ON LATE APRIL 2, OR EARLY APRIL 3, victim LEFT A CAMP ON THE OUACHITA RIVER.  HE LEFT THE CAMP ALONE IN A 12' DURACRAFT BEARING LOUISIANA REGISTRATION 2525BU
OPERATOR LEFT THE CAMP NEAR 11:30 PM ACCORDING TO THE OWNER OF BOTH THE BOAT AND THE CAMP FROM WHICH OPERATOR DEPARTED.  OPERATOR TRAVELED ROUGHLY SOUTHBOUND FROM THE CAMP FOR APPROXIMATELY 1/2 MILE, ENTERING A DITCH WHICH LEADS TO HORSESHOE LAKE, AN OXBOW OFF THE OUACHITA RIVER.
ACCORDING TO owner, OPERATOR HAD BEEN DRINKING HEAVILY, HAVING CONSUMED OVER 1/4 GALLON OF BACARDI RUM (80 PROOF/40% ALCOHOL).  AT SOME POINT, FOR
UNKNOWN REASONS, OPERATOR FELL OUT OF THE BOAT, CAPSIZING IT.  HE BECAME TRAPPED UNDER THE BOAT, EITHER THROUGH INTOXICATION, PANIC, OR INJURY AND DROWNED.
OPERATOR WAS FOUND DROWNED, TRAPPED BENEATH THE BOAT WEARING A TYPE 3 PFD.  THE PFD WAS BUCKLED, BUT NOT COMPLETELY.  BASED ON THE SCENE AS FOUND, OPERATOR WAS TIED TO THE BANK AND ANCHORED (ALTHOUGH ANCHORING COULD HAVE OCCURRED WHEN THE BOAT CAPSIZED.  THERE WAS NO INDICATION THAT OPERATOR WAS ACTIVELY RUNNING THE BOAT AT THE TIME AS THERE WAS NO MOTOR DAMAGE, OTHER THAN WATER INTRUSION DUE TO IT BEING UPSIDE DOWN WHEN THE CRAFT CAPSIZED.
AFTER OPERATOR'S BODY WAS REMOVED FROM THE WATER THE boat WAS RETRIEVED.  IT HAD REMOVABLE RUNNING LIGHTS.  THE RED AND GREEN DIRECTIONAL LIGHTS WERE IN THE OFF POSITION WHILE THE WHITE ALL AROUND WAS IN THE ON POSITION.  cRAFT WAS TOWED BACK TO THE RIVERTON LANDING AND WAS FOUND TO BE EXCEPTIONALLY UNSTABLE IN THE WATER AND VERY "TIPPY".
COLUMBIA                      