ON 4/21/23, AT APPROXIMATELY 13:00 HRS, VESSEL 1 OPERATED BY OPERATOR AND OCCUPIED BY PASSENGER AND OWNED BY OWNER WAS TRAVELING EAST ON THE BOGUE SOUND.

AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, VESSEL 1 WAS CRUISING WEST OF THE ATLANTIC BEACH BRIDGE AND STRUCK WHAT WAS INVESTIGATED AND DETERMINED TO BE A FIXED, SUBMERGED OBJECT IN THE WATER.  THE OPERATOR OF VESSEL 1 WAS IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED BY TWO DIVISION OF MARINE PATROL OFFICERS WHO NOTIFIED THE OPERATOR THAT HE STRUCK A SUBMERGED PILING FROM A DAMAGED FLOATING NAVIGATIONAL BUOY.  VESSEL 1 SUFFERED DAMAGES ESTIMATED BY PORTSIDE MARINA OF APPROXIMATELY $8000.00 TO THE PORT SIDE MOTOR, LOWER UNIT, PROPELLER, FIBERGLASS HULL AND TRANSDUCER.  BASED ON THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE INVESTIGATION, IT IS CONCLUDED THAT THE OPERATOR DID NOT CONTRIBUTE TO THE INCIDENT BASED ON THE INABILITY TO SEE THE SUBMERGED OBJECT WHILE UNDERWAY.  DURING THIS INVESTIGATION, THERE WERE NO FINDINGS OF EQUIPMENT NOR MACHINERY FAILURE FROM VESSEL 1.  


***PLEASE NOTE:  THIS REPORT WAS MANUALLY ENTERED INTO BARD DUE TO CONTINUED TRANSMISSION ISSUES BETWEEN REPORT BEAM AND BARD. ***

****BARD, PLEASE DO NOT DELETE THIS REPORT*****


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BOGUE SOUND
MOREHEAD                      