Two Boats Crash After Anglers On Collision Course Turn The Same Direction, Patrol Says

LAKE OF THE OZARKS, Mo. — Two fishing boats collided Saturday morning, April 27 around the 6 Mile Marker, leaving one man with minor injuries.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the incident occurred when 57-year-old Shannon McCarthy, of Ballwin, Mo. was driving a 2021 Bass Tracker westbound and 68-year-old Michael Benedict, of Camdenton, Mo. was driving a 2014 Ranger bass boat eastbound. The Patrol says at around 6:35 a.m. the two boaters were approaching one another head-on, when both boats turned in the same direction.

According to the Patrol, the two boats collided, and McCarthy — who was reportedly not wearing a life jacket — was ejected into the water.

Both boats had extensive damage from the crash, and the Patrol says 39-year-old Curtis Reinkemeyer, of Lee’s Summit, Mo., who was a passenger in Benedict’s boat, sustained minor injuries. He was treated at the scene and released.

Rules Of The Water

The rules of the water, informed by international maritime regulations known as COLREG (Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea), dictate that when two boaters are headed toward one another on a collision course, they should both turn to their right (starboard) to avoid the collision.