BASED ON INFORMATION TO DATE:  According to statements given by witnesses on 9/17/09 P1 and two other male subjects went out on Watauga Lake to go fishing.  Late in the evening on the 17th the three men were attempting to head in and had engine trouble with the main motor.  P1 was able to get the small trolling motor going.  The three attempted to make their way back to Fish Springs Marina but were unfamiliar with the lake and decided in the early morning hours of 9/18/09 to quit for the evening and try again during daylight.  The three had made it back to Fish Springs Marina using only the trolling motor.  P1 vessel had a linkage from the main motor connected to the small trolling motor.  The linkage had malfunctioned and had previously been removed leaving only the tiller steer available.  P1 had operated the trolling motor (gas powered) for an extended period of time.  P1 was in an awkward position directly above the small motor forcing him to lean out and over to operate the small motor.  The vessel had made it into the marina limits very close to the assigned slip.  P1 was readying to pull into his slip when he fell overboard.  The fall occured at approx. 9:05 am in Carter County.


An autopsy was performed on P1.  The autopsy showed subject to have several abrasions on his body, and a blood ethanol level of 0.316 %.  The autopsy concluded P1 died from drowning.  The elevated Blood ethanol level along with alzaprolam caused central nervous system depression and likely contributed to his fall overboard and his ability to function in a life threatening situation.
HAMPTON                       