ON FRIDAY JANUARY 14, 2011 AT AROUND 8:00AM, operator AND HIS COUSIN WERE CANOEING FROM ONE DUCK HUNTING LOCATION TO ANOTHER.  AS occupant (IN THE BOW AREA) WAS PADDLING, HIS SHOTGUN FELL FROM HIS LAP.  occupant DROPPED THE PADDLE IN THE WATER ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE CANOE IN AN ATTEMPT TO CATCH THE SHOTGUN WHICH LANDED ON THE FLOOR OF THE VESSEL.  occupant THEN REACHED BACK OVER TO HIS RIGHT TO RETRIEVE THE PADDLE OUT OF THE WATER.  THIS MOVEMENT CAUSED BOTH INDIVIDUALS TO LOOSE THEIR BALANCE AND FALL OVERBOARD TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE CANOE.  A BYSTANDER  HEARD THE TWO MEN YELLING AND WAS ABLE TO ASSIST THEM OUT OF THE WATER USING HER MOTORBOAT.  BOTH INDIVIDUALS WERE IN THE WATER FOR APPROXIMATELY FIFTEEN TO TWENTY MINUTES.

occupant WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE STANLY MEMORIAL HOSPITAL IN REFERENCE TO SYMPTOMS OF HYPOTHERMIA WHERE HE WAS HELD DUE TO HYPOTHERMIA AND WATER IN THE LUNGS.  WHILE INTERVIEWING occupant AT THE HOSPITAL, HE STATED THIS WAS HIS FIRST TIME DUCK HUNTING FROM A CANOE.  occupant WAS RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL FIVE DAYS LATER ON WEDNESDAY THE 19TH.

LIFE JACKETS WERE NOT WORN, BUT WERE WITHIN REACH AND WERE USED BY THE TWO MEN AFTER FALLING OVERBOARD.
NORWOOD                       