/23. After researching the replacement parts needed to repair the damage to V2 and estimating the labor fees, I concluded the estimated damage total to be approximately  $5,000.
Bay/sound
DESTIN                        