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An Alabama boat accident involving a fishing boat leaves a Tennessee man injured after the vessel capsizes near Wheeler Dam. The incident took place at approximately 8:15 on Friday morning, April 22, 2011, on the Lauderdale County side below Wheeler Dam.
According to Lt. Roy Ellis, of the Alabama Marine Police, the boat capsized, sending its operator and a passenger into the river. The fishing boat driver has been identified as Antonio Datuin, 51, of Rogersville. He was not injured in the maritime accident.
Mr. Datuin's passenger, David Zimmerman, 43, of Knoxville, Tennessee, was not so lucky. Rescue crews transported Mr. Zimmerman to Eliza Coffee Memorial Hospital where he was treated for the maritime injuries he sustained in the accident. His condition was not immediately made known.
"With the flood gates open, it's like a waterfall, and they were fishing near the dam and got too close," Lt. Ellis said. "When they realized they were too close and started trying to get away, their boat motor wouldn't crank. They tried to get away using a trolling motor, and the water was just too much; it overpowered the trolling motor."
Mr. Zimmerman was tossed around on the rocks, preventing him from inflating his life jacket.
Lt. Ellis said that four men in a nearby pontoon boat rescued the two fishermen. The Alabama maritime accident is still under investigation by local authorities.
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