CURRITUCK COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS RECEIVED A CALL AT 1849 HOURS ON SUNDAY EVENING, JUNE 6TH, FROM a subject NEAR MOYOCK, REPORTING A VESSEL ADRIFT IN TULS BAY, NEAR THE MOUTH OF NORTHWEST RIVER.  THE CALLER ADVISED THAT HE COULD SEE THAT THE MOTOR WAS RUNNING, BUT HAD NOT SEEN ANYONE ON OR AROUND THE VESSEL.  SUBJECT THEN TOOK HIS VESSEL TO INVESTIGATE.  BY THE TIME HE ARRIVED AT THE VESSEL, IT HAD DRIFTED, BOW FIRST INTO THE MARSH NEAR THE MOUTH OF BACK LANDING CREEK IN TULLS BAY.  HE STATED THAT HE FOUND THE VESSEL UNOCCUPIED, WITH THE MOTOR IDLING IN NEUTRAL, AND TRIMMED DOWN.  HE ALSO REPORTED FINDING A DOG WATER BOWL IN THE STERN OF THE VESSEL.  SUBJECT REPORTED THAT HE TURNED THE ENGINE OFF AND TRIMMED THE MOTOR UP OUT OF THE WATER.  HE STATED THAT HE FOLLOWED THE APPARENT TRACK THAT THE VESSEL HAD DRIFTED ALONG AND FOUND A SMALL BLCK DOG BARKING ON THE SOUTH SHORE OF THE NORTHWEST RIVER, JUST UP FROM THE MOUTH OF THE RIVER.  SUBJECT THEN MET ME AND CURRITUCK COUNTY DEPUTY AT THE TULLS BAY MARINA AT APPROXIMATELY 1940 HOURS AND TOOK US TO WHERE THE VICTIM'S VESSEL WAS LOCATED.  

I FOUND THE VESSEL WITH THE ENGINE OFF AND TRIMMED UP.  THE INTERIOR WAS RELATIVELY CLEAN AND THERE WERE NO APPARENT INDICATIONS OF AN ONBOARD MISHAP.  THERE WAS AN OPEN BUDWEISER BEER BOTTLE IN A "COOZIE" ON THE DASH, APPROXIMATELY 1/4 FULL.  THERE WAS A LARGE (48-56 QT) COOLER LOCATED IN THE PORT STERN OF THE VESSEL WHICH HAD APPROXIMATELY 24 BEERS ICED DOWN INSIDE.  THERE WERE ALSO 3 EMPTY BEER BOTTLES IN THE PORT STERN COMPARTMENT JUST BEHIND THE COOLER.  THERE WAS A SILVER DIGITAL CAMERA ON THE CONSOLE, HOWEVER NONE OF THE PICTURES ON BOARD WERE FROM THAT DAY.  THERE WAS A WHITE TYPE IV PFD BETWEEN THE COOLER AND THE PORT GUNWALE OF THE VESSEL AND SEVERAL OTHER TYPE III PFD'S IN THE CENTER CONSOLE.  THERE WAS A DOG BOWL WHICH CONTAINED WATER IN THE STARBOARD AFT SECTION OF THE VESSEL. THERE WAS A GPS ON THE DASH OF THE CONSOLE WHICH SHOWED THE LAST TRACK OF THE VESSSEL COMING OUT OF THE NORTHWEST RIVER AND ENDING AT ITS CURRENT LOCATION.  

WE THEN LEFT THE VESSEL AND PROCEEDED ALONG THE ROUTE THAT THE GPS SHOWED THE VESSEL HAD TAKEN, TO WHERE SUBJECT FOUND THE DOG.  WE WERE ABLE TO CAPTURE THE SMALL BLACK PUG.  DEPUTY OF THE CURRITUCK COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE THEN OPERATED THE VICTIM'S VESSEL, UNDER ITS OWN POWER, TO TULLS BAY MARINA, WHERE IT WAS MOORED.  AFTER QUICKLY LOOKING THE VICTIMS VESSEL OVER ONCE MORE, AND INDING NO FURTHER CLUES AS TO WHAT MIGHT HAVE HAPPEDNED, I PROCEEDED BACK TO THE AREA WHERE THE DOG WAS LOCATED AND BEGAN TO SEARCH THE WATER AND SHORE LINE FOR THE VESSELS REGISTERED OWNER.  ASSISTED BY OFFICERS OF THE NC MARINE PATROL, A USCG HELICOPTER AND BOAT CREW, AND SEVERAL (APPROXIMATELY 5-7) PRIVATE CITIZENS VESSELS, I SEARCHED THE AREA AROUND THE MOUTH OF THE NORTHWEST RIVER.  SHORTLY AFTER BEGINNING THE SEARCH, A VESSEL APPROACHED WITH THE DAUGHTER OF THE MISSING BOATER, AND SHE VERIFIED THAT THE DOG WE LOCATED WAS HER FATHER'S.  SHE STATED THAT HER FATHER HAD CALLED HER BETWEEN 1730 AND 1800 HOURS AND TOLD HER HE WAS GOING OUT ON THE BOAT ALONE WITH THE DOG.  SHE ALSO  STATED THAT ALTHOUGH THE DOG DID NOT SWIM WELL, it NEVER JUMPED OUT OF THE BOAT but operator  WOULD OCCASIONALLY STOP THE BOAT AND DIP THE DOG IN THE WATER TO COOL IT OFF.  SHE STATED THAT HIS WIFE HAD SUFFERED A SEIZURE WHILE THEY WERE BOATING THE PREVIOUS DAY AND WAS TRAnSPORTED BY EMS TO THE HOSPITAL, WHERE SHE REMAINED AND WAS BEING TREATED FOR A POSSIBLE STROKE.  SHE STATED THAT HE HAD SEEMED DISTRAUGHT WHEN SHE TALKED TO HIM BEFORE HE LEFT AND THAT HE WAS AN ALCOHOLIC AND MAY HAVE BEEN DRINKING.  AT APPROXIMATELY 2200 HOURS, A STRONG THUNDERSTORM MOVED INTO THE AREA AND THE SEARCH WAS SUSPENDED UNTIL 0630 THE FOLLOWING MORNING.  AT 0630 ON MONDAY, JUNE 7TH, THE SEARCH WAS RESUMED BY MYSELF, NC MARINE PATROL, PRIVATE CITIZENS, A USCG HELICOPETER, AND DEPUTIES WITH THE CURRITUCK COUNTY

MOYOCK                        