Hit-and-run Chesapeake Bay boater wanted by police

Natural Resources Police are looking for the operator of a 21-foot powerboat involved in a hit-and-run accident that injured a Virginia man on Saturday afternoon near Thomas Point on the Chesapeake Bay.

Mark Gentile, 55, of Alexandria, Va., was run over after he jumped off his sailboat anchored between Fishing Creek and South River about 2:30 p.m. to retrieve a minnow pot. Gentile attempted to avoid the collision by diving below the surface but the boat struck both of his legs.

The injured sailor was able to swim back to his boat and used a line to keep himself afloat while a passenger called 911 for help.

Gentile slipped below the surface as NRP and Coast Guard arrived and an NRP officer and a member of the Coast Guard jumped into the water to rescue him.

A Coast Guard boat brought Gentile ashore as members of the Anne Arundel County Emergency Medical Services treated him. He was airlifted from the Annapolis Coast Guard station to the Maryland Shock Trauma Center for treatment.

The hit-and-run boat has been described as a 21-foot vessel manufactured by Donzi, white and champagne in color. The driver and passenger were described as a white male and a white female, between 30 and 40 years old.

If you have information about the boat or witnessed the accident call NRP Communication Center at 410-260-8888 or toll free at 800-628-9944 and ask for Ofc. Murray Hunt.