Law enforcement authorities, fire departments, or search and rescue units of any city or county government shall provide to the commission a report, prepared by the local government agency regarding any boating accident occurring within their jurisdiction resulting in a death or injury requiring hospitalization. Such report shall be provided to the commission within ten days of the occurrence of the accident. The results of any investigation of the accident conducted by the city or county governmental agency shall be included in the report provided to the commission. At the earliest opportunity, but in no case more than forty-eight hours after becoming aware of an accident, the agency shall notify the commission of the accident. The commission shall have authority to investigate any boating accident. The results of any investigation conducted by the commission shall be made available to the local government for further processing. This provision does not eliminate the requirement for a boating accident report by the operator required under RCW 79A.60.200.

The report of a county coroner, or any public official assuming the functions of a coroner, concerning the death of any person resulting from a boating accident, shall be submitted to the commission within one week of completion. Information in such report may be, together with information in other such reports, incorporated into the state boating accident report provided for in RCW 79A.05.310(4), and shall be for the confidential usage of governmental agencies as provided in RCW 79A.60.210.

Severability—1999 c 249: See note following RCW 79A.05.010.

Boating accidents and boating safety services—Study—Report—1987 c 427: "The parks and recreation commission shall conduct a study of boating accidents and boating safety services in Washington including a review of how the local option tax for funding of boating safety enforcement is used. Further the parks and recreation commission shall develop recommendations to address identified problems and report these recommendations to the legislature by January 2, 1988." [ 1987 c 427 s 4.]