ON 5/29/11 AT 6:47 PM I OFFICER RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM RALEIGH DISPATCH.  DISPATCH REPORTED A DROWNING HAD JUST OCCURRED ON MAYO LAKE AND MY ASSISTANCE WAS NEEDED.  I ARRIVED AT MAYO LAKE AT APPROXIMATELY 7:15PM.  I PUT MY BOAT ON THE WATER AND RODE TO THE SCENE OF THE INCIDENT WHERE RESCUE CREWS IN VESSELS WERE DRAGGING FOR THE VICTIM'S BODY.  I OBSERVED RESCUE CREWS LOCATE THE VICTIMS BODY AND LOAD IT ON THEIR VESSEL AT 7:46PM.  ALL RESCUE VESSELS INCLUDING MYSELF THEN WENT TO THE MAYO ACCESS AREA.  AT THE ACCESS AREA, I TOOK SEVERAL PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE VICTIM, WHO WAS IDENTIFIED.  I SPOKE WITH six WITNESSES AT THE ACCESS AREA.  ALL THE WITNESSES REPORTED VERY SIMILAR FACTS ABOUT THIS INCIDENT.  

victim's wife WAS PRESENT AT THE SCENE AS WELL.  I TOLD HER I WOULD GET A STATEMENT FROM HER AT A LATER DATE.  I ENDED UP TALKING WITH HER AT HER HOUSE ON 6/2/11 AROUND 7:00PM.  VICTIM’S WIFE REPORTED THAT VICTIM DID NOT GET ON THE LAKE UNTIL AROUND 5:00PM THAT DAY.  PRIOR TO GOING ON THE WATER, VICTIM PLAYED GOLF THAT AFTERNOON.  VICTIM WAS PICKED UP AT THE MAYO ACCESS AREA BY ANOTHER VESSEL.  VICTIM’S WIFE REPORTED THAT IT WAS VERY COMMON FOR SHE AND HER HUSBAND TO SPEND THE DAY ON MAYO LAKE.  SHE REPORTED THIS DAY STARTED OUT NO DIFFERENT THAN ANY OTHER ON THE LAKE.  SHE REPORTED THEY USUALLY TIE THEIR PONTOON BOAT TO SEVERAL OTHERS AND SPEND THE DAY IN THIS MANNER WITH FRIENDS.  VICTIM’S WIFE REPORTED THEIR VESSEL WAS IN A COVE SOUTH OF THE BOWMANTOWN BRIDGE.  THEIR PONTOON WAS TIED UP TO ANOTHER.  THERE WERE FOUR PONTOONS TOTAL TIED TO EACH OTHER.  VICTIMS'S VESSEL IS VESSEL ONE FOR PURPOSES OF THIS REPORT.  VESSEL ONE WAS TOwED TO another VESSEL.  Wife REPORTED SHE HAD CONSUMED 2 BEERS THAT DAY.  SHE REPORTED VICTIM HAD CONSUMED 14 BEERS THAT DAY THAT SHE KNEW OF.  SHE REPORTED HE WAS DOING A FAIR AMOUNT OF STUMBLING AROUND WHILE ON THE VESSEL.  SHE REPORTED ONE TIME HE STUMBLED AND TRIED TO CATCH HIMSELF ON THE STERNLIGHT ROD.  SHE REPORTED HE ENDED UP BRAKING THE ROD.  SOME OF THE OTHER WITNESSES I SPOKE WITH REPORTED THEY OBSERVED VICTIM ACTUALLY FALL ON HIS BUTT WHILE ON VESSEL ONE.  VICTIM’S WIFE REPORTED IT WAS AFTER VICTIM BROKE THE STERN LIGHT THAT HE THEN DOVE OFF VESSEL ONE INTO THE LAKE.  SHE AND OTHER WITNESSES REPORTED HE DOVE OFF THE STERN ON THE PORT SIDE OF THE MOTOR.  WITNESSES REPORTED THEY COULD SEE HIM SWIMMING UNDER WATER.  THEY REPORTED THAT ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY SAW BUBBLES COME UP AND THEY COULD SEE VICTIM NO LONGER.  VICTIM’S WIFE REPORTED AT FIRST SHE THOUGHT VICTIM COULD HAVE BEEN UNDER HER PONTOON AND WAS PLAYING AROUND.  AFTER ABOUT 30 SECONDS HAD GONE BY, PEOPLE FROM THE PONTOONS BEGAN JUMPING IN THE WATER AND DIVING UNDER TO LOOK FOR VICTIM.  COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS REPORTED THE 911 CALL CAME IN AT 6:20PM.  AFTER SPEAKING WITH WITNESSES AT THE SCENE, I BOARDED VESSEL ONE AND INSPECTED IT FOR SAFETY EQUIPMENT.  ON BOARD VESSEL ONE I LOCATED 1 FIRE EXTINGUISHER, 2 TYPE IV PFDS, 1 YOUTH TYPE III PFD, 5 ADULT TYPE II PFDS, AND 1 ADULT TYPE III PFD.  I ALSO OBSERVED A BUCKET CONTAININT MANY EMPTY CANS AND BOTTLES OF BEER LOCATED BEHIND THE DRIVER'S SEAT.  VICTIMS BODY WAS TAKEN TO CHAPEL HILL TO THE MEDICAL EXAMINER'S OFFICE.  I WAS INFORMED BY PERSON COUNTY EMS THAT THEY DID NOT DO AN AUTOPSY ON VICTIMS BODY.  NO CHARGES WERE FILED IN THIS MATTER.

ROXBORO                       