Boat collision on Lake Norman injures at least one person; tournament angler charged

IREDELL COUNTY, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) -- A high-speed boat crash on Lake Norman Wednesday morning resulted in at least one hospitalization and one man facing charges, according to officials with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. The collision happened around 7:16 a.m. Wednesday, April 16, near the Lake Norman State Park boat ramp, as traffic on the water increased for the ongoing National Professional Fishing League tournament being held April 16-18. Michael Lott with NC Wildlife confirmed with Queen City News that a bass boat, operated by Jessie Ayers, who was part of the fishing tournament, was traveling at speeds between 50 and 60 miles per hour when it struck the right side of another boat that was idling nearby. The second boat was operated by a local resident who frequently fishes in the early mornings. The impact threw both boat operators into the water. Fortunately, other nearby boaters acted quickly to help, pulling both men from the lake, officials said. Emergency Medical Services, along with Iredell County Sheriff’s deputies and local fire crews, responded to the scene. Both men were taken to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Following an investigation, NC Wildlife officials determined the cause of the crash to be operator inattention. The operator of the bass boat, Ayers, has since been charged with careless and reckless operation of a motorboat. NC Wildlife continues to lead the investigation. “We’re extremely grateful that this incident did not result in any severe injuries,” said NPFL President Brad Fuller. “Our primary concern is always for the health and safety of our anglers and anyone else using the water. We take boating safety extremely seriously.” While tournament activity was ongoing at the time of the crash, officials have confirmed that only one of the boats involved was associated with the event.