In addition to the requirements of Sections 656.1 and 656.2, the operator of any vessel involved in an accident in the waters of this state who knows or has reason to know that the accident resulted in the death or disappearance of any person shall, after fulfilling the requirements of this division, and if there is no peace officer at the scene of the accident to whom to furnish the information required by Section 656.2, without delay, report the accident to the law enforcement agency having jurisdiction over the waterway or, if unknown, the sheriff of the county in which the accident occurred.

(Added by Stats. 1986, Ch. 877, Sec. 5.)

Terms Used In California Harbors and Navigation Code 656.3

  • County: includes city and county. See California Harbors and Navigation Code 14
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Operator: means the person aboard a vessel who meets any of the following:

    California Harbors and Navigation Code 651

  • Person: means an individual, partnership, firm, corporation, limited liability company, association, or other entity, but does not include the United States, the state, or a municipality or subdivision thereof. See California Harbors and Navigation Code 651
  • State: means a state of the United States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the District of Columbia. See California Harbors and Navigation Code 651
  • Vessel: includes every description of a watercraft or other artificial contrivance used or capable of being used as a means of transportation on water, except either of the following:

    California Harbors and Navigation Code 651