On May 30, 2023, at approximately 6:00pm, MDWFP Officer 1 received a call from a Corps of Engineers employee reporting a possible one vessel boating accident on the Columbus Lake main channel of the Tennessee Tombigbee Waterway. MDWFP Officers 1, 2, and 3 responded by patrol boat to the location described and found an unoccupied 20ft. Triton pontoon boat crashed into the river bank of the main channel of the Columbus Lake section of the Tennessee Tombigbee Waterway in Clay County, MS approximately 1/2 mile south of Waverly Boat Landing. Officers found the vessel stationary and lodged into the river bank with severe damage. Officers searched the immediate area including the water and river bank for persons involved but found nobody present or evidence of injuries. Officers then documented and investigated the scene. Officers also checked local hospitals for any injured victims with none reported and made initial contact by phone with the registered owner (Operator). Operator stated he was operating the vessel at the time of the incident (5/30/2023, 5:00pm) alone and experienced a medical episode when he lost consciousness while underway and heading north in the river channel which resulted in the vessel colliding into the river bank. Operator stated no other vessels were involved, he was not injured, and there were no witnesses. After the collision, Operator stated he called a friend to come pick him up and he left the scene. Officers documented the safety equipment onboard and the damage to the vessel. The damage included collision damage to the port and starboard sides of the bow, the vessel canopy torn off and hanging from the vessel from impact to the tree limbs, damage to the two pontoons, and motor damage from impact to the bank. Officers 1 and 3 met with Operator on 6/1/2023 and got him to complete the vessel operator report. Based on Operator statement and evidence at the scene, Officers concluded Operator may have experienced a medical episode and collided with a fixed object being the river bank and trees along the immediate bank area. There was no sign of vessel equipment failure. Officers were not able to determine if Operator was impaired at the time of the incident and did not charge Operator with any criminal charges. Since Operator left the scene and did not seek medical treatment afterwards, Officers base the medical episode cause only on Operator statement.
Tennessee Tombigbee Waterway C
Columbus                      