Godwin v. Barnes

THORNBURG, Judge.

On 19 August 2001, plaintiff and defendant were fishing together just off the North Carolina coast in Drum Inlet. Plaintiff was a guest on defendant's boat and was sitting on a raised seat in the bow of the boat. Defendant piloted the boat from the center console behind and below plaintiff's seat. While defendant was piloting the boat to a different fishing location, he struck a sandbar. The boat was running between fifteen and twenty miles per hour at the time defendant hit the sandbar. Upon hitting the sandbar, the boat came to a sudden stop and plaintiff was thrown from…