AT 23:00 HRS ON SUNDAY APRIL 24TH, I RECEIVED A CALL REFERENCE A BOAT ACCIDENT ON THE UPPER CASHIE RIVER INVOLVING A PWC.  I MET OFFICER AT THE BOAT RAMP ON SUTTON DR IN WINDSOR WHERE WE BEGAN TO TAKE WITNESS STATEMENTS FROM EMERGENCY PERSONNEL ON SCENE.  WINDSOR FIRE DEPARTMENT/WATER RESCUE, BERTIE SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT AND A GOOD SAMARITAN BOAT WERE IN THE WATER SEARCHING FOR SURVIVORS.  AT APPROXIMATELY 21:45 HRS, Injured victim CALLED RELATIVES AND STATED sHE WAS ON THE CASHIE RIVER ON A PWC AND WAS BROKE DOWN AND NEEDED HELP.  Four people LEFT SAN SOUCI BY BOAT TO RENDER HELP.  THEY FOUND Injured victim SITTING ON THE PWC APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES FROM SUTTON DR BOAT RAMP IN WINDSOR.  SHE WAS WEARING A PFD AND HAD SUSTAINED HEAD TRAUMA AND WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE BOAT RAMP BY two people.  THEY WERE THEN NOTIFIED BY another person THAT OPERATOR AND DECEASED VICTIM2 WERE TOGETHER WITH INJURED VICTIM ALL AFTERNOON RIDING THE PWC TOGETHER.  

VOLUNTEERS THEN WENT BACK TO WHERE THE PWC WAS LEFT IN THE WATER TO SEARCH FOR OPERATOR AND DECEASED VICTIM2.  AT APPROXIMATELY 23:28 HRS DECEASED VICTIM2 WAS FOUND APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET UP RIVER OF THE PWC, AND OPERATOR WAS FOUND APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET DOWN RIVER FROM THE PWC.  

BOTH were STILL WEARING THEIR PFDS.  The Operator STILL HAD THE KILL SWITCH LANYARD ATTACHED TO HIS LEFT WRIST.  APPROXIMATELY 23:20 HRS BOTH DECEASED WERE TRANSPORTED TO SUTTON DR BOAT RAMP AND TRANSPORTED TO MEDICAL EXAMINER RICHARD HODGES IN GREENVILLE, NC.  OFFICER, BERTIE COUNTY INVESTIGATOR AND I LAUNCHED A BOAT AND WENT TO THE ACCIDENT SCENE WHERE BERTIE COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICERS HAD SECURED THE SCENE.  WE FOUND THE PWC AGAINST THE RIVER BANK ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE CASHIE RIVER.  THE BOW OF THE PWC WAS FACING DOWN RIVER WITH HANDLE BARS TURNED TO THE STARBOARD SIDE.  THE FRONT HATCH OF THE PWC SUSTAINED CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE FROM THE FRONT LEFT CORNER ALL THE WAY TO THE HANDLEBARS.  THE LATCH FOR THE FRONT COMPARTMENT WAS MISSING.  A PORTION OF THE LATCH WAS FOUND ON THE PORT FOOT PEDESTAL.  IMPACT DAMAGE WAS FOUND ON THE PORT SIDE OF THE BOW.  PICTURES WERE TAKEN BEFORE THE PWC WAS MOVED.  APPROXIMATELY 150 FEET DOWN RIVER FROM THE PWC, A DEADHEAD LOG APPROXIMATELY 10 INCHES IN DIAMETER PROTRUDES FROM THE RIVER APPROXIMATELY 24 INCHES OUT OF THE WATER IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CHANNEL.  THE REST OF THE LOG IS SUBJERGED AND RUNS PERPENDICULAR TO THE RIVER TO THE SOUTH RIVER BANK.  APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET FROM THE DEADHEAD LOG, THE PWC WAS FOUND.  

THE DEADHEAD LOG HAD OBVIOUS DAMAGE TO THE DOWNSTREAM SIDE.  THE BARK WAS MISSING OFF THE DOWNSTREAM SIDE, UNDER SIDE, AS WELL AS THE UPSTREAM SIDE.  A BRANCH PROTRUDED UP FROM THE TOP OF THE DEADHEAD AND POINTED SLIGHTLY DOWNSTREAM.  THE BRANCH HAD A FRESH BREAK NEAR THE BASE OF THE LIMB ALTHOUGH STILL ATTACHED TO THE LOG.  THERE WAS A GOUGE ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE LOG APPROXIMATELY 12 INCHES ABOVE THE WATER LINE.  PICTURES WERE TAKEN OF THE DAMAGE TO THE LOG.  

SEE REPORT FOR REST OF NARRATIVE, TOO LONG TO INCLUDE IN THIS AREA.

WINDSOR                       