Man Injured In Lake Norman Boating Accident

CATAWBA COUNTY, N.C.,None — A man was injured in a Friday morning boating accident on Lake Norman.

RAW VIDEO: Unmanned Boat Spins After Accident

The accident happened near the Lake Norman Marina in Catawba County.

The man hit a wave and got knocked off the boat around 11 a.m., according to officers with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. His boat kept going and hit him, causing serious injuries to his leg.

The boat's propeller might have been what hit the man, officers said.

Boater Phil Jameson said he saw people trying to rescue the victim.

"He hit his own wake and it threw him out of the boat, and then the boat (came) around on him," Jameson said. "Thank goodness his friends were there."

Witnesses said the man's friends pulled him from the water after he swam outside the spinning boat's circle.

The man, whose name has not been released, was airlifted to Carolinas Medical Center for treatment.

The boat eventually ran out of gas and stopped on its own, about an hour after the accident.

Wildlife officers said boating injuries can often be prevented if boaters keep a lanyard hooked to kill switches, so that boats can be turned off in emergencies.

"They are on the boats and they are there for a reason, but most people just don't use them," said Officer Allen Carlisle.

In North Carolina, if a personal watercraft has a kill switch, the law says the lanyard must be attached to the operator.

In South Carolina, all personal watercraft are required to have some sort of engine cutoff device.

Eyewitness News reporter Dave Faherty is working to gather more information about the accident and the man who was injured. He'll have the latest starting at 5 p.m. on Channel 9.

More Information: North Carolina Boating Regulations South Carolina Boating Regulations

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